27 Eylül 2012 Perşembe

Today is the day I start regaining my life back!

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Today is August 20th, 2010 and seven hours ago I took a pill that contained Radioactive Iodine for the treatment of Graves Disease.  So far so good! I am alive, I am not glowing, my computers hard drive did not get wiped out and nothing is melting when I touch it! lol lol!!! The process was quick, easy and painless. Now that I am confined to the house for a few days I thought what a perfect opportunity to write about my experience in dealing with Graves Disease.  Hopefully in sharing my experience I can help others who are newly diagnosed or even those who are currently dealing with this nasty disease.
In June of 2006 I was diagnosed with Graves Disease at the age of 27.  At first I did not realize how much this disease was going to affect my life. The doctor told me the diagnosis and he made it seem like no big deal, so I shrugged it off and thought to myself I will take medication and be fine! Boy was that a wrong assumption. Prior to my diagnosis I was in a nine year relationship that ended very badly.  Several months after the breakup I started noticing weird symptoms going on in my body. I had a racing heart, hand tremors, insomnia, massive weight loss despite eating everything and anything, bone loss, sweating, I could not tolerate the heat and my insides felt like they were moving at 200 mph. I did not think anything of the symptoms and blamed the symptoms on the daily stresses of  life and the breakup.  Now as I look back I believe the stress triggered the Graves Disease. Auto Immune Diseases run in my family, so I am almost positive that counts as a factor to me having this disease. I continued to ignore the symptoms until I had a family member accuse me of being on drugs due to the rapid weight loss and due to the fact that I was making a lot of inappropriate decisions. My family scheduled a doctors appointment for me and now the start of my journey  begins with this horrible disease.  Upon being diagnosed I was put on Methimazole and worked with my endocrinologist over the next couple of months with my dosing. He had told me about the RAI treatment and surgery, but we decided to try the medication route first. Over the next couple of months I started feeling back to myself and being naive to the disease i decided to stop taking my medication  without talking to my doctor. I stopped taking the medication because I felt good. I thought to myself I am cured now and I don't need this medicine anymore. BIG mistake on my part!
In November of 2007 I went to the dentist and he was getting ready to put me under a local anesthesia. Well needless to say this did not happen because my blood pressure was 180/100. Being that my blood pressure was so high I was told to speak with my doctor immediately. I told the doctor I stopped taking my medication. He attributed the high blood pressure to the Graves Disease and not having the disease under control. Being that I stopped the medication he told me that most likely my symptoms were going to get worse and that I did more harm to my body by stopping the medication. He was right!!!! I started taking my medication again and over the next couple of months I felt worse then ever. I ended up going out on disability for a couple of months because it was so hard for me to function on a daily basis both mentally and physically. Over the next year I continued the ups and downs of the disease and was still naive to the fact that I had a life long disease. I did not want to accept that fact that I had something wrong with me. I was not diligent enough in keeping myself knowledgeable about the disease until October of 2008. I was at work sitting in a meeting and all of the sudden I had ringing in my ears, felt dizzy, lethargic, hot and my upper body got bright red. I left work and stopped to see my aunt who is a nurse. My gut was telling me to have her check my blood pressure. Sure enough my gut was right my blood pressure was around 200/110 she told me I needed to go to the emergency room immediately. When I walked into the emergency room and told the nurses my blood pressure reading they looked at me like I had three heads because at 29 years old I should not have blood pressure that high. They took me back and ran a bunch of test on me to ensure I was not having a heart attack or a stroke. They gave me medication to bring my blood pressure down. They believed the high blood pressure was due to the Graves Disease. However I was a little skeptical that it was related to the Graves Disease being that at this point in time my levels were in normal range. Anyways they put me on a blood pressure medication called Exforge and a beta blocker called Lopressor.  Overall It was a traumatic experience for me due to the fact that they said I could have had a heart attack or even a stroke. Bingo! This was my eye opener that this disease is a lot more serious then what I believed it to be. It was now time to take this seriously and get my butt in gear in learning as much as I can about the disease and getting the disease under control. After a few weeks of being on the beta blocker it put me on the floor literally. The beta blocker had me so depressed that all I did was go to work, come home and lay on the floor and cry. Needless to say I contacted my doctor and he said I could ween myself off the medication.  I felt a million times better once it was out of my body. Over the next couple of months i was feeling ok, but not great. Still continuing to takeMethimazole and Exforge and my levels are in normal range.
Then it happens again in February and March of 2009 I was rushed to the hospital for high blood pressure. They ran a slew of tests on me to rule out any other conditions that might be causing the high blood pressure other then the Graves Disease, which now at this point they are telling me they are not so sure it is the Graves causing the high blood pressure. After being in the hospital for 5 days the answer I received from the doctors were that they were "Baffled" and they don't know why I have high blood pressure. They told me to continue taking the Methimazole and Exforge, but raised the dosage. Anyways not the answer I was looking for.  By this time I was so frustrated with everything that I just gave up. Over the next year and a half I started working on a major project at work. I took a break from dealing with my medical issues since majority of my time was occupied with work. Probably not the best thing to do, but I did continue to take my medication and see my doctor regularly. My levels continue to come back within normal range, but I would feel great for a couple of months. Then I would start feeling crappy for a couple of months and adjust my medication.  This  continued to be a vicious cycle of feeling great and crappy. I am now to the point where I have had enough and I don't feel like the Thyroid medication is working for me. In fact I believe its making me feel worse regardless of my levels being within normal range.
Right now I am experiencing extreme anxiety, fatigue, shortness of breath, tightness in my chest, joint pain and my emotions and moods are out of control. I saw my doctor on August 5th, 2010 she told me its time to look at the next treatment option.  She feels its not good to be on Thyroid medication for more then 3-5 years due to the long term affects of the drug.  Although this is a debatable. She said surgery maybe to risky due to my blood pressure problems, so the last resort is the Radioactive Iodine treatment (RAI). We discussed the RAI option and at this point in my life I feel like this is the right thing for me. On August 17th & 18th I had a thyroid scan and uptake and today August 20th I was given the Radioactive Iodine pill. I am trying to have a positive outlook from this point forward. I know this is not a cure for Graves, I know I need to be patient as my body goes through this change and I know their is a high chance that I will end up hypothyroid as this is usually the outcome with RAI. I hope I chose the right road, but only time will tell. I will continue to update this site on my experience with RAI. I hope I can share a positive experience vs. all the negative experiences you see posted on the internet.  Good luck to all you Gravers and stay positive!!!
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or just need someone to talk with. I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and it would be great to meet others who are going through this for support. My email is lshantronl@gmail.com

