Re: New to Group

[Guest guest]

Can anyone else jump in here? Cysts (as I understand it) can be from all kinds of things and sometimes cause problems and sometimes don't...... I've heard folks say that they have cysts and keep a watch on them to make sure that there are no changes....

It's your RIGHT to have copies of your labs. Don't back down, they are your's, you paid for them, either outright or through your insurance premiums, and they are yours.

Topper () http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Thyroid_Support_Group/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TTSG_Cafe/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Overcoming_TD_Metabolism/http://toppertwo.tripod.com

On Wed, 5 Nov 2003 22:22:23 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time) " W." writes:

Hi Topper,

Yes thats what she said. What and how serious is a cysts? No I asked for a copy and they acted as if they did not want to give them to me. I think what I am going to do is go pick up my medical records and get my own copy. And yes, she was definetely clueless. She really couldn't answer any of my questions,

-- Re: New to Group

Benign... no cancer.... that is good. Multiple nodes and cysts?

Did you mean hyper or hypo? Your systems usually indicate hypo (underactive) thyroid not hyper (overactive thyroid).

Did you get a copy of your labs? If not, ask for them and then post the results here, along with the ranges... we'll give you a heads up on what the numbers say... A LOT of docs are clueless.....

Topper ()

On Wed, 5 Nov 2003 22:00:30 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time) " W." writes:

Good evening everyone. I recieved a message on my answering machine today but I am not sure what she is talking about. Excuse me if I spell something wrong, but she said my biopsy came back banine, or something like that. Then she said it had multiple nodulars, and something about being sisted. I am so confused, and when I went to my appointment, they acted as if I was getting on my nerves when asking them questions. She also stated that I wasnt hyper. I have no clue what that means. And when I told her about my tiredness and how I keep gaining weight and not loosing no matter what I do or eat, she kept referring back to my tests. But I don't care what my bloodwork says. I know how I feel. I think maybe I might have to just pay out of my pocket and go get a second opinion. This is frustrating.....

[Guest guest]

Pretty much, for breakfast I eat low sugar yogurt with Kashi Go-Lean

cereal in it or a small bowl of fruit oat meal. I eat whatever I

want for lunch (within reason) and of course eating smaller portions

and exercising keeps me from over eating even if it's a cheeseburger

or whatever. And the knowledge that I am going to be burning most of

what I eat off that night makes it even better; don't feel like

I'm " cheating " Then I am real mindful of what I eat at night. I eat

either salad, or something really light. And if I am really not

hungry I'll just eat a small bowl of low fat cottage cheese with

fruit or tomatoes. It works for me so maybe it'll work for you. I

look so forward to my Tae Bo everyday and have become an inspiration

to a lot of my friends; ME an inspiration My older friend who is

in her early 60's is now doing it with me 3 days a week.

> > HI all, I am new to the group but probably about 4 months or so

into

> > Tae Bo. I am doing it now, 5 times a week and continually am told

that

> > I am not giving my body enough time to rest/heal. Any advice? I

> > continue to push myself because I love Tae Bo and am so excited

about

> > the results. Already 47 lbs off and I am feeling awesome.

> > Thanks,

> >

> > Sheila

[Guest guest]

I do try and switch my tapes around so I am not working the same

muscles day after day b/c I do notice that when I only had a couple

tapes I wasn't nearly as motivated and I was sore a lot more often

then not.

Thank you for the encouragement!!!

Sheila!

> Wow, you are awsome. As long as you listen to your body, 5 days a

week can be just fine. Current thinking is that people need to

exercise " most days " of the week. With heavy weight training you do

not want to work the same body area 2 days in a row to allow for

muscle recovery. Some tae bo tapes if done back to back can be too

much. Keep up the great work and welcome to the group. Delana.

>

> ________________________________

>

> From: tae-bo_on on behalf of txsheila77510

> Sent: Wed 8/24/2005 3:59 PM

> To: tae-bo_on

> Subject: New to Group

>

>

>

> HI all, I am new to the group but probably about 4 months or so into

> Tae Bo. I am doing it now, 5 times a week and continually am told

that

> I am not giving my body enough time to rest/heal. Any advice? I

> continue to push myself because I love Tae Bo and am so excited

about

> the results. Already 47 lbs off and I am feeling awesome.

