Stupid Graves Disease...

Well it's late and I'm up because I can't seem to sleep at normal hours. This thyroid thing is becoming more and more a problem. It started so simple and now it seems to run my life. I can't seem to do even the most simple of things. I over heat just walking up the stairs, getting ready in the morning, and getting the girls ready (Caden is a breeze, have I mentioned I love getting boys ready?). I have to rest every 10 min and cool down. The tremors get worse the more I do, and after being up for just about an hour doing simple housework I am shaking so bad I have to sit down. The muscle weakness Graves causes makes it hard to go up and down the stairs and I find that is why I avoid the laundry; not to mention I can't lift the weight needed to carry big baskets of laundry (from my elbow surgery). If I have the energy to get that far I find I slide the baskets down the stairs or have the girls do it in a team effort. I also have a Goiter from the Graves which is an enlarged thyroid. Swallowing anything, even water is becoming difficult. I'm choking a lot and when I lie down I feel like have something pushing on my throat and I have problems breathing. If I start to get upset because of all these symptoms it just makes the thyroid throb since all the blood just starts pumping into it - to add to all of this I can't take Ibprophen, or any blood thinner 2wks before surgery and nothing else will work! To add to all the fun with all the symptoms Graves Disease has weight loss hasn't been one of them! I guess you can have an increased appetite, but mine is decreased and that is all fine and dandy; but I've gained weight-I thought the weight loss could be the silver lining...but I haven't found it!

My surgery is scheduled for Friday and I hope that the blood tests scheduled for the 15th come back with good news and I'm given the okay for surgery. I had the surgery scheduled for the 25th of June but my thyroid was too hyper for a safe surgery. I am now on a lot of meds to help suppress the thyroid and make for a safer surgery. I was diagnosed with Graves Disease about 5wks ago. It started with a rapid heart rate and uncontrollable tremors and I ended up in the emergency room. I thought it was a symptom of stress from a surgery only done 3wks before. I thought my body had finally had enough and that my body was in shock. Well, that would explain the shaking I thought, but the heart rate I attributed to an old diagnosis of WPW. I had an abilation done 6 yrs ago, they said the chances of the extra pathway growing back were small; but then again have you met me?!! They did labs at the ER and they came back hyperthyroidism. I was pretty shocked and then they gave me the news that there were three things that were causing it and they would send a test out and I would know that answer in 3 days. It came back Graves and the more research I did the more mad I got that this was happening. Did I mention I was still recovering from a surgery just 3WKS BEFORE?!! It's times like this that I think, "Holy Cow, can I please just keep my head above water?". The only adittude I can have that keeps me sane is that this is all for my good and that I will be stronger because of it. I'm more tired then I've ever been and I didn't think that was possible after having Lyme Disease. I sleep SO much I can't believe it; my kids are SO good with it and I have to think the Lord is watching out for me by helping them. Okay my rant is over; I'm just really nervous to have yet another surgery but know this is the treatment option I'm suppose to do. I'll keep you all posted.