Re: Working while having Graves' Disease

[Guest guest]

,

How are you feeling this morning? I hope your surgery was

uncomplicated and you are already on the road to recovery! I am sorry

to hear that your sense of identity is beleagered. Your voice is so

strong, warm and sincere in your writing.

Hope your new look suits you better!

> Hi Everyone,

>

> speaking of eyes, I have my eye surgery on thursday. I'm a tiny bit

> nervous, but mostly excited because of the positive responses I got

from

> people on this list when I asked (about four months ago) if I

should have

> this surgery -- a couple of people said how great it was to have

their

> appearance back.

>

> My opth. urged me to send in the forms to remove the enormous black

pockets

> under my eyes. I did, along with before and after pictures and a

letter on

> how the disease has affected my life; I was only the fourth person

approved

> for this " reconstructive surgery " in ten years, according to the

secretary

> in my doc's office.

>

> So Thursday at 1:00 Central time US, I'll go under the proverbial

knife.

> The surgery takes one and a half hours and they'll simply clip away

the

> excess fat and skin. It's a local ana. with a sedative.

>

> Send those positive thoughts during that time! I'd appreciate it.

>

> I too feel that the physical aspects of this illness are overlooked

and

> frequently, the most demoralizing. Having lost half my hair and

looking ten

> years older and exhausted all the time makes me *feel*

less " myself. " Even

> though I never imagined I'd have cosmetic surgery, I'm hopeful that

this

> will give my beleagured sense of identity/self a boost in a positive

> direction!

>

> B

>

>

> My best feature used to be my eyes too. I had severe exophthalmus

but my

> > eyes did recede. Now they're at 27mm and don't look nearly as

bad as they

> > used to (not as good previous to Graves' either).

> >

> > >

> > > I think my main concern has been the affect the eye disease has

> > > had on my looks. Over my entire life so many people told me I

> > > had beautiful eyes. Not any more; that makes me angry and sad

> > > at times. I'm particularly self-conscious even though I'm only

> > > slightly bulging at 23mm --- but my work is corporate training

and

> > > I am in front of audiences when I do work.

> > >

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I haven't really had time to post to this one.

As for when I was really hyper with GD, I don't know how I would have

worked. I had headaches daily, to the point I could barely function.

I spent alot of time in bed, in the dark. After so many years of my quack

doctor, I changed doctors and he put me on a beta blocker. I was a

different person in 24 hrs., the headaches were gone most of the time, heart

rate down. I remember taking showers 3 times a day to help cool my body

down, the summers were rough, I spent them in the pool. My husband being

self employed in the excavation business at the time would have me go to

work with him, digging basements, putting in septic systems. After a long

days work, he knew I wouldn't be good for much for 3 or 4 days, I was just

exhausted. People asked, " Well how can you homeschool? " The homeschooling

I feel is what saved me it gave me something to do and besides took the

pressure off of 3-1/2 hrs. to 4 hrs. of homework a night. That didn't

include the girls riding on the bus for an hour with a bully that the bus

driver couldn't control. Having a stressful job would have been out of the

question but the schooling gave me a little control of the stress. It took

me a long time to admit when I needed to take a 20 min. break. When I get

all nervous I go lay down in my room in the dark and feel relaxed

afterwards. My children have learned to be quiet.

Debbie R.

[Guest guest]

LoL Debbie,

You say you didn't work???

Terry

>

> Reply-To: graves_support

> Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 14:05:40 -0700

> To: <graves_support >

> Subject: Re: Re: Working while having Graves' Disease

>

> My husband being

> self employed in the excavation business at the time would have me go to

> work with him, digging basements, putting in septic systems. After a long

> days work, he knew I wouldn't be good for much for 3 or 4 days, I was just

> exhausted. People asked, " Well how can you homeschool? " The homeschooling

> I feel is what saved me it gave me something to do and besides took the

> pressure off of 3-1/2 hrs. to 4 hrs. of homework a night.

[Guest guest]

Terry,

I know it sounds like I worked, but I was a workaholic. Didn't marry until

I was 28 yrs. old and always worked overtime or two jobs. 1.) I liked the

money 2.) my Dad was an alcoholic and I couldn't stand to see the hurt he

put my Mom through going out drinking and then it was her fault that the

bills weren't paid. So, from the time I was 13 yrs. old I either babysat or

cleaned houses. I cleaned for a rich lady in her early 30's, her father was

an alcoholic too. I love my father dearly, he was a very loving father

during my childhood, but started drinking when I was 12. Anyways to me I

wasn't really working, I was use to doing more than that.

Even to this day I don't drive at least not in traffic, too many times I was

driving and couldn't remember where I was. Guess that is one reason I like

the country, not much traffic and peace and quiet most of the time.

Wish your husband was closer to me I've only found one doctor in my area

that was listed for doing chinese herbs in a 100 mile radius. He is almost

2 hrs. from me.

Debbie R.