Symptoms I have experienced with Graves Disease

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~Acne~Anxiety ~Blurred Vision~Bone Loss~Brain Fog~Depression~Difficulty Swallowing~Dizziness~Fatigue~Feeling of something stuck in my throat~Hair Loss~Headache~Heat Intolerance~Heart Palpitations~Hypertension~Increased Appetite~Increased Drug Metabolism~Increased Sweating~Increased Urination~Irritability~Insomnia~Joint Pain~Lack of Motivation~Loss of Concentration~Muscle Weakness~Nervousness~Racing Thoughts~Rage~Rapid Weight Loss~Rapid Heart Rate~Restlessness~Shortness of Breath~Swelling of Tissue Around Eyes~Tightness in Chest~Tingling in hands in feet~Tremors~Uncontrollable Mood Swings
Here is a picture of me prior to being diagnosed with Graves Disease. Due to the rapid weight loss I was down to almost 100 pounds



Here is a picture of me in January 2011



Helpful tips that helped me through my experience with Graves Disease

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1. Gain as much knowledge as you can about the Disease. Join a forum on the internet or find a local support group. Their is so much information and knowledge on the internet to guide you. Google can be your best friend when doing research. It can also be overwhelming as their is so much information on the internet. Take it slow and don't get discouraged when you read about a negative experience.

2. Be patient as their is no quick fix to feeling better. It will take time to figure out what the best treatment options are for you. You may have to try several treatments before you find the right one, which could take months or years.

3. Keep a positive attitude as everyone's body responds differently to treatment. Just because one person had a negative experience does not mean you will. 

4. Make sure you discuss your Disease with your friends and family so they know what you are going through on a daily basis. Especially is you are  dealing with the emotional issues related to the disease.  Most people don't understand how this disease affects the mind & body. Most people shrug it off like its no big deal.
5. If you don't like your doctor find a new one. I went through 3 doctors before I found one I liked. If you don't feel your doctor is listening to you MOVE ON to another!!!
6. Dont stop taking your Thyroid medication or any medication for any reason unless you have been advised by your doctor to stop taking it.  Otherwise it may  make your symptoms worse as it did for me.

