Lois Thies - 08/02/98 20:25:28
My Email:lthies@ntslink.net
Where are you from?: Pekin, Il.
How did you find these pages?: search engine
Are you a regular visitor here?: first time
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:
I sent you an E-mail telling you all that I went thru 36 years ago and how I am doing today.

janet - 08/01/98 19:35:02
My Email:smathes@ruraltel.net
Where are you from?: kansas
How did you find these pages?: surfing
Are you a regular visitor here?: yes
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:
I've been on here before and had a lot of the symptoms people have mentioned but right now I'm dealing with the double vision and blurred vision. I had prisms put on my glasses yesterday and Thank the Lord they are working. I can see the TV, read, and the two-way highway doesn't go back and forth to a four-lane! I read where they don't always work but I am so grateful that they seem to be working for now. When I read all that people go through with this disease I start to feel fortunate that my symtoms of the shakes, night sweats, hair loss, etc. are for the time being taken care of. I still get pretty emotional but I guess with this disease who doesn't get that way.

Kat - 08/01/98 03:37:57
My Email:kmcintyr@aye.net
Where are you from?: Ky
How did you find these pages?: Friend
Are you a regular visitor here?: Some
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
I recently found out I have Graves Disease. My parents had been after me for years to go to the doctor, but I refused. My husband at the time wouldn't all my going to the doctor. After my divorce I kept up the practice. My mother was able to get me to go to the eye doctor. She suspected I had Graves Disease, but was affraid to tell me. As a child I had to take nerve medication when I went to a doctor or dentist. They wanted me to go to the eye doctor because my eyes were buggy. Keep in mind I had n t been to the eye doctor in 15 years. I hadn't had any major problems seeing other than peroidically I would not be able to drive because my eyes would seem to double. It always happened after I had spend hours on the computer at work. I hadn't notice y eyes because I see them every day. The eye doctor hadn't found much change in my eyes at all. But, I decided to go ahead and get new glasses anyway. Mine were very old looking. He sat down to talk to me. He asked me if I had a thyroid problem. I a swered negatively. He asked if my family doctor had ever mentioned it. I again said no. He said I should have him check my thyroid on my next checkup. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I'd never had a complete check up. The last time I'd ever een any kind of doctor was when my son was born 11 years ago. I then went to see my mother. I told her what the doctor said. She indicated she already knew. Her mother had a thyroid condition. She didn't offer any other history, other than to call my doctor. I called my primary care doctor that I'd never seen. He had a blood test done. When the results came back the nurse told me my levels were dangerously low. And my doctor was sending me to a specialists. He had mentioned that I may have Graves Disesas. I asked the nurse if it was so dangerous than why so ong to get into a specialist. My appointment wasn't for 17 weeks. She said that was the best they could do. I was very upset. I may have a disease that I know nothing about and had to wait 17 weeks to ask questions. I began checking things out for myself. I checked out several sites including yours on the internet. I was quickly finding out what was wrong w th me for what seems to have been years. I had almost all symptons. I couldn't sleep. When I got to sleep I could no longer hear the alarm. My once very thick healty hair was now baby fine and falling out by the hand fulls. I got grey hair at the age of 17. My eyes were bulging and watering all the time. I was stressed out all the time. People would walk into my office and I would bite their heads off. I even got to the point that I would warn people that I really liked that I felt like I was goin to explode, so they would keep their distance. I have work for this company for many years and several people are now telling me they have watched me with concern for my health. Some of them even syspected my thyroid, but no one had told me anything. our weeks before my appointment the President of our company call me into his office. The topic was my health. My weight would climb to about 250lbs and then drop to about 150lbs. Each time this happened he indicated that I was looking more and more ti ed. I have a very stressfull job and most people thought that was the problem. Depression would set in and I just thought it was because of the divorce and brushed it off. Well it's been seven years now and I realise that I was depressed even before I ot married. I have now developed one of the symptons I didn't have. I now have regular attacks of the shakes. Sometimes they're bad, but other times they're barely noticable unless I am holding a memo for someone else to read. They'll just grab my han and tell me I'm doing it again, and we laugh. I don't mean to go on, but most people don't understand. The day finally came to see the specialist. He indicated that the test my doctor had ran wasn't the right kind and he needed to run his own. He also order an uptake and scan. That worried me. I wasn't sure about taking something that was radio active, but I did. The results came back and I was diagnosed with Graves Disease. He said it appears that I've had it for many years, but only I could tell. He also measured my thyroid and since my firs visit it had grown. He suggested two possible treatments and I could let him know in about a week. I asked my family how long my eyes have been like this and my dad said for at least 5-7 years. In the mean time my mother finally told me that my Grandm ther had Graves Disease. I was seventeen when my grandmother died. Two weeks later I developed the same grey path of hair that she had. In some of the documents the doctor gave me it said premature grey hair can be a sign and most of the time Graves is brought on by trauma. My grandmother was my best friend. I suffered more when she died than when I got a divorce. My mother had to give me a sleeping pill because I hadn't slept over an hour at a time for 3 weeks. I called the doctor and they made an appointment to take a radio active iodine treatment to kill off my thyroid. It has been a month and so far no changes that I can tell. I understand it takes a while. I have an appointment to see my specialist in thr e weeks for more tests. I guess we'll see then. My friends are trying to make me feel better by telling me that my eyes are looking better, but I don't see it. My mom doesn't either. This all started in January of 1998 and now it's the end of July. I m not a very patient person. I guess I want to feel better overnight, but I know that won't happen. My children have been wonderful through all this. They read things with me and support me. I don't think I could get through this without them. They p t up with me and I love them.

