My Personal War ~ Guestbook ~ Book 22

Daria - 04/24/98 04:22:19
Where are you from?: Pennsylvania
How did you find these pages?: Net surfing
Are you a regular visitor here?: Now I am
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
I was diagnosed Jan 98. My GP and Endo are really being honest and great about this. They keep nothing from me and answer any questions i may have. I have mild hperthyroidism and am being treated with radio-iodine next week. I really hope this works so i can start feeling normal again. I am also hoping i don't have to be on any medication. finding your site has really been a big help to me. I wish you luck and hope you feel better with each day.

Joan E. McMullen - 04/22/98 19:47:37
My Email:Joan_McMullen@den.invesco.com
Where are you from?: Denver, CO
How did you find these pages?: looked under "Graves"
Are you a regular visitor here?: No
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
I was diagnosed 6 years ago and promptly "nuked". It took three years to go "hypo" at which time they put me on Synthroid. I still feel rotten!!!!! Tired, depressed, hair still falling out, swollen eyelids, CANNOT LOSE WEIGHT, fingernails rippled. I have been to nine doctors, all of whom tell me I am in the normal range - maybe I'm just not a normal person. My last doctor said I was depressed and put me on Zoloft. I stopped taking it though because I know it has something to do with my thyroid. Has anyone else had these problems?

Edgar Allan Vargas Paredes - 04/22/98 06:47:33
My Email:edvargas@df1.telmex.net.mx
Where are you from?: México City
How did you find these pages?: Looking for helping info
Are you a regular visitor here?: Now I will
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: I think so

Comments:
Hi! I´m sorry about my writing mistakes, my English is not that good but i´ll try to explain my self and my problem. I need to do it. Everything start on November with a diarrhea and throat pain and cough, my brother in law (who is a very good pediatrician) checkme up and he told me that it was thyphus... Then he describe to me some medicine for it. But from then on the symptoms change. I started to lose weight (7 kilograms in 2 months, I was 62 kg when everything started), I started to feel depressed and experienced some of the symptoms that you mention on your check list. When I could´n hold it (mid February) I decided to visit an Internist Doctor. Since my first visit he diagnosed me some thing he called "DIFFUSE TOXIC GOITER" and with no sensibility he told me that there are only three posible treatmens and that all of them have dissadvantages. Pills that can cause renal problems, radioactive iodine that can cause hipothyroidism and surgery wich can result on voice damage. I ran into some test to be sure about this and they said that my T4 was 24, my T3 was 440 and my TSH was 0.02. With this diagnostic I was seriously depressed, and I decided to start with pills becouse I thought it was the less severe one.Any way I started with Tapazole and Inderalicy that is a Heartbeat slower, I am not sure what appened but in only 15 days of been on Tapazole I started with a serious allergy I could'n deal with, so I called my doctor and he suspend it. He told me about Propylthiuracil but it cannot be purchased in México. So he recommend surgery... After that I took some Vacation with the purpose of resting and distracting my self. I visited Orlando´s bike week (I love Motorcycles) and typical attractions. I spend the first two weeks of March there and tried to buy Propylthiuracil on pharmacys but not succesful because they claim an english doctor writed indications and I did'nt have one. The last time I visited this doctor was 1 mounth ago, when I returned from my vacations. All this time I have been with no medicine but the Heartbeat slower stuff. In this time my symptoms had also been drastic reduced (and I thank God for it!!) but my Mom recomend I visited an endocrynologist (is this right writed???) so I did it. He told me that my case is not serious, and recomend I wait 30 more days been carefull about the symtoms return. This week expires. Now I feel god but I still with joins ache, agressive behavior and feel tired all the time, anyway now I know that my problem is not severe as some those described on your guestbook signs. It takes time but after I find out that "DIFFUSE TOXIC GOITER" is also know as Graves' disease I found your web and very important information about my problem. I still have a lot of questions but before I share them with you, I will visit my doctor and make new tests. I´m sorry I did'n say my age. I'm 27 years old. Thank's for trying to understand my Mexican English!!!.

Carmel A. Zins - 04/21/98 15:38:34
My Email:turnlaw@swbell.net
Where are you from?: Oklahoma City
How did you find these pages?: Just found it.
Are you a regular visitor here?: No.
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes.

Comments:
I was just diagnosed with Graves' Disease a couple of weeks ago. I am having a lot of trouble. The doctors say I may lose my vision in my left eye. So, I just thought I would check around and see how many other people are having and have had as much fun as I am right now.

JENNY TULLO - 04/20/98 02:01:07
My Email:TULLO@STRATONET
Where are you from?: AVON PARK, FL.
How did you find these pages?: UNDER GRAVE'S DISEASE
Are you a regular visitor here?: SECOND TIME
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: ALL I KNOW SO FAR IS MY THYROID IS HYPER THEY HAVE'NT FINISHED DIAGNOSING THE SIT YET. HOWEVER I HAVE MANY OF THE SYMPTOMS LISTED IN YOUR CHECKLIST
Any new links I should add?: DON'T KNOW YET