7. Be cautious when taking supplements and vitamins as some my aggravate your symptoms and make you feel worse even though they are supposed to make you feel better. I was having severe anxiety and noticed it started upon taking some new vitamins. Once I stopped taking the vitamins the anxiety went away.

8. Be aware of your body and your symptoms. It maybe helpful to keep a daily log of your mental and physical symptoms. By keeping track of your symptoms you may notice a trend in how your symptoms react to your daily life activities and can hopefully eliminate those daily activities to alleviate your symptoms. Its also helpful to keep track for your doctor visits.

9. Eat Healthy - Fresh fruits and vegetables. I went from eating fast food all the time to eating healthy. This made a big difference in the way I felt. I also noticed certain foods made my symptoms worse so be aware of how you feel after you eat. 

10. Exercise - I know they say its not always good to exercise with graves due to the cardiovascular aspects of the disease, but at least get out and walk around the block or try some Yoga. I will admit I am not persistent with my exercise, but when I do I feel a whole lot better mentally and physically. 

11. Be cautious with alcohol consumption. For me anytime I had alcohol even just one drink I would wake up in the middle of the night sweating with a racing/pounding heart and anxiety.
12. Stop smoking - I smoked for years and I think smoking definitely made my symptoms worse. I quit cold turkey and this was one of the best decisions I have made for myself.
13. Be cautious when taking depression/anxiety medications. I know they are supposed to make your feel better, but sometimes they don't. I tried taking an anxiety medicine and it made me worse. I also believe it had an interaction with the other medications I was taking.
14. Stress - Be sure to eliminate as much stress as you can from your life. Stress seems to be a big symptom trigger for me and I try to avoid it as much as I can.  

15. Birth Control - Stop taking it if you can as it messes with your hormone levels.  I actually think a huge part of my emotional outburst were due to taking birth control. Dont get me wrong I still get them but not as bad since stopping BC.

My RAI Experience

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September 10th, 2010
Its been three weeks since I had my RAI treatment. I had a few minor side effects from the treatment. About a week after the treatment my tongue and saliva glands swelled up and my neck was sore. The doctor did not tell me that I should have been sucking on hard candies to avoid the RAI going into my glands. However I was drinking a lot of water. I had a slight headache for two weeks, but not sure if i can contribute it to the RAI or allergies. I was also very tired the first week and had to run to the bathroom immediately after any food consumption again not sure if I can contribute this to the RAI or the fact that I had my monthly friend. I have also noticed that my hair is falling out more, but not in clumps just more strands then usual.  Also at this point I have not gained any weight. The good news is my anxiety and racing heart have diminished and I dont feel as if my insides are going at 200 mph.  However every once and a while for about an hour or two I do feel my anxiety and my heart racing. My moods have seemed to improve a little as I am not getting as upset over the small stuff like I use too. All in all the experience so far has been easy. I am happy I chose this route so far. I hope I continue to improve as the weeks go on. I will stay positive. 

August 20th, 2010
I had my RAI treatment today and I hope to be able to provide a positive experience as I know their are so many horror stories about RAI treatments on the internet. I will provide an update on my progress every couple of weeks. Overall the process was quick, easy and painless. On 7/24 I had my blood drawn to check my levels. As you can see I am in normal range, although I don't feel normal lol!!! I was told your levels have to be in normal range prior to receiving the RAI treatment.  On 7/17 & 7/18 I had my Thyroid Scan & Uptake.  I had to stop my Thyroid medication ten days prior to the scan and uptake. Today I was given my RAI treatment. My uptake came back at 53% and I was given 15 millicuries of Radioactive Iodine. After three days from the treatment I was told to starting taking my Methimazole again. I am scheduled for lab work and a doctors appointment the first week in October. 

Current Levels - 7/24/2010
TSH 0.71 - Range 0.40-4.50
T4 Free 1.3 - Range 0.8-1.8
T3 83 - Range 76-181
T3 Uptake - 1.16 - Range 0.79-1.16
I know a lot of people are against the RAI treatment due to the radiation exposure. However I feel differently! One or two doses are not going to kill you. If you smoke, are an alcoholic or do drugs don't you think those are doing more harm to your body then a small dose of RAI? Think about it. You are more likely to end up dying or end up with cancer due to those lifestyle choices, but then of course if you end up with cancer your first thought would be to blame it on the RAI and not the fact that you smoke, do drugs or drink. Just my opinion. Long term computer use, cell phone use and long term use of other electronics. What you don't think they let off radiation!!! Think again. It might be minimal but in the long run it maybe harmful. This is new to our generation so only time will tell what harmful affect will come from electronics. Again just my opinion. So before you freak out about RAI consider your current lifestyle choices and what you come in contact with everyday of your life. Those are most likely more harmful to you then a dose of RAI. In the end it does not matter anyways. God is the ultimate holder of your life, so regardless of all the precaution you take your life is already planned out for you.  

