Non Goiter Graves

Les
 

The good news...what I have is curable with treatment. And I don't have a goiter. Or any kind of growth according to Dr. Doelle, the doc I saw Monday at the University of Iowa Specialty Clinic. He reminded me a little bit of Les Nessman, the nerdy guy on the retro sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. But he inspired much more confidence.



Dr. Doelle

I liked Dr. Doelle. He spent quite a bit of time with Paul and me, answering all our questions. I'm afraid I got a bit emotional - it's been a long few months a feeling kinda crappy ya'll. Describing my symptoms made me sad. Dr. Doelle listened carefully. I could see his wheels spinning as he considered just what the hell might be wrong with me. He wanted to get another blood test before making his final diagnosis. But it was looking like Graves' disease.

That's a scary word - disease. So when Dr. Doelle called me today after I got home from work to confirm the diagnosis, he was sure to reassure me by saying, "this is curable with treatment." First with a prescription - Methimazole. Long term I'll likely need to decide the best way to kill my thyroid - with radioactive pill or with surgery. Then I'll replace my thyroid with meds.

I'm looking forward to feeling better! I'm sharing this so that if any of my relatives or others have symptoms...they will not waste many months feeling crazy and lost as I did. Dr. Doelle said this is hereditary in the sense that it was probably in my body...and then something set it off. Like many things - they don't know why. My symptoms are:

• frequent bowel movements - which had been coming on for a while. But it's gotten ridiculous. I had even tried to Google that...but came up with nothing. I didn't try to get medical help until I got painful cramps to go with them.
• pounding heart - mine has been masked since I take the Beta Blocker Atenolol for migraine prevention. I can hear it in my ears. It now still beats funky sometimes.
• poor heart tolerance - I thought that was just menopause
• swelling legs - that has been infrequent, but scary when it happened
• anxiety - I was sure I had bowel cancer, and spent many hours worrying about that. I've always been a fretter, but not to that extent
• sleep problesm - not sure about that. I slept pretty well until this should froze...
• Muscle cramps - is that what caused my abdominal problems? I've had feet cramps that are very painful.
• There are other Graves' symptoms that I've not had, thank goodness 

After my appointment in Iowa City, Paul and I walked around Kinnick Stadium. They grow corn there by the stadium. It's actually right by the hospital. I remember attending a few games there - some long ago, when I was actually a Hawkeye fan!

Here I am making a C for Cyclone - just in case you didn't know...