Guest guest Posted September 9, 2002 Report Share Posted September 9, 2002 Hi , welcome to the group. I'm a newcomer too and have learnt so much from everyone here. I was diagnosed in August too, and am taking ATD's for the last 5 weeks. How are you feeling since having the RAI? Aldyth sdmweaver wrote:I just found this site today...and I wanted to tell you that it was kinda nice to see that others have some of the same questions that I do. No one in my family, or friends for that matter have any thyroid problems. So, it is a little hard for me to get people to understand what is going on, or why. I was just diagnosed with Grave's Disease Aug. 20, and took the radioactive iodine the 23rd. I don't think it worked too well, I'll find out more next week. I guess this is all a neverending process...but I think hearing what other people go through may help! Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2002 Report Share Posted September 9, 2002 > > I was just diagnosed with Grave's Disease Aug. 20, and took the > radioactive iodine the 23rd. I don't think it worked too well, I'll > > find out more next week. I guess this is all a neverending > process...but I think hearing what other people go through may help! > Welcome . You are a major step ahead of many who undergo RAI because you know the importance of frequent, accurate monitoring (not just TSH but FREE T3 and FREE T4) and that if your RAI truly didn't take that you shouldn't repeat it but try ATD's. Those who've been through this will guide you. I hate to say this but be prepared to go endo-hunting. An endo who will administer RAI three days after diagnosis, without first taking a few weeks to stabilize you on betablockers and ATD's is very likely to NOT be good with monitoring and helping you explore your thyroid hormone replacement options. Good luck and take care, Fay ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2002 Report Share Posted September 9, 2002 > > I was just diagnosed with Grave's Disease Aug. 20, and took the > radioactive iodine the 23rd. I don't think it worked too well, I'll > > find out more next week. I guess this is all a neverending > process...but I think hearing what other people go through may help! > Welcome . You are a major step ahead of many who undergo RAI because you know the importance of frequent, accurate monitoring (not just TSH but FREE T3 and FREE T4) and that if your RAI truly didn't take that you shouldn't repeat it but try ATD's. Those who've been through this will guide you. I hate to say this but be prepared to go endo-hunting. An endo who will administer RAI three days after diagnosis, without first taking a few weeks to stabilize you on betablockers and ATD's is very likely to NOT be good with monitoring and helping you explore your thyroid hormone replacement options. Good luck and take care, Fay ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2002 Report Share Posted September 9, 2002 > > I was just diagnosed with Grave's Disease Aug. 20, and took the > radioactive iodine the 23rd. I don't think it worked too well, I'll > > find out more next week. I guess this is all a neverending > process...but I think hearing what other people go through may help! > Welcome . You are a major step ahead of many who undergo RAI because you know the importance of frequent, accurate monitoring (not just TSH but FREE T3 and FREE T4) and that if your RAI truly didn't take that you shouldn't repeat it but try ATD's. Those who've been through this will guide you. I hate to say this but be prepared to go endo-hunting. An endo who will administer RAI three days after diagnosis, without first taking a few weeks to stabilize you on betablockers and ATD's is very likely to NOT be good with monitoring and helping you explore your thyroid hormone replacement options. Good luck and take care, Fay ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2002 Report Share Posted September 9, 2002 Hi , one thing is for sure you have joined the right site to get some good advice. Aldyth Granigans@... wrote:Hello Aldyth! I know what you mean, I've learned so much already. I wish I would have found this site before I had my treatment. After the RAI I felt a lot better. The swelling in my neck had gotten so big so quick. Within 3 weeks, it went from being just slightly swollen, to looking like I swallowed a big grapefruit. So, I was finding it hard to breath and, it may sound silly, but I was even afraid to go to sleep. A couple of nights I woke up gasping for air, since my thyroid was cutting off the supply. Anyways, by the end of the first night I could see a very big difference in the swelling. I could even breath! It got to where most of the time, you really couldn't even see it. The palpatations were also getting better, and I think between those two things, it makes everything feel better. But, after a week or so my thryoid has started getting bigger again. Starting to get the shakes and stuff again. I was supposed to wait to go get the labs done again for another week or so, but feel so yucky today that I want to do it alot quicker. I've been getting pretty nervous reading all of the things everyone says about the RAI. I pray I didn't make a mistake. It was put to me that the ATD's wouldn't work, since it had already progressed so far. I went to 4 different doctors along the way, and they all said that I should take the RAI and do it quickly. I went in for sonograms Friday, and another doctor said that he couldn't even tell that I had taken it. So, I guess that means they will want me to do a higher dose. I wonder now what to do about it? Well, my boys are getting restless. I better go. Thanks for your concern and questions. Sorry I rattled on.......sometimes I get started and can't stop! Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2002 Report Share Posted September 9, 2002 Hi , >>>I've been getting pretty nervous reading all of the things everyone says >>>about the RAI. I pray I didn't make a mistake. It was put to me that >>>the ATD's wouldn't work, since it had already progressed so far. I went >>>to 4 different doctors along the way, and they all said that I should >>>take the RAI and do it quickly. I went in for sonograms Friday, and >>>another doctor said that he couldn't even tell that I had taken it. So, >>>I guess that means they will want me to do a higher dose.<<< I was told the same thing, I was just too sick for the atd's to work and given surgery or RAI, then the first endo proceded to scare me to death on the surgery. Endo's who push, rush, bully and lie to us to get us to do the RAI before we even have time to think about it ...they use RAI for *their* benefit, not for ours. The hyper graves patient can be 'difficult' to say the least, the hypO patient is much easier for them to control and manage. As for them telling you it didn't do anything, you just had it at the end of August, right? It hasn't had enough time to work completely, usually the most damage is done in the first 3 months after RAI, but the thyroid continues to die for years afterwards. In my opinion, they should not even be talking to you for at least a year after having it about a second dose. Do you know how many millicurries you were given? 10-15mc is the average dose given to kill our thyroids, mine was 13.9mc. It is also common for us to go MORE hyper in the first weeks to a couple of months AFTER having RAI as the thyroid is dumping excess hormone into our bodies. It hasn't even been a month since your RAI I do hope you won't allow them to rush you into a second dose...ask them to give you one of the atd's to get you through this period with labs EVERY 4 WEEKS, sooner if needed...and get copies of ALL of your labs, including those at the time of diagnosis, it will help you as you move through your journey. Hang in there, and think long and hard before allowing them to dose you again, especially this soon after your first dose...and find out how much they did give you. Jody _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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