Post natal illness (my experience with Graves Disease)

i havent heard of this before, thank u for sharing this

naomi xx

Hi mcm, you don't know how pleased I was to read your advice.  I was diagnosed with Graves Disease just over three years ago when I got very sick.  I was put on medication immediately as I was very ill.  I was amazed at how much damage your thryoid can do and how many organs it controls.  I was only diagnosed because my doctor discovered that my liver was failing (luckily after a strict diet for 6 months, all is now well with my liver).  I just thought I was pregnant as I had all the symptoms the same as my last two pregancy.  I was not overly happy when they diagnosed me with graves disease instead.  I'm still trying to cope after three years (and on top of that I have a depression disorder that I have suffered all my life).  Graves disease and the hormones concerned have not helped this any.  I saw my specialist last week and had a special scan done.  Apparantly my options are to destroy my thyroid with radioactive iodine or remove it. and then go on hormone replacement therapy for the rest of my life.   The scan last week was to see if my thyroid was too badly damaged to destroy with radioactive iodine.  I don't see my specialist again until February so I have another few months to hope that a miracle happens (which by then it will have been 3.5 years but I can still hope).  I have been so scared and worried about who I will be if they remove or destroy my thyroid especially since I have so much trouble coping with my moods now (apparantely it is common for people suffering Bi Polar to also have severe thyroid problems).  I sure would appreciate finding out how you feel after having your thyroid removed and how the hormone replacement therapy affects you especially concerning your moods before and after the operation.  Wow I have never found someone else who suffers Grave Disease (it is rare with only 0.25% of 1% of the people in the world be diagnosed with Graves Disease).  Your thoughts would be much appreciated as I am terrified of what I am having to face.  Thank you

I do know what u mean by not feeling right kinda like depressed!  I didn't have any probls when I was pregnant with my son, it wasn't untill I had my first misscarriage (trying after 41/2 years) that my life was torn apart!  Now I'm trying again I''ve been on Tapozla 10 mg for a yr. So I hope things will turn out!!

I have heard of Graves Disease but was unaware of the symptoms.  Thanks for sharing your story!

it's hard to diagnose throid disorders right off because the symptoms are so easily attributable to other things, depression, etc etc. If you think you might  have a thyroid disorder, definitely go to an endocrinologist, someone who is very familiar with all the little idiosyncrasies of this gland. I was misdiagnosed with hypo thyroidism when it turned out I was very very slightly hyper. It took me over a year (and a specialist) to get straightened out.

Had a quick look, and this: http://www.4woman.gov/faq/graves.htm seems like an informative site. Reading this made me wonder about my mother-in-law, who I think was diagnosed with thyroid problems a few years back. The other symptoms seem to fit, too. WIll have to ask further.