Graves Disease and Hyperthyrodism

  The first thing I noticed was that my left eye bugged out.  It looked like I could have been one of the bugs in the film.  I was actually at the movies, when my eye felt like something was in and it was so dry I had to leave and wet it. 

I knew I was reading a lot, at work and on my dissertation literature review, but I honestly thought it was my eyes.  Then I noticed that I had a rash or fungus ring around my waist. So now I think I’ve got two different illnesses.  So I go to the Gynecologist about the rash and she says stress. I knew the anti-fungual wasn’t working and sometimes it itiched.  So I kept trying cremes. 

Not solving the rash/fungus issue, I decided to work on my eyes. Afterall, they were the more important item, on a scale of what people could see.  (The rash could be covered up.)

Then I went to the Opthalmologist.  He told me I probably had Graves Disease.  Now that’s named for the discoverer of the illness.  It’s caused by too much thyroid hormone. It gives you a bug eye and a squint  or lazy eye, in my case.

My heart races, my pulse is fast and I huff and puff and pant just walking a small hill.  Plus, I lost 30 pounds.  That may have been the only bonus.  My metabolism has been racing.

So I finally got to an endocrinologist.  He confirmed what the opthalmologist and gynecologist suspected. I had an overproduction of thyroid homorones and my thyroid was going to have to be treated.

So after much discussion, searching the Internet and trying to figure out what works for my lifestyle, I’ve chosen radioactive iodine.  This means that I’ll ingest it and it will bascially shrink my thyroid down to nonethingness.  I’ll then take thyroid medication the rest of my life.

I guess in a choice between the devil — antithyroid medicine and the deep blue sea–radioactive iodine.  I chose the latter. 

My kids are hoping I’ll glow in the dark; I’m praying that the promise of the 23rd psalm will help. “Thy rod and thy staff will comfort me.”  I will be counting on the prayers of family, friends and strangers to add their voice to mine for strength in numbers.

Anyway, this saga continues………