Rebecca Cirasole - 07/31/98 19:43:11
Where are you from?: Maryland
How did you find these pages?: surfing
Are you a regular visitor here?: yes
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:
I am 25 years old and most likely have Graves Disease. My father told me my chances are extremely high to get the disease. Both himself and his father have Graves and it is my understanding that it is even more likely to effect women. My hands constant y shake, my blood pressure is high, my heart has frequent rapid beats, and my anxiety level is never stable. I have not been diagnosed by a doctor as of yet, because I am scared of the outcome. Could someone explain the steps just after diagnosis. Than s.

Nicole Schoux - 07/31/98 03:43:48
My Email:dlilshu@ix.netcom.com
Where are you from?: los Gatos
How did you find these pages?: Just browsing--I have a thyroid disorder
Are you a regular visitor here?: No
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes, I had Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Comments:
My name is Nicole, I am 26 years old and I was diagnosed with a thyroid condition when I was 15 years old. My mom thought I had annorexia, and she would have continued to think so if I weren't eating her out of house and home constantly. Soon she found y enormous goitre and brought me to the doctor. It took physicians 9 months to find out that I had a disorder (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis)which was commonly found in hypothyroid cases--not hyperthyroid. From then I was put on a stingent dosage of propylthi ricil (?) and other drugs to try to get the gland under control. After two years of treatment, I started to get arthritis from the meds seaping into my growing joints. The next step...a thyroidectomy! At 17 years old I had my thyroid surgically removed ecause the hormone was over coming my body and I was thought to be too young for radioactive iodine. I have about a dime's worth of the gland left because it was stuck on a nerve very close to my vocal cord. The gland was 155 times the size of a normal land! The surgery took 8 hours to perform and in the end, the surgeon did in fact end up temporarily paralyzing a vocal cord leaving my unable to speak above a whisper for an entire year....nice timing...senior year of high school! Miraculously, my voice came back and I am fine. Currently taking thyroid supplements for the rest of my life though... Thanks for creating a page for us who have to live with the condition that everyone wonders about. Sincerely, Nicole Schoux

Cindy Eyler - 07/30/98 21:42:01
My Email:eyler@mindspring.com
Where are you from?: Baltimore MD
How did you find these pages?: Yahoo
Are you a regular visitor here?: first time-bookmarked!
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
Just diagnosed yesterday; caught it very early. Had strange symptoms over the years. Never an unusual blood test result, and I was tested! But I do have my own physician horror story. Looking for basic information. Which link do you recommend? Thanks for this site. The combination of information and humor is great.

Helen Russell - 07/30/98 03:23:04
My Email:crow!@clove.net.au
Where are you from?: Adelaide Australia
How did you find these pages?: Surfing
Are you a regular visitor here?: Will be
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:
My family pushed me into seeing a doctor as they new something wasn't right. I had gone from a happy go lucky type to a miserable loafer! My weight has slowly but surely increased. Around 6 months ago I went to the doctor and the first thing she tested me for was thryoid function and menopause (I'm 38). I was put on a block and replace program which was fine until a month ago. Now I'm down again. Reading your story has worried me a little as I thought that after 12 - 18 months of treatment I would either be free of this disease or just have to take thyroid hormone for the rest of my life. I didn't realise it would affect my emotions so much. Ah well that's life I guess!

Polly Farr - 07/30/98 02:47:30
My Email:rpfarr@juno.com
Where are you from?: Mineral Wells WV
How did you find these pages?: surfing
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes

Comments:
It helpful to get input on this problem. It took my doctor several months to diagnosis my problem. I kept telling him that there was something wrong. He kept telling me it was stress. Yeah right.

patty schweickart - 07/28/98 22:34:23
My Email:cpjls@aol.com
Where are you from?: dayton,ohio
How did you find these pages?: surfing
Are you a regular visitor here?: will be
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes, graves

Comments:
I was diagnosed with Graves disease about a year and half ago after almost a year of all the classic symptoms. My first and worst symptom was extreme itching all over my body. It was like I was having an allergic reaction to something. The doctors did blood work that showed my liver enzymes were elevated and sent me to a liver specialist. For approximately 9 months I went through a battery of tests that included a liver biopsy and endoscopy. I had a reaction to the dye from the endoscopy and was in t e hospital for a week with acute pancreatitis. The itching escalated and I became extremely sensitive to the sun and started losing muscle control. It wasn't until I complained about diarea (sp?) and they took me in to do a colonoscopy that they saw and noticed that I had lost 30 lbs and my eyes were bulging. Needless to say, I was almost glad to finally get this diagnosis. My eyes are getting worse. Has anyone out there ever had this itching for their primary symptom? They tell me it's rare but poss ble. Please e-mail me with any info you may have. thanks, patty

Christina Jones - 07/28/98 20:24:49
My Email:mleonard@ramtorn.com
Where are you from?: Texas
How did you find these pages?: I was looking for info on Graves' Disease
Are you a regular visitor here?: This was my first visit
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: The doctors are trying to determine if I do or not so I wanted to fing out a little about it!

Comments:
I really don't know were to start looking for info but I'm glad I found your web site first it gave me some direction. I want to wish you more good luck. Thank you Christina :o)