Graves Eye Disease and Hyperthyroid

Lab results show improvement!

It's been awhile since I pulled that familiar envelope out of the mailbox with my doctor's label on it.  Curious to see my lab results inside, I open it up and can't help but notice his notation on the cover letter.  I finally get to start (gradually) reducing my dosage of PTU from 50mg 7 days per week, to six.  Finally!  Remember, this is round two en route to remission, as the first time lasted only 7 months.  Slowly, taking it one day at a time, but I'm more than a little excited today. 

Improvement!

I received the familiar envelope in the mail today from my endocrinologist.  A form letter, it has a spot for handwritten comments regarding current lab results and changes in meds, if any, needed.  In my case, it simply stated, labs improved, maintain all medicine.  OK....not exactly sure how the labs improved, so I phoned (office closed today) and asked that the actual lab results be mailed to me.  You should always ask for a photo copy of your actual lab results.  And you should know what the numbers mean as well.  I really do think it's critical that you involve yourself in your own personal care, and knowledge is power, as they say!! 

Good news today.

Off Methimazole for just about five months now.  I saw my endocrinologist earlier this week for my lab workup. 

This is what you hope for every time you open the envelop containing your results--a note from your doctor that says:  "Lab is perfect.  No medication is needed at this time."  I just opened my mail this evening and that's exactly what I got.

The numbers prove it! Improvement in eye proptosis.

Good news this week.  I visited my eye specialist at U of M Monday, and my endocrinologist today.  Good news.  The visual improvement I've recently noticed in my upper eyelid retraction, especially in my right eye, was matched by a reduction in eye protrusion as measured by both doctors.  In other words, my eyes are protruding less and in fact my right eye, which has always been worse, improved by 1.5mm to 21.5mm.  For me this is a big improvement.  It had been about four months since my last appointments, so I was anxious to have my eyes measured.  I don't see either one now until December, a long time to wait for a follow up measurement but I'll keep my fingers crossed for continued improvement, or at a minimum, no reversal of my improvement!!

Both doctors are great.  It's so important to find knowledgeable medical professionals who take great care in providing their patients with the best possible care--I'm lucky to have that. 

Finally, the answer I've been waiting for--Graves Disease-Hyperthyroid

November 2005.  I land in my hometown Tuesday night.  I'm excited to still be on vacation and take care of a few things on Wednesday, running errands and preparing for my trip to Santa Fe and Telluride.  Thursday rolls around and I've just a few hours to spare before I head back to the airport to catch my flight to Albuquerque and my cell phone rings.  I am visiting my parents (they live close to the airport).  It's my family doctor.  Without hesitation, she simply states, "you have Graves Disease."  That was it.  But what exactly was IT? 

She was particularly concerned about my fast, irregular and hard-beating heartbeat and asked that I get a prescription filled immediately.  Immediately?  I explain to her I'm headed out the door to catch a flight, on vacation, out of town.  She insists I pick up my prescription and begin taking the medication immediately.  The medicine is a beta blocker.  I stop by my local drug store en route to the airport and off I go. 

On the plane my mind is racing.  Graves Disease.  The name itself makes it sound like a grave diesase.  I specifically recall her telling me we'll have to watch the eyes.  The eyes?  What do my eyes have to do with anything?  For many, there are no eye symptoms, ever.  For others, they can range from mild to quite severe and require surgery.  More specifically, she said we'd have to watch for eye bulging.  Now THAT got my attention.  She had explained the potential complications and although I didn't realize then that they'd already started (it'd be a few months before I'd really discover first hand what was happening) I would later look back, put 2+2 together, and remember how odd I thought it was that when I opened and closed my eyes slowly one eye would go up faster than the other.  A little thing but not in any way normal.  Only later would I know that was the first sign something was wrong, with my eyes that is.  There's so much you need to learn about when you're eyes are affected with Grave's Disease.  Especially when the pressure and swelling behind the eyes causes them to move outward, or bulge.  This is called Graves Ophthalmology.   I will be blogging quite a bit about that for sure.