Deborah Pavey - 04/03/98 02:05:37
My Email:pavey@sprint.ca
Where are you from?: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:


Yvonne Henderson - 04/01/98 20:36:05
Where are you from?: Birmingham
How did you find these pages?: at work
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes
Any new links I should add?: no

Comments:
I've had graves' disease for 8 years and I am more than sick of it. The disease has affected my complete being. One of my eyes is larger than the other and that bothers me more than I can tell you. I'm a twin, (she also has graves'). She is so very moody that I can't stand to talk with her and we used to talk 3-4 times a day. She lives in another state. My long distance charges have dropped to nothing, because I can't talk with my sister and I missed that so much. I've lost jobs/relationships because of this disease and I've been to so many doctors that I don't want to see another one. There has to be something that can be done to eliminate this disease, because I don't wish this on anyone. I'm always so very, very tired, and my weight goes up and down and I'm angry most of the time and I don't know why. I'm on 42 years old and most of the time I can't carry on a conversation with anyone. I forget what I'm talking about in the middle of a sentence or all of a sudden start on a new conversation. I don't know where or what to do. I take all the medications that I've been prescribed, they've been charged over and over and nothing seems to work for very long. I'm grateful that there's somewhere, other than a therapist that I can express my feelings. Thanks so much for being here for all of us who suffer with this disease.

Elisabeth Wasslen - 03/31/98 23:54:04
My Email:Wasslen@globalserve.net
Where are you from?: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
How did you find these pages?: Just looking around
Are you a regular visitor here?: just found you yesterday
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
I tried for four and half years to take synthroid (eltroxin) and I had mega problems on it. Previously I had taken dessicated thyroid and did okay on that, really. But eltroxin was a totally bad scene, and threw me into pernicious anemia (according to the specialist) We were transferred here and I got a doctor who believed if some is good, more is better. Last year I ended up in Emergency with Atrial Fibrillation -- all atributable to too much medication. Never do that. I am never very good - more bad days than good. My STSH is just not working any more from years of taking too much medication. The specialist (internist) told me today he thinks it just got destroyed, so he relies on the other reading. I've had thyroid disease since I was a teenager, and although I wouldn't admit this to even my mother, I am going to be sixty in July. All my life I haven't felt really well -- not since I had the radioactive iodine in 1958 when it was in the really grey area of medicine. Before that I was a star athlete and I felt wonderful every day, full of life and energy. I remember feeling like that, but not since 1058. I feel like I've given up my whole life to thyroid disease. I never cry the blues like this as a rule. I am by nature very positive and outgoing and I'm just letting my hair down to you, this one time. I've never been suicidal, but there are lot of times I wish I was dead, like I just can't go on. Do you know about that? Actually, I sort of changed my mine about that last year when I was in Emerg having Dijoxin dripped into my hand to slow my heart down. Six times the ambulance and fire department came to rescue me and six times I ended up spending hours and hours on drugs to slow me down. I'd like to get my old doctor in a dark alley one night and thank him for royally screwing me up. His daughter has thyroid disease now and she looks like the walking dead. He once told me it was all in her head. She was 21 at the time. Gotta go. I enjoyed reading your story and all your updates. I wish you well. I wish us all well. Please don't use my name will you. My surname is so uncommong, and everyone with that name in Canada is a relative of mine, so you can tell how easy it is to track me down. Bye for now, Love from Elisabeth xo

liz spock - 03/30/98 17:39:10
Where are you from?: janesville,ca
How did you find these pages?: the net
Are you a regular visitor here?: I am now!
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:
I live in a very small town and we just recieved a net provider.I was so glad to find this. It's nice to know I'm not alone.(although I would not wish this disease on anyone.) I was told I had the disease in 1994,but have been suffering since I was a teenager.(Doctor told me I was whinning).the queation I have is "Anyone out there suffering from bone problems?". I have found that this disease takes a greater toll on the rest of the body than anyone ever realized, including our doctors.(by the way this disease was discovered by my orthopdic, after years of "whinning" to numerous doctors.)Bone was being eaten away from my leg bones because I was not absorbing calcium due to my graves. Also I can't get a doctor to give me a stright answer. (he did admit I have more questions then he has answers).I would love to here back from anybody who has questions or answers. Can't remember my Email adress but my provider is "the grid" and I think it's under my husbands name "Paul Spock".

Kathleen Kremis - 03/28/98 07:22:47
My Email:sizzle@pond.cam
Where are you from?: Philadelphia, PA
How did you find these pages?: surfing thyroid
Are you a regular visitor here?: no, I just discovered it.
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
I am 22 yrs. old, I had my surgery in Nov. of 1997;the doctor removed all but the size of the top joint of your pinky finger. I have gained weight, lost weight, been on 3 different doses of synthroid and been on an emotional rollar coaster for so long that I forget what "feeling normal" is. My throid was so enlarged that I could not breath when I would laid down. I was on lithum for awhile and taking so much PTU that I felt like an addict. The surgry went well but now I am struggling to get my eyes back in my head, and my levels "normal" for more than six months. AUGH! This page brought tears to my eyes. I know your feelings and symtoms. You have done a wonderful job with this page and I wish you good health:). Keep up the good work!

