Re: beth/depression

[Guest guest]

beth--Are you literally so depressed you want to throw yourself out a

window? Hypo depression is not uncommon but suicidal depression, whatever its

cause, is an EMERGENCY. (I'm going to look like I'm shouting here, because I'm

very, very worried about you:) GET HELP NOW. If you can reach your GP, your

endo, your surgeon, your gynecologist--or, if you're in treatment for ANY

psychiatric illness especially depression or bipolar, your psychiatrist (or any

of their nurses, nurse-practitioners or office managers/receptionists)--do so.

DON'T be content with leaving a message--this is a holiday weekend and a lot of

people in all sorts of professions are not at work today and won't be for

several days. If you can't reach them, call your local emergency room. Tell

them what's going on and don't let them put you off. Then get there. If

nothing else, you'll be in a safe place. It sounds like you're definitely not

in one right now.

People with affective disorders--like depression and bipolar--are at particular

risk of symptoms of whatever such disorder they have when they're hypothyroid.

I've been hypo twice, have mixed bipolar I (i.e. a severe form of bipolar), and,

probably because I've been in treatment for it for almost three decades, have

not had psychiatric symptoms either time; all my hypo symptoms have been

physical except the silly-mistakes-syndrome (forgetting how to work my shower,

that sort of stuff), and that only happened the first time. But this time,

during the last week, I got virtually no sleep and became physically unable to

walk: my legs were like rubber or Jell-o or water. So afraid of the potential

danger to me of sleep deprivation (not to mention the inability to walk, when I

have no motor disability that would explain it) that I made the Nuc Med folks do

the scan in one day, and they did it: 8 blue-and-orange I-123 (I think) capsules

at 8:30-ish, pictures at 11:15, results around noon, more pictures at 3:15,

results at 4. That was a few weeks ago, on the 4th; on July 31, when I'd been

having some trouble with insomnia and my legs had been painful most of the time

for a few days, my TSH was around 100. I suspect it was almost twice that by

the 4th as I was in much worse shape by then. How often can you get your TSH

checked? I should have had mine checked sooner, I think, but I didn't realize

what was making me feel crummy or how much worse it could get, so like a fool I

didn't tell my endo. Are you having a lot of trouble sleeping? I cannot fathom

anyone being so ignorant of the realities of thyca treatment as to make you wait

yet another month; that's beyond cruelty, it's utter sadism. PLEASE get in

touch with as many of your doctors as would have any knowledge of thyroid cancer

treatment (i.e. a podiatrist might be a waste of time!), tell them what's

happening, and do everything you can to improve matters!

If you want to, please write me privately...I might be able to suggest some

people or places you could contact, depending on your circumstances. And please

remember, as agonizing as your situation is, it CAN be resolved in a way that

doesn't destroy you!!!

Barbara