# Do you have a thyroid story?



## prayingtogetbetter (Nov 10, 2007)

After things I've read, and things I've been through...

Someday, I am going to contact magazines and such to try and get the word out more about these thyroid conditions, testings, and new treatments. Slowly but surely...I think I can get some word out....anyone could if they wanted to. Thyroid conditions are all over the internet but hid from tv, magazines and doctors offices.
I am looking to hear peoples stories, to help myself and others.
I've been struggling with Graves, had RAI, now hypo with adrenal fatigue, etc...for a few years...and I feel like Im about 70, and am only in my mid 20's. Im trying different doctors and methods and all the time, patients and money is frustrating!!! Not to mention...the not being able to work like I use to thing that happens with FATIGUE and depression.
There is not enough knowledge out there (except on the net)!! Even people in my family don't know what Im talking about when it comes to this stuff. They don't understand how these problems really dampers ones life.
I like to compare and hear how people get better, and feel like Im not alone.
These forums all over the net are the only place I've personally found hope. 
There needs to be more...live support groups in each state, commercials, knowledge being spread to get the right things checked,etc! Eventually doctors will catch on, and maybe new things will be taught in med school. 
Ok, Im done venting...send me your story, and I'll send you mine.

My webpage if you have myspace is
www.myspace.com/thyroidsupport
My email is
[email protected]

Thanks guys! I hope to hear from you
Katie


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## jess12808 (Jan 14, 2008)

I have a thyroid that went undiagnosed through 6 pregnancies. My thyroid was to blame for all my losses. Now that I am blessed with my 2yo daughter and properly diagnosed my life is getting back on track. I still feel like ick some days but I totally understand about being in your mid 20s and feeling 70. I tell people that I am 25 going on 45 when they ask my age....
So I think that producing a publication would be a great help to the community that suffers from thyroid, adrenal, and other glandular diseases. 
The hardest part for me was finding out that not one doctor out of th eight I saw could figure out that my heavy periods and multiple miscarriges were because of Graves.
I went under the knife for a laperoscopy because I was bleeding HEAVILY for 21 days straight and they thought I should have a histerectomy because I could not stop bleeding. I was told I would never have kids cause I had such problems with my cycle. Thats a lot to take in at 19years old. Now at 25 and having a 2yo healthy kiddo and a great team of doctors I am doing much better.

That is the short version of my story....


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## nikbear214 (Jul 12, 2008)

Hmm, my story goes. After having my daughter (2nd child) I felt awful. Continued to get more depressed and had more difficulty getting through my day. Went to doctor after doctor for 3 years because I felt so horrible. Finally I started gaining weight. I gained 30lbs in 3 months and went to my doctor. He said it was stress. My dad, fortunately is a chiropractor and thought it might be my thyroid. I went back to my doctor who continued to insist that it was stress and I asked him to check my thyroid just to humor me. Sure enough it came back high. I continued to get poor treatment from him so I sought out a new doctor, who ended up not being much better. My symptoms continued to get worse. By this time I had severe join pain, my hair was falling out, I had gained a total of 55lbs, could hardly move and I was having my period every 2 weeks. I developed a new symptom, I started to get dizzy spells. Not feeling very comfortable about going to my doctor about them I went to an after hours urgent care center. Fortunately for me, the doctor on duty was very familiar with thyroid issues and said that I HAD to see a doctor that specializes in thyroid disorders. I didn't even know there was such a thing. I went home and got on the internet and found Mary Shalom's (don't remember her last name exactly) website and found an endro. I started to see him and was very happy. I continued to develop symptoms, I now am anemic. I have very heavy periods and only stop bleeding for about 5 days a month. Per their recommendation I went to an ob/gyn and had an endrometrial ablasion (sp?) to have the lining of my uterus destroid to help stop the bleeding. It helped, I am not longer anemic (I also have to take a high level of iron everyday). However, I still developed symptoms. By this time I asked my endro if I will ever feel better or if I will have to accept that this is the way I am going to feel the rest of my life. He said "no, you should feel better. At this point I don't know what to do for you, you will need to see a regular md to run other tests to rule out other things." By this time I am wondering if I am dieing or if I have cancer. I am scared and I still am! So, I find a new doctor and he sits me down and asks me if I have had all of these different tests run. I haven't had any tests run! I couldn't believe that even an endo didn't bother to run tests to find out if I have Hashi's or not, or if anything else was going on. This doctor ran a series of tests on me and found out that not only do I have Hashi's I have an anitbody against the actual harmone itself! My endo had me on Armor thyroid because most people respond to it best, but apparently I have to have the synthetic to "trick" my system because it won't process the real stuff. This has been a 7 year struggle for me. I am still going in every 6-8 weeks to have my levels check and every 6-8 weeks they adjust them. It is terribly frustrating. I am extremely agitated and who better to irritate that agitation but children. I love my kids dearly and when I am feeling good all is well, but when I am not feeling well, they drive me crazy. I find that I am scared to death that I am going to ruin my kid's lives because their mom is not a very good mom because I get irritated so easily and I am depressed all of the time. Of course this only adds to my mental issues.

