Peggy Stone - 04/17/98 01:25:30
My Email:peggy08@webytv.net
Where are you from?: Pennsylvania
How did you find these pages?: search engines
Are you a regular visitor here?: new
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:
I was diagnosed today with Grave's Disease. I have not yet been back to see my PCP (primary care physician) since being diagnosed. Could you explain what the possible treatments may be. The doctor at the hospital (where I had the tests performed) did not explain treament possibilities. Thank you for sharing any information you may have.

dagmar - 04/15/98 18:38:12
My Email:vanbeselaere@sunbeach.net
Where are you from?: originaaally Canada, now living in Barbados
How did you find these pages?: just browsing
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:
Also had a terrible experience getting diagnosed with Grave's. Doctor had abnormal TSH results and never even told me and didn't do anything about it, just kept treating me for ägitated depression'. Three months later when I followed up on those original test results, I was treated. Symptoms finally went away. I am now in the process of sueing. The College of Physicians of Ontario " to whom I complained about the doctor's treatment "censored" her. I just hope I can be compensated for losing my job because the doctor did not treat me for the Grave's right away. I, too, figure that I suffered with this insiduous disease for many years. Through the Thyroid Foundation of Canada (Ottawa Branch), I conducted a survey of thyroid patients and their experiences in the process of being diagnosed. At least 20% were first diagnosed with an illness other than thyroid. What has happened with DSM protocols where it orders doctors to eliminate physical disorders (thyroid diseases are specifically mentioned) before they can make a diagnosis of a mental disorder eg. depression, anxiety, panic, etc.?? I wrote up this report and hope to have it published in the Thyrobulletin in the near future. It has also been suggested that the TF run the survey again to reach a more general survey sample. I wish I was more proficient with the computer as I would really like to make this an even more general survey and perhaps even reach other nationalities. Thanks for letting me vent. Even after 2 1/2 years I am still so angry and hurt about the way my (then) doctor handled this illness.

Debbi - 04/15/98 01:16:29
My Email:Rigdon625@aol.com
Where are you from?: Florida
How did you find these pages?: surfing Yahoo
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: had; now: HypO

Comments:
I just got through your interesting website. Too bad I had no computer back when I was diagnosed with Graves Disease. Gee, that was ELEVEN years ago already! Yesterday was my 35th birthday... When I was diagnosed, it was on my 24th birthday. I had lost 33 lbs that month, and the Doctor I found told me I was near-heart-attack level. I say I "found" the Doctor, because 11 years ago thyroid disease wasn't too popular (moreso since Barbara Bush was diagnosed shortly after I was) and I had to wait three months to see the nearest Endo (3 hrs drive away!). I was newly married six months when all this happened. Poor husband, what he had to put up with! But then, I'm sure you know! Well, the darling man is right here beside me still... We were also told we couldn't have a family. That's a long story, too, but our daughter will be Eight this summer!

Yvonne Orr - 04/14/98 12:39:20
My Email:MCSClydeLtd@compuserve .com
Where are you from?: Scotland
How did you find these pages?: looked up thyroid disease
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:
This is a brilliant site, I was diagnosed last November and I am so relieved to know that there are others with the same symptoms and that I am not imagining them, I'm sure my ever suffering husband and son will be too. Keep up the good work. I will definitely be visiting again.

Steve Allen - 04/14/98 03:49:37
My Email:sjra@juno.com
Where are you from?: Pocatello, Idaho
How did you find these pages?: Yahoo search on Graves
Are you a regular visitor here?: first timer
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: likely, am waiting for more tests

Comments:
I thought I had a combination of diabetes and essential tremor! Feeling kind of sick after eating, sweating (esp. after eating), handwriting going to heck, fast heartbeat. I have a low TSH of 0.03 and will get the "iodine/iodide uptake" test soon, as well as second blood tests. Aren't the MD's funny? The first visit is like "why are you wasting my time?" and the second is like "boy, its a good thing that you came in!" My MD is talking about totally nuking my thyroid and going on replacement drugs. I'm not too happy about it. We'll see...

Merri - 04/12/98 04:48:36
My Email:IvyGirl63@aol.com
Where are you from?: Annapolis, MD
How did you find these pages?: Surfing
Are you a regular visitor here?: I will be now!
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: I think so...

Comments:
Hi... I was diagnosed by my GP with Graves back in July, when I was hospitalized with a bad case of pneumonia. He wanted to do the RAI thing right then, because the thyroid numbers were so out of whack; however, my HMO stepped in and made me leave the hospital before he had a chance to set things up. On my next visit, he put me on Tapazole (2/day) and referred me to an endo. When I saw the endo, she wasn't "convinced" it was Graves. The only blood results she had to go by were the results taken while I was on the meds; she had not even seen the results from when I was in the hospital. She then proceeded to tell me that I was "overmedicated" and cut my dosage back to 1 pill/day. The next visit, she cut it back to 1/2 pill/day. Keep in mind that she STILL had not seen the hospital blood results. That was December, by the way. She made so light of it, that I decided on my own not to take the pills anymore, thinking SHE was the expert, and that I probably didn't have Graves, and skipped my next appointment the following month (boy was I dumb!) I took an early retirement from the Government at the end of December, mainly because I had been feeling so darn rotten all the time and wanted to enjoy life while I was still young (I'm 47). Needless to say, I've been feeling worse and worse with each passing day. I didn't really associate it with the Graves problem until about a month ago, while researching the disease on the internet. Fatigue, hands trembling, unexplained rashes/hives, memory loss, sleeplessness, depression, agitation, weight loss, nervousness... I am convinced that I indeed am suffering from Graves, and have an appointment with the endo this coming Tuesday. However, thanks to the research I've done, and wonderful sites such as yours, I will be walking into that office a lot more educated and knowledgeable than I was back in the Fall. I've read how so many doctors merely pass this off as "no big thing" -- I wonder if they'd say that if they had to suffer as we all do?! Anyway, thank you SO much for sharing, and for educating so many of us. And thanks, too, for listening! God Bless You!!!

Susan Mullins - 04/11/98 14:18:50
My Email:smullins62@aol.com
Where are you from?: McKinney, Texas
How did you find these pages?: searching for info on Graves
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: in the process to confirm it

Comments:
I thought I was going crazy. I finally broke down and went to the doctor, after sweating embarassably and shaking in front of some friend. However, this has been a regular thing. My doctor ran some tests and is doing more. My thyroid is out of wack. I'm releived that something is wrong and it's not all in my head. I was beginning to wonder! I go to the endocrinoligist later this week.

Judy Nicholson - 04/11/98 01:35:56
Where are you from?: Goderich, Ontario, Can.
How did you find these pages?: Personal Experience
Are you a regular visitor here?: First time
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
I was diagnosed about six years ago. Had radio-active iodine and have been stable for five years at .15 mg thyroxine with no side effects...feeling great and normal. Found your site interesting. Thanks. J.N.

Denise Young - 04/10/98 21:33:34
My Email:Denise.M.Young@MCI.Com
Where are you from?: Iowa
How did you find these pages?: Webcrawler
Are you a regular visitor here?: Yes
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:


debra grizzle - 04/09/98 23:48:38
My Email:dgrizzle@bellsouth.net
Where are you from?: atlanta, Ga
How did you find these pages?: yahoo search
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: my mother

Comments:
My mother has just been diagnosed, she has had the "upa and downs" for years. I'm glad there is a name on it now. I am printing your pages right now to mail to her, she is not Internet active. Thanks!