Rough Week

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I did not take my own advise this week in trying to stay positive. In fact it was a really crappy week for me. I feel all my hyper symptoms elevated. I know this is part of the process and I may get worse before I get better.  Right now I feel like my heart is beating through my neck. Emotionally I feel a mess and disconnected with the world. My heart is racing/pounding, I feel dizzy, I have tightness in my chest, short of breathe and my anxiety is back. My upper arms feel like dead weight, no motivation what so ever, my tremors are really bad right now and I have been extremely hungry. Luckily no weight gain yet, which I am so worried about. Also dealt with a stressful situation this week, which I am sure has not helped my symptoms or may have even caused me to feel more hyper symptoms. Thanks to a conversation with Dad last night he threw me back into perspective and made me feel better. Debating whether to get blood work sooner then later as my Endo appointment is not for another 3 weeks or do I just ride out this storm until then!

26 Eylül 2012 Çarşamba

Remarkable Techniques To Remedy Fibroid With No Surgical Treatment Naturally At Home

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By Sandy G. Rodriguez

Fibroids usually affect ladies who are in their Thirties and Forties. It takes place before the menopause and it is triggered because of hormonal imbalance in the body. Strategy to uterine fibroids is much simpler if identified in the early stages. Regrettably in the initial stages when the tumors tend to be small in dimensions they hardly ever create any kind of symptoms. The symptoms begin to show upward once the fibroids increase in size therefore making uterine fibroid therapy all the more difficult at that stage.

Estrogen is also known to be a cause of uterine fibroids so it follows that women who have an excessive amount of this hormone are more likely to suffer from fibroids. It is thought that estrogen is produced by body fat cells so it is a good idea to make efforts to express at a healthy weight and to exercise regularly.

In addition, certain pollutants can imitate estrogen which is stored in the liver. Some natural treatments for uterine fibroids include detoxification, in order to rid the liver organ of these ingredients.

There a number of options available for how to heal fibroids naturally ranging from surgical treatment to natural fibroid remedy. Unless your uterine fibroids are large within number or size leading to severe signs and symptoms, it's pointless to even think about surgical treatment. Since you may bear in mind except for hysterectomy or total elimination of the actual womb other surgical ways of uterine fibroid therapy are not effective.

Among the simplest treatments for fibroids is a healthy diet. Women suffering from fibroids should have a low-calorie higher fiber diet. Intake of all types of food which enhance the levels of estrogen in your body should be prevented. It is necessary to step back from foods which often overload the actual liver.

Following a healthy diet is essential whether or not fibroids are a problem to you. However, for those who have fibroids, it is absolutely vital to eat well. Foods to avoid include red meats, junk foods, foods with additives, sweeteners, fizzy drinks, and alcoholic beverages.

It's also wise to wash just about all fruits and vegetables and, if possible, include natural create where possible. Foods to incorporate are leafy green vegetables, for example kale and cabbage, coffee beans, nuts and seeds, lots of fiber and a minimum of Two liters water daily.

Several herbal tinctures will help shrink fibroid growths. Vitex berry tincture, 25-30 falls twice daily, successfully reduces the size of the tumors over a period of a few months. In case heavy bleeding accompanied by flooding is a concern, shepherds purse contracts the womb within a few hours of a preliminary dose.

Herbal remedies utilized in how to heal fibroids naturally without medication take a moment to produce the desired outcomes. You must therefore have patience and be prepared to stay with this method of uterine fibroid treatment for a few months if not many years.

Cinnamon is very good at addressing blood loss associated with fibroids. Depending upon your body reacts; it can possibly reduce or completely eliminate bleeding. To use sugar-cinnamon you must mix 1 tea spoon of sugar-cinnamon bark or cinnamon tincture with one cup of hot water as well as drink every day. You can also take 5 to 10 falls of sugar-cinnamon oil every 15 minutes for four hours or until the bleeding stops.




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Home Laser Hair Removal Effectiveness

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By Derrick Eckhaus

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