My symptoms:
joint pain
heavy long periods
high blood pressure
hair loss
depression
anger
stomach cramps
dizzy spells
weak muscles
tired
fuzzy thinking
memory loss
forgetful
unable to consentrate
constipation
frequent periods
peeling nails
eczema
extreme dry eye
sensitivity to some foods
shy away from social situations
the list goes on

My symptom list continues to grow. Unfortunately I developed all of these since I became hypo. I had nice skin, no issues with weight, was incredibly organized and on top of things and one of the most down to earth and patient people you could ever meet. That person is long gone! I don't know that person anymore.

Sorry to ramble, but this is my first post and I have been dieing to get this out on a message board where there may be others who could be going through the same thing. I want honest answers, does it get better or am I going to stuggle all of the time? I can live with either, I just want the truth. I keep being told that I should get back to normal and that is not happening and so I get frustrated. If someone was just honest with me and said, nope, this is going to be your life now, I think I could handle it. I just hate holding on to a hope that may not ever be there. Thanks for letting me get this all off of my chest!


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## mommy04 (Jul 14, 2008)

Hello, I am new to the board I do read it alot but I want to say your not alone. Here's my story. When I was 16 I was hit with a panic attack I didn't know what the hell it was my dad did because he suffered from them. Well it went away and they came back full force after my second child at the age of 20 I was young and married with two babies so I thought it was stress. I go to my dad's psyc doc he puts me on xanax they help for awhile. Okay I 'll speed up here so years go bye I'm divorced so that wasn't the problem I have a third child almost died giving birth my heart rate went up to 220 beats per min and my bp was 210/180 no lie and it was another routine c-section but I just didn't feel rite that day. I recover very anemic but all is good still have attacks my father passed away four months later of lung cancer and now I'm having anxiety w/agoraphobia and panic. (stress related) i'm told. so I get remarried few years later and pregnant with my fourth child I'm laying in bed watching tv and all of a sudden my heart went to beating like I never felt it before it came out of nowhere it didn't hurt and I knew it wasn't a panic attack I go to bend over to put my shoes on to go to the er and I breathed in and it just went back to normal. Okay wow what was that didn't happen for another two years than two more years. Well i always had pain in my neck so my doctor sends me for ultrasound I have a 4mm nodule okay no biggie. so I just lost my 43yr old brother to a heart anureysum in nov never been sick so I decide I need to take better care of myself I have four kids and I'm all they have. I go to my doctor's run the typical test normal I demand and ultrasound I get one nodule is a cyst and is now 6mm and I have an enlarged thyroid they said see an endo it takes me forever to get into one so I do she did an antibody test on me it's 1000ml but my other tests are normal she won't do anything for me. Now here is where doctors are wrong my maternal grandpa died of Grave's disease my two maternal Uncle's and two maternal aunts have thyroid disease my paternal uncle just had thyroid cancer and now that I am at high risk she said you have antibody for thyroid disease see you in January. I said take it out why do I have to wait I don't feel good I have weight gain, loosing my hair itchy back anxiety,panic, hot and cold intolerance,insomnia, starting to choke on my food etc... still nothing.Oh yeah and I get vertigo so bad sometimes it's almost unbearable. I am being ignored and I won't be anymore I have already set up a second opinion with another endo and I will keep going and switching until someone takes this out I'm sitting here waiting to get cancer and I can't my kids need me. I will help write letters I will contact magazines to and my local shows the word needs to be heard. we are suffering and know one takes us serious and I'm ****ed this is my life my health and not no one two three or ten doctor's going to tell me to sit back and take it I'm on a mission my friends and I will take it all the way to the top. I'll pray for all of you and let's all pray for a cure and the need to be heard.
All my love
mommy04



prayingtogetbetter said:


> After things I've read, and things I've been through...
> 
> Someday, I am going to contact magazines and such to try and get the word out more about these thyroid conditions, testings, and new treatments. Slowly but surely...I think I can get some word out....anyone could if they wanted to. Thyroid conditions are all over the internet but hid from tv, magazines and doctors offices.
> I am looking to hear peoples stories, to help myself and others.
> ...


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## Emily (Mar 1, 2008)

There is a book that helped me and that is Living well with hypothyroidism by Mary J. Shomon. It doesn't take the pains away but it makes you understand things better.


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