Comments:
I'M GLAD YOU MADE THIS PAGE. ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS ON YOUR CHECKLIST THAT I HAVE BUT DID NOT SEE ON THE THYROID SOCIETY AND OTHER RELATED PAGES I READ WAS ACHING JOINTS. IT'S DISTURBING TO HAVE A SYMPTOM THAT IS NOT LISTED BECAUSE YOU FEET THAT MAYBE YOUR DOCTORS ARE NOT GETTING TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. SO THANKYOU FOR YOUR COMPLETE LIST OF SYMPTOMS. I GUESS YOU WOULD KNOW SINCE YOU HAVE IT. I READ A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR LONG ORDEAL BEFORE YOU FOUND OUT YOU HAD IT. I WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM BACK IN NOVEMBER WITH TROUBLE SWALLOWING . BECAUSE I PANICKED AND WAS HYPERVINTILATING WHEN I ARRIVED THEY DISMISSED MY PROBLEM AS STRESS AND SENT ME A HUGE BILL FOR IT WITH OUT TAKING MY SYMPTOMS SERIOUSLY I KNOW THINK THAT IT WAS THE ONSET OF MY THYROID PROBLEMS. IN THE MONTHS SINCE I HAVE BEEN TO THE DOCTOR SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE ONE DOCTOR FINALLY TOOK BLOOD WHEN I TOLD HIM I HAD LOST WEIGHT RECENTLY WITHOUT TRYING. THEN THE MACHINE HE USES IN HIS LAB WAS BROKE TAKING HIM 3 WEEKS TO TELL ME MY THROID WAS HYPER THEN THEY SENT ME FOR A SCAN AND I'M STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT THE RESULTS. THE ONLY INFORMATION I HAVE ABOUT MY CONDITION HAS COME FROM THE INTERNET MY DOCTOR HAS YET TO TELL ME NOTHING. IN THE MEAN TIME I AM LOSING MY HAIR I WAS VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THAT UNTIL I FOUND OUT IT IS A SYMPTOM OF MY DISORDER. THANK GOODNESS I DON'T EXPERIENCE ALL THE SYMPTOMS AT THE SAME TIME BUT I HAVE OR HAVE A LOT OF THE ONES LISTED ON YOUR CHECKLIST. THE ONLY THING I DON'T SEE ON YOUR LIST THAT I EXPERIENCED WAS SWOLLEN GLANDS IN MY THROAT AND UNDER MY ARM. HAVE YOU HEARD OF THIS BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THE THYROID? THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR WEB SITE. JENNY TULLO

Shannon - 04/19/98 04:52:22
Where are you from?: Western Australia
How did you find these pages?: Interested
Are you a regular visitor here?: Not yet
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: I have it

Comments:
I thought the sight was great. I did not know one other person like me. It is such a stupid disease. I now know I am not alone.

jean - 04/18/98 22:05:07
My Email:caprack@webtv.net
Where are you from?: maine
How did you find these pages?: browsing web tv
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: I have graves'

Comments:
It finaly showed in my blood i Jan. 98 after a lot of problems up to and including thyroid strabismus. The eye problem came on about a year ago but no one knew what wascausing it. When I finaly saw a specialist who knew what was going on I was very relievEd. Even my blood pressure is under control. And I now know I'm not crazy'

Laura - 04/18/98 07:30:26
My URL:http://doarizona.com
My Email:Laura@doaz
Where are you from?: Phoenix, AZ
How did you find these pages?: Yahoo
Are you a regular visitor here?: Yes
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Graves

Comments:
I was diagnosed with Graves in September, 1997. I went to the doctor because of my tremors. My whole body shook. The good new is my doctor diagnosed me the first day. He told me I had Graves Disease, hyperthyroidism and that it would be controlled with medication and eventually killed with radioactive iodine. The bad new is, that all he told me. He failed to give me any information regarding the disease, what I could or could not expect from it, and what the medication would do. He put me on Propylthiouracil 50g twice a day and Propranolol 20mg twice a day. In November, I was experiencing a racing heart, pounding in my head, and was only sleeping 3 to 4 hours a nigh so he upped the PTU to 100mg twice a day. By January, he said my readings were "a little better". I had gained 15 lbs. and Doc said it was the medication. Patient figured "quit the medication". Needless to say, within a month of that genius decision, I was a basket case. Mood swings and depression mostly. Constant crying. Then I found your web site (thank God). Started back on my medications. About a month ago I had a sinus infection, high fevor and sore throat. That's when I noticed the goiter on my neck. So off to the doctor again (by the way he's my GP). He said my TH level was "a little high" (26.6). After reading your information, I think it's time to go the the endo. Now that I know the seriousness of the disease, I want to treat it with respect. I'm gaining weight again and have days when I'm "speeding" and days when I "can't move". My joints ache and muscle's are very weak. My feet are killing me. It's embarassing to have to take the elevator when everyone else is taking the stairs. I also have a real problem with water retention. The doctor tells me I can't have the RI until my levels are normal. Is that correct? I just want to get on with this. Oh well, thanks again for all the info and I'm relieved to know there will be a day when I'll feel normal again.

shistar - 04/17/98 21:01:11
Where are you from?: new york
How did you find these pages?: from the great creator
Are you a regular visitor here?: yes

Comments:
I am proud!~u dun good...

John Branch Jr - 04/17/98 18:06:31
My Email:jhbranch1@aol
Where are you from?: Michigan
How did you find these pages?: yahoo
Are you a regular visitor here?: I will be now
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
All the comments ring true,I'm going to have the radiation treatment next week. I pray that it will be alright,and that I will be some control of my life once again.