> Thanks,

>

> Sheila

>

>

>

>

>

> As Deb has said: " Fitness is a journey and it begins with the first

step. "

> " This isn't about weight loss, it's about enlightenment " -

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sheila, it doesn't sound like you eat a whole lot. Do you get hungry often?

Oh, and it

must feel awesome to be an inspiration to others. Isn't that part of what Tae

Bo is about?

Carol

> > > HI all, I am new to the group but probably about 4 months or so

> into

> > > Tae Bo. I am doing it now, 5 times a week and continually am told

> that

> > > I am not giving my body enough time to rest/heal. Any advice? I

> > > continue to push myself because I love Tae Bo and am so excited

> about

> > > the results. Already 47 lbs off and I am feeling awesome.

> > > Thanks,

> > >

> > > Sheila

[Guest guest]

> HI all, I am new to the group but probably about 4 months or so into

> Tae Bo. I am doing it now, 5 times a week and continually am told

that

> I am not giving my body enough time to rest/heal. Any advice? I

> continue to push myself because I love Tae Bo and am so excited about

> the results. Already 47 lbs off and I am feeling awesome.

> Thanks,

>

> Sheila

Welcome!!! It's funny to me that someone would say that to you. When

I started working out with Tae Bo tapes (not as long as you, only about

a month now) I started at 5 days a week. Yes, I was sore at first but

after about the first week, week and a half I worked through that. I

couldn't be having more fun and I wish I could do it 20 times a week!!

People weren't kidding when they said that Tae Bo was addictive!

[Guest guest]

I'm not a big breakfast person so it really doesn't bother me. I

drink a whole lot of water and that helps curve the hunger too! It

is awesome to be someone elses inspiration! I am a TAE BO ADDICT!

> > > > HI all, I am new to the group but probably about 4 months or

so

> > into

> > > > Tae Bo. I am doing it now, 5 times a week and continually am

told

> > that

> > > > I am not giving my body enough time to rest/heal. Any

advice? I

> > > > continue to push myself because I love Tae Bo and am so

excited

> > about

> > > > the results. Already 47 lbs off and I am feeling awesome.

> > > > Thanks,

> > > >

> > > > Sheila

[Guest guest]

What exact tests were in your thyroid panel?

Free T3, Free T4?

Thyroid results " within normal range " does not necessarily mean your

results were normal, only that they fell within a broad range. Ideally the

Free T3 should be near the top or a bit above range with the Free T4 being

slightly lower than the Free T4. If a TSH was run, it should be quite low.

Have you had any sort of adrenal/cortisol testing yet?

Sam

(57yr female)

=====

> Hi Everybody!

>

> I joined a few weeks ago, and have been reading, trying to get up to

> speed. I would love your opinions! (not to be taken as medical

> advise, of course!)

>

> I am a 50 y.o in the Atlanta area that has been using non-WP BIHRT

> for about 4 months. I started on Biest 2.0 mg cream, Progesterone

> 100mg cream (2 weeks/month) and testosterone 2.0 mg cream every day.

> I had a " normal " period within 10 days of starting all, but then have

> had nothing since then. I really think I want to have a period each

> month as this makes the most sense to me in terms of safety. (My

> doctor is of the mindset that there is no reason to have a period,

> and that the less messing around with the regime, the better).

>

> At my request, my doctor increased the Biest to 2.5 mg/day,

> progesterone to 200mg/day for 2 weeks (now given oral, not

> transdermal), and the testosterone to 3 mg /day.

>

> Prior to any replacement, I hadn't had a period for 6 months. I have

> never had a hot flash, but was inspired to try BIHRT after

> reading " Breakthrough " . My biggest complaints prior to starting was

> mental fogginess, decreased sex drive, weight gain and generalized

> noticeable aging:)

>

> I currently feel absolutely no side effects from anything, have

> noticed an increased alertness (happened within 48hrs from starting)

> and I have lost all of my excess weight (through diet and excercize).