Anna - 03/27/98 19:16:31
My Email:awuest@accustaff.com
Where are you from?: NC
How did you find these pages?: Browing for Thyroid Stuff
Are you a regular visitor here?: Kinda
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
Your web page and all the info is the best. Many thanks for making the efforts to getting this info out there to the public. After loosing 22 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks, finally diagnosed Jan. 1997. Didn't start on meds until June 1997 after my husband passed away. I'm still not straight and am strongly thinking about nuking the thyoid. Want to know if anyone has had any luck with diet control. I mean 2 things: 1) can any of the symptoms be relieved with diet/vitamins/minerals? And 2) am now gaining weight even though I am still hyper - any type of diet to help? Should I even bother? Weight has always been a problem and guess I'm more vein than I thought. Called my endo, stating I was feeling depressed,his nurse gave me 3 head drs. names???? Guess I should switch endos, but this town only has a limited few. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Donna - 03/26/98 21:03:42
My Email:lettefam@aol.com
Where are you from?: Massachusetts
How did you find these pages?: surfing foe thyroid info
Are you a regular visitor here?: No, but I'm going to start
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:
I'm so glad I found your sight. About a month ago I found out that I'm hyperthyroid and this is the first day I felt OK. My Doctor ordered a thyroid blood test right away and she sent me to an endo who sent me for an radioactive uptake test. He put me on inderal to slow my pulse rate down and tapozole for my thyroid. My next appointment is in May. When I called him with some of my symtoms he told me to be patient. He said it takes about 6 weeks for the meds to work. I'm a wreck. I can't drive. It's like I have this strange fear. This really came on me all of a sudden. I feel very lucky that I was diagnosed quick.

Barbara McIntosh - 03/25/98 18:11:09
My Email:bobbiemac@tusco.net
Where are you from?: Northeastern Ohio
How did you find these pages?: looking for information
Are you a regular visitor here?: first time
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: don't know; have alot of the symtoms

Comments:
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in Jan. '98. I recently have the feeling something is "stuck" in my throat. While looking up "thyroid", I came across this site. I am finding it very informative. I had one test for thyroid a long time ago, but I now have so many of the symtoms that I can't help but think I should ask for a more thorough check. Thanks for all your information.

Sally Bush - 03/25/98 01:29:11
My Email:ebush@adelphia.net
Where are you from?: Beachwood, NJ
How did you find these pages?: Surfing
Are you a regular visitor here?: No-I will be now
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
I was working as 3-11 RN superviosor one night when I started sweating, shaking and my heart just started racing right out of my chest. I came down the hall and told one of the girls I was going home. Lucky for me a doctor was passing and ordered someone to grab a ekg machine. All my friends gathered around and by the look on their faces, I knew something was drastically wrong. The doc confirmed this when he called for an girney to the emergency room. I was admitted to CCU where I was diagnoised with something called Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome (or WPW for short). I had never heard of it, since I wasn't a cardiac nurse. They had to stop my heart from racing, so they tried all sorts of things--they gave me pills, they gave me (alot) of IV's, they zapped me with defibulators, they stopped my heart completly with medication and restarted it again-that was a thrill! I was in and out of local hosptial ER's and Deborah Heart & Lung Hospital. They finally did a cardiac abaltion (putting a cathater into your heart thru the arteries in your groin and zapping the heart with electricity). No matter what they did or what pills they gave me, my heart would just start racing like crazy--I would throw up and lay miserably on my bed crying and tell my poor husband to take me back to the hospital again. I thought I was going to die soon and started to get things together so my 13 year old son would remember his mother and be able to go on without her care and love. I was at the end of my rope. I couldn't work, I couldn't do much of anything but cry. Finally, I was talking to a friend of mine who is also a nurse. We got out all our nursing books and started to go over them. What could be wrong with me? Why didn't anything work? A simple thyroid test? No way, I said. My doctors had asked me if it ran in my family, but I said no. Also, no one would take me for hyperthyroid. I was not the typical thin patient. In fact, I was overweight. But guess what????? Three, I said 3, doctors called me that day and left urgent messages. Call them. My thryoid levels were off the chart. PKU, some radio isotops and now some synthroid pills. I can live with that. I can LIVE........

Jill Feeler - 03/24/98 20:14:25
My Email:jfeeler@aol.com
Where are you from?: Boise, Idaho
How did you find these pages?: seeking information
Are you a regular visitor here?: Yes.
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes.
Any new links I should add?: Sorry, I've forgotten them

Comments:
I was so happy to find your website last December! Last Fall I was feeling awful -- tired, irritable, lazy, and moody to the nth degree. I have asthma which, until last Fall, was controlled well with meds (45-60 minutes on the StairMaster was no problem. After telling my asthma doc my symptoms he wisely suggested we check my thyroid. God bless him. I was/am hyperthyroid and have Graves' disease. After considering all my options I chose to have the raioactive iodine uptake in early Feb. 98. The probable outcome was good and the results were relatively quick. So far, I believe I made the right choice. My Free T4 levels are down to 2.83 as of 3/3/98 from 3.70 at 12/24/97. I'm feeling more energetic, even going to the gym again, though not as regularly as before (yet). I am happy again, not depressed. After reading others' stories at this website, I realize I have not had the symptoms nearly as severe as others. I have not missed any work. My weight has only fluctuated by about 10 pounds, mostly because I'm eating poorly and I have not exercised like I did a year ago. Thanks for the website, Sue. You are awesome. Congrats on your new job. To all of you, good luck and may God bless you. My prayers are with all of you. We WILL make it back to our old selves (or better!).