ginger johnson - 08/15/98 00:44:33
My Email:ginger1@airmail.net
Where are you from?: Rowlett, Texas
How did you find these pages?: Search the net
Are you a regular visitor here?: first time
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Graves' Disease
Any new links I should add?: Medical Information

Comments:
I have just been diagnosed with Graves' Disease last week. It is now time to decide which treatment to choose. My doctor is leaning towards Radioactive Iodine but ofcourse this is up to me. What am I facing? I am more worried at this point of the after effects of whichever treatment I choose. These personal stories don't thrill me as to my future. Am I going to get huge when the Hypothyroidism sets in? Will I miss work with the treatment or after the treatment? When will my eyes bulge - or not? Lot's of questions that may sound stupid and self absorbed but I have them none-the-less. Thanks for the chance to ask! Ginger Johnson Rowlett, Texas

Julie Wells - 08/14/98 19:28:13
My Email:jwells@bewellnet.com
Where are you from?: Colorado
How did you find these pages?: Yahoo
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Graves Disease & thyroid eye disease

Comments:
I have had Graves Disease since 1985. I had a goiter and drank radioactive iodine which dissolved my goiter and also my thyroid. I have been on synthroid since that time. In 1994 I developed thyroid eye disease and have been battling double vision sinc then. I have already had 3 eye surgeries and I am looking to have more surgeries.

deborah - 08/14/98 17:48:54
My Email:dddbmd
Where are you from?: NY
How did you find these pages?: Yahoo
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes, Graves' Disease

Comments:
I'm so glad I found your page. i have had this disease for over twenty years and no one (not even medical professionals) has hit the nail on the head like you did. Thanks! Doctors always told me it was not stress related and I always thought they were rong. I've had mood swings, bouts of depression and unexplainable behavior where my husband was always telling me to "get help". however, I was never suicidal. I'm on Synthroid now and can always tell when it's time for an adjustment in the medication y how i'm feeling. My numbers were higher than yours when I was finally diagnosed and I was lucky that the Endocrinologist I saw was very understanding. I had a "thryoid storm" with a high fever and thought at first that I had the flu. It wasn't until fter a very thorough physical that I learned it was "an overactive thyroid". I had two treatments of radioactive iodine and am now hypothyroid. Again, thanks for being here and good luck to you.

Annet - 08/14/98 08:48:02
My Email:annetnewton@hotmail.com
Where are you from?: Melbourne, Australia
How did you find these pages?: Looking for Thyroid information
Are you a regular visitor here?: I will be
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Yes

Comments:
I was diagnosed with Graves Disease just a week ago and I am still waiting to see the specialist. Unfortunately, my appointment is not till 18th September. I am so glad to have found this page, it has so much information that I could not have got elsewh re. My one eye is protruding and I feel like a freak. I went to the doctor because my hands were always shaking. She immediately mentioned my thyroid and sent me for a blood test. I was so relieved that I finally found out what was wrong with me. I m st have had this for a long time, because as far as I can remember, I was nervous and sweaty and my feet always looked swollen. Thanks for all the information.

Toni Johnson - 08/14/98 02:05:55
My Email:JcjTjj@aol.com
Where are you from?: Greensboro, Maryland
How did you find these pages?: thyroid search
Are you a regular visitor here?: I will be now
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Graves-hyper-now-hypo

Comments:
Had radio-active iodine 11/95 treatment. TSH just became normal 6/98. But still suffering from panic/anxiety & just not feeling well. Drs. now say I have panic/anxiety disorder. Changing medicines weekly- feel like a guinny-pig. Would love to hear fr m anyone, experiencing any of the same systems.

Valerie lynn - 08/13/98 04:59:11
My URL:http://www.geocities.com
My Email:VllB_MM@Hotmail.com
Where are you from?: Nebraska
How did you find these pages?: surfing
Are you a regular visitor here?: first time
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: yes, Graves' Disease

Comments:
I was diagnosed a year and a half ago with Graves' Disease. I was lucky because it runs in my family and that was the first thing we checked when symptoms arose. I was able to get it under control with medication and then slowly taper off until the Graves' Disease went into remission. Unfortunately, it did not stay that way long. My condition is worse now than before and the doctor's do not think the medication will work any longer. I am supposed to be considering radio-active iodine but the stories I have heard scare me. I would not even be able to start my family for several years after the treatment because of the effects it has on the body. I feel more comfortable with surgery. Does anyone have any information to share on either treatment? Thanks!

Heather Manica - 08/12/98 17:25:39
My Email:hwilki1@hallmark.com
Where are you from?: Kansas City, Missouri
How did you find these pages?: Search engine
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: My mother is SUFFERING

Comments:
My mother was diagnosed last year. She is a different person now. It is killing me and I am worried that her doctors are not doing enough. She refuses surgery or radiation. I am just trying to round up as much information as I can for her.

mark griffith - 08/11/98 02:58:16
My Email:mriffith@netscape.com
Where are you from?: texas
How did you find these pages?: search: graves disease
Are you a regular visitor here?: no
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: i have hashimotos disease

Comments:
I found out that I have Hashimotos disease in April of 1997. For months I could barely walk to my car without having to rest.I had slurred speech,slow motor skills,and my thought process was really slow.Within the last 2 months, I have finally gotten back to normal. A friend at work(sorry but we're not hiring) also has Graves Disease. She was diagnosed when she was 15 yrs. old.Recently I learned that she had stopped taking her Synthroid. You could really tell.I prodded enough and she did go in.We will see how she do s. I will give her this web address. Good Luck!! Mark

Barbara Kramer - 08/10/98 18:36:34
My Email:bkramer@badgermeter.com
Where are you from?: Wisconsin
How did you find these pages?: searching
Are you a regular visitor here?: No
Do you have Graves' Disease or related?: Graves
Any new links I should add?: No

Comments:
I got Graves about 2 years ago. Symptoms:Lost weight, joint ached, was hot all the time, double vision, couldn't sleep, irritable, heart palpatations. I finally went to a doctor after getting 3 colds in as many months. When I described all my symptoms my octor was fairly confident that I had Graves. After all the tests they removed it with the radioactive iodine treatment. I am on synthroid. They are having a difficult time regulating it. My double vision is getting worse. I've worn contacts for 25 years ut am now switching to my glasses when my eyes get tired about 2:00 in the afternoon. All other symptoms are gone except keeping my weight down but that's always been a problem anyway. I'm hoping my eyes don't get worse. I see a neuro-ophthalmologist regu arly. I am at the low end of the prism (1 up and 1 down) but even that is very uncomfortable. Funny but I never heard of anyone having this until I got it. I've kept this mostly to myself and my close friends and family until now.

Natalie W. - 08/08/98 05:26:12
My Email:kestrel@oasis.com
Where are you from?: Nevada
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:
As with all of us, so very grateful to see there are others out there like me. I itched terribly, had the shakes, hot flashes (I thought it was the change of life--I'm 41) and then when the muscle weakness hit, I knew it was serious. My own mother sugge ted (lovingly of course) that it was all in my head. I was fortunate in that my ob/gyn looked right to the thyroid when the estrogen tests came back ok. The specialist said that I have had the Graves for years, though. I am now taking tapazole and heart edication. My heart rate was very high. Those of you just starting treatment -- watch out for too high a dosage of the meds....I "crashed" and ended up in emergency with little blood pressure or heart rate. I'm evened out now, except tired all the time & cannot concentrate like I used to. Some of you are so young! I really hope & pray for you. Let me know how you are doing, ok? And thanks, for all the work on this great page! It seems like there is a sister-soul out there...comforting.