>

> So far, I have only done one set of testing (saliva- all my levels

> came back super high), but my doctor said the E/P ratio was good.

> She also tested my thyroid panel (blood)(all within normal range),

> cortisol/DHEA levels (saliva)(cortisol a little high, DHEA a little

> low)- she suggested DHEA replacement (25mg/day for one month, then

> 10mg/day), some general vitamins.

>

> In general, I think BIHRT has been a very good thing for me, but do

> not feel that I am " maximized " (I want to glow like Suzanne or Dr.

> Phil's wife!), BUT I don't want to do anything stupid either.

>

> Any input to how to assure a period and other thoughts about current

> dosing? I understand the testosterone is possibly a little high, but

> I didn't notice any improvement in my sex drive on the other dose.

>

> I asked my doctor to try blood testing next time (due in about a

> month), to which she agreed, but I'm not convinced that she or I

> will know what to do with the info.

>

> Thank you so much for your opinions. I appreciate your insight!

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Jan

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sam,

Thanks for the quick reponse! Yes, we did T3/T4 (?free), and TSH- I

can't quote exactly as I don't have in front of me, but the TSH was low

normal, and the other levels were mid-range normal- my doctor seems to

be knowledgeable about " acceptable " thyroid levels (i.e., just because

it is WNL- may not be normal). I did cortisol and DHEA via saliva-

cortisol a bit high and DHEA a bit low- I am afraid I can't quote

exactly.

I forgot to mention my biggest complaint- insomnia! Maybe a bit better

but yet perfect!

Thanks!

Jan

[Guest guest]

I asked about thyroid, et al because (generally) if the thyroid is not

working properly for whatever reason, neither can/will anything else, like

sex hormones.

Saliva cortisols taken 4 times in 24 hours?

Generally should be top of the range in the early morning and gradually

reduce thru-pout the day and be bottom of range at mid-night. Any variance

from that " rhythm " can indicate an adrenal problem (eg. higher midnoght

cortisol can cause insomnia!). If you compare DHEA with Free Testosterone

levels, and they are not both midrange " ish " , this also can indicate an

adrenal problem. Adrenal problems can affect sex hormones, too.

From what I have learned, the order all this stuff should be addressed is

adrenals first, then thyroid, and then later if sex hormones don't

normalize on their own, to address those. A couple of quickie things you

can check out on your own is your body temperature - if it's under 98.2

that's thyroid, and if temperatures vary widely thru-out the day more than

a degree, that's adrenal. Also if you shine a light across your eyes in a

darkened room, and the pupils do not stay perfectly constricted, it also

points to adrenal problem.

There's some really good info on: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info/faq

I've been w/o my uterus/ovaries since 1973. BHRT only since late 2004.

I dose BHRT by symptoms, and use separate estradiol, progesterone,

testosterone transdermals. This works spectacularly " for me " ...

Sam

(57yr old tattoo'd granny on a motorcycle)

=====

> Hi Sam,

>

> Thanks for the quick reponse! Yes, we did T3/T4 (?free), and TSH- I

> can't quote exactly as I don't have in front of me, but the TSH was low

> normal, and the other levels were mid-range normal- my doctor seems to

> be knowledgeable about " acceptable " thyroid levels (i.e., just because

> it is WNL- may not be normal). I did cortisol and DHEA via saliva-

> cortisol a bit high and DHEA a bit low- I am afraid I can't quote

> exactly.

>

> I forgot to mention my biggest complaint- insomnia! Maybe a bit better

> but yet perfect!

>

> Thanks!

>

> Jan

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Sam,

I will definately check out your resources. Yes, saliva cortisol was

taken 4 times/24 hrs, and yes, it was a bit high at night. I'm under

the impression that there isn't a quick fix for elevated cortisol-

decrease stress, get sleep, decrease stress, get sleep... I will check

out your resources though. I intuitively don't think it is a big

function of adrenals or thyroid for me however (i. e., really out of

wack), but of course I may be wrong! Thank you for your input! I

appreciate it!

Jan

[Guest guest]

Well, an excellent book to read would be " Safe Uses of Cortisol "

by McK Jefferies.

Higher cortisol at night, even with all others being completely normal,

does mean adrenals are not well. Many of the members in my thyroidless

group address their weakened/stressed adrenals with cortisol/HC/Cortef

(5mg four times per day), or with 5-7.5mg prednisoLone once per day, or

5-7.5mg methylprednisoLone once per day. Certainly not a quick " fix " , as

it takes time for adrenls to heal, but 'treating " adrenals that need help

usually addresses bad symptoms rather quickly, it seems.

I have hypopituitarism, and for me that means my anterior pituitary is not

working as it should...my adrenals themselves may be ok, but my pituitary

can not signal them to actually work, so I am on adrenl support for life

(5-7.5mg prednisoLone). Works quite well 'for me'.

Doesn't this seem like a puzzle box?

Quite a puzzle until you get all the right keys into the right locks, in

the right order, at teh right times...

Sam

=====

> Thanks Sam,

>

> I will definately check out your resources. Yes, saliva cortisol was

> taken 4 times/24 hrs, and yes, it was a bit high at night. I'm under

> the impression that there isn't a quick fix for elevated cortisol-

> decrease stress, get sleep, decrease stress, get sleep... I will check

> out your resources though. I intuitively don't think it is a big

> function of adrenals or thyroid for me however (i. e., really out of

> wack), but of course I may be wrong! Thank you for your input! I

> appreciate it!

>

> Jan

>

>

[Guest guest]

Saliva testing is questionable for anything except cortisol. Transdermal

hormones seem to be unduly excreted in saliva. It is questionable whether

estrogen in a cream form is assimiliated. I use estriol cream on my face.

It penetrates only the most outter layer. Transdermal progesterone fails to

protect the uterus in 32% of women and seems to build up in the fat. I

wouldn't touch it.

I use a transdermal estradiol gel (alcohol base) and oral P (Prometrium) 200

mg for 10 days/month. I don't think 15 days is necessary.

These are my humble opinions. Some of it is based on research I have posted

previously and on the experiences of women on the Wiley Protocol.

Val

-----Original Message-----

From: rhythmicliving [mailto:rhythmicliving ]

On Behalf Of janicejjw

Hi Everybody!

I joined a few weeks ago, and have been reading, trying to get up to

speed. I would love your opinions! (not to be taken as medical

advise, of course!)

I am a 50 y.o in the Atlanta area that has been using non-WP BIHRT

for about 4 months. I started on Biest 2.0 mg cream, Progesterone

100mg cream (2 weeks/month) and testosterone 2.0 mg cream every day.

I had a " normal " period within 10 days of starting all, but then have

had nothing since then. I really think I want to have a period each

month as this makes the most sense to me in terms of safety. (My

doctor is of the mindset that there is no reason to have a period,

and that the less messing around with the regime, the better).

At my request, my doctor increased the Biest to 2.5 mg/day,

progesterone to 200mg/day for 2 weeks (now given oral, not

transdermal), and the testosterone to 3 mg /day.

Prior to any replacement, I hadn't had a period for 6 months. I have

never had a hot flash, but was inspired to try BIHRT after

reading " Breakthrough " . My biggest complaints prior to starting was

mental fogginess, decreased sex drive, weight gain and generalized

noticeable aging:)

I currently feel absolutely no side effects from anything, have

noticed an increased alertness (happened within 48hrs from starting)

and I have lost all of my excess weight (through diet and excercize).

So far, I have only done one set of testing (saliva- all my levels

came back super high), but my doctor said the E/P ratio was good.

She also tested my thyroid panel (blood)(all within normal range),

cortisol/DHEA levels (saliva)(cortisol a little high, DHEA a little

low)- she suggested DHEA replacement (25mg/day for one month, then

10mg/day), some general vitamins.

In general, I think BIHRT has been a very good thing for me, but do

not feel that I am " maximized " (I want to glow like Suzanne or Dr.

Phil's wife!), BUT I don't want to do anything stupid either.

Any input to how to assure a period and other thoughts about current

dosing? I understand the testosterone is possibly a little high, but

I didn't notice any improvement in my sex drive on the other dose.

I asked my doctor to try blood testing next time (due in about a

month), to which she agreed, but I'm not convinced that she or I

will know what to do with the info.

Thank you so much for your opinions. I appreciate your insight!

Sincerely,

Jan

[Guest guest]

Thanks Sam,

I will definately check this out! As an uninformed person, I am not

understanding why would you replace cortisol for an already higher than

normal level? I thought the " fix " was to try to decrease stimulation?

Thanks!

Jan

[Guest guest]

Thanks Valarie,

I will have my blood work done and then report back! I appreciate your

input!

Jan

[Guest guest]

It's not that the level is high, it's that the level is high at the wrong

time, which means the daily " rhythm " is not normal. Supplementing sort of

spreads everything out evenly...not a great explaination...sorry.

Well, I found Jefferies' site where he talks about cortisol:

http://www.livingnetwork.co.za/healingnetwork/cortisol.html

But I do recommend the book. Also the STTM site may explain more that I at

the moment: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info

Sam

> Thanks Sam,

>

> I will definately check this out! As an uninformed person, I am not

> understanding why would you replace cortisol for an already higher than

> normal level? I thought the " fix " was to try to decrease stimulation?

> Thanks!

>

> Jan

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Sam!

I will check this out. This is all new to me. I appreciate it!

Jan

[Guest guest]

Hi Donna,

Just catching up on posts at the moment. I have a similar background to you,

lacking decent role models and it's weird being alleviated of the burden of

blame - both a joyous experience, and at the same time, it takes away the 'wall'

you've been pushing against for years, and without that resistance there, it can

be quite unsettling.

For me, both finding out my hubby is most like AS and also, more recently that I

am BiPolar, I realise I have given myself years of hard times, when I simply

didn't have a chance of 'getting it right' or perfect!! So at the moment it's a

bit confusing!

I recommend really learning about AS and Greg's suggestion of the brill coping

list is a very good place to start.

Personally Jon and I have been on and off using the Asperger Couples Workbook.

We got on well with it, and it's got lots of practical things to do together,

which sounds like it might be a good place to start.

Also, the advice for both my Bipolar and the AS, is to not let the condition

define the relationship. Have your own interests, and also let your husband do

the things he's good at, like research, or planning, or chores, whatever he

wants, and this will make him feel like he has a purpose. Bill is a good font

of knowledge for the older AS end and well there are so many helpful lovely

people on this list, it's a real joy and such a supportive environment. (YAY!)

Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask anything, even if you think its stupid!

Those are the best questions!!!

Take Care,

Becky

>

> Hello, my name is Donna. I am new to this listserv. Only this week have I

> discovered that there is a strong possiblity that my husband has AS. It is a

> relief in a way because it helps me explain the difficulties we have had over

> the years. I am 66 years old and my husband is 69. We've been married 48 years

> and it has not been easy to say the least.

>

> I came from a dysfunctional family: my parents divorced when I was 9, my

mother

> remarried when I was 12, and the second marriage was rocky to say the least.

> Basically, I say all this to let you know that I grew up having no idea how a

> husband and wife should relate to one another, so I assumed our difficulties

> were my fault and I'm sure many were because I do have low self-esteem.

>

> Knowing my husband most likely has AS unburdens me. I feel like shouting " It's

> not my fault! " Does that seem riduculous? I wish I could go back to the

> beginning of our marriage and start over, but since that's impossible I need

> help for the future. So many questions and thoughts are running through my

mind.

>

>

> Could someone suggest a book for me to read to help me cope with the future?

Any

> help would be appreciated. I want the rest of our life together to be good-not

> just 2 people living in the same house.

>

> Donna

>