After a trip to the endocrinologist he believes I also have Graves. I go to have the uptake test tomorrow. I'm just so angry and irritated by everything lately. Although my heart rate is now under control with the beta blockers I have no energy. Although I am normally love a spotless house I don't have the energy to deal with cleaning it. And my flower beds (which used to be my pride and joy) look horrible. I only work part time, at a grocery store bakery, but I come home exhausted and after a long shift don't feel like doing anything else. Does anyone else feel this way and will my energy level pick up after the treatment (either surgery/radiation) is finished. The irritation is basically being sick and tired of being sick and tired. Sorry, I feel like the people on this board would be the only one's who understand!

Hi Barb,

I am a new Grave's patient as well. It is really a hard thing to realize that things are not the same. I, too, have always tried to keep a clean house and have a nice yard but this disease changes your activity level both physically and mentally. A couple of months ago when I found out I had Grave's I was just plain scared about how awful I felt physically and mentally. I had never been sick before in my life and this was new territory for me. I had RAI three weeks ago tomorrow and have realized this is a long term change in my life and I just can do what I can do everyday and be at peace with it. I do understand where you are at and I think for myself acceptance has helped me. I did manage to get some yardwork accomplished slow but sure and I know I do love to sit in my yard and enjoy the nice spring weather. The house still bothers me. It isn't anywhere near where I want it to be but it is what it is and I am doing the best I can right now. You can't do what you use to be able to do. I think that is the bottom line until I get this disease regulated and I understand that may take a long time. Very frustrating for me and I'm hearing for you as well. Until then - just do what you can and take care of yourself.
Best Wishes and Happy Mother's Day to all.
mvk

Barb I am the same. If I take enough beta blocker to control my heart rate I am slowed down severely. It is mostly side effects from the drug, but we can hardly stop taking it can we? I always used to be able to stop taking a prescription drug when I got unacceptable side effects, but now no longer. I've tried four different beta blockers and my doc says that the big “slow down” is the reaction I'll have. VERY frustrating indeed.

Aw hon, I can so relate! Got diagnosed 4/26 and it's been hell since. Until recently, I worked full time. Last week and this, I had them cut me to 27.5 hrs, cause I just can't do it, I'm having shoulder surgery Fri and hoping the several weeks I'm off, I'll not only heal the shoulder, but get the Graves under control. I had 2, count ‘em!, TWO decent days last week, so maybe it will get better eventually. The fatigue can be severe for me, sometimes I can’t do anything. My apartment was always spotless, not any more and I hate that, but I do what I can and let it go. Saturday, I got everything cleaned, even floors mopped, (wood), except for the bedroom, although I did change the linens. This is the cleanest it's been in a month. Only took 2 painkillers and half a pot of coffee! Joking aside, I sooo understand how you feel and I am grateful right now, that I don't have a yard to take care of, my house plants are dying and some are over 25 yrs old, but haven't even had the energy to water them, its an all day process. I'm gonna try to do a couple a day, I have many house plants, some very large that I can't move with the bum shoulder. Please know, we do understand, you are not alone. Something else, if you are as independent as I have always been, it may be hard, but ask for help. Ask a friend to come help you clean up a little, offer to pay them a little something, although mine won't take it, if you have a friend struggling financially, an extra $20, for a couple hours, would be helpful to them and make you more comfortable in your home. There are times when you cannot do it by yourself. Because of all I did Saturday, I felt terrible yesterday and my son and DIL was here all day for mothers day, but I pushed past it to have time with them, which is rare.
Didn't mean to write a book, but that's just me, hope all will forgive.
Keep us posted sweetie and hang in there! HUGZ!

Hi Barb - During my early days of treatment, remember eating cereal for dinner most nights, as that was about all I had the energy for by the time I got home from work!

It won't happen overnight, but you *will* feel better. In the meantime, do what you *can* do and don't beat yourself up because your flower bed isn't perfect or the house isn't spotless. This is a great time to be kind to yourself and focus on activities (and people) that give you energy…and consider dumping or delegating things that further *drain* your energy.

Take care – and keep us posted!

Hi Barb…
I know what you are going through, I am 31 years old. I was diagnosed in December 2011 (2 mths after getting married and buying a house) I was always exhausted, couldn't concentrate, my heart was racing, had major hot flashes and had pain everywhere. All I wanted to do was lay down. I thought the stress was making me tired. After being diagnosed, I started on meds right away. I never thought i'd get my energy back. After being on Methemazole and now on a low dose of PTU, I am finally back to being myself. I slowly intergrated exercise back into my life (started by just walking around my neighborhood) and i feel back to myself again. Please don't give up on yourself. Keep a positive attitude and when you can, try to get just one thing (even something small in the house) done every day and you will be happy you did. You have to make small goals for yourself in getting better, and you will acheive them, it just takes some time. I wish you the best!

Finally a diagnosis. After my uptake test my doctor called me right to his office. Although I don't have Graves disease I do have a rather large nodule on the left side of my thyroid (2.50 cm. by 1.34 Cm). They are going to give me a RAI treatment that is suppose to specifically target the nodule. That is as soon as Nuclear medicine will answer their phone. Can they really target that nodule specfically? I have had high energy levels the past two days(yeah!) and hopefully that means I'll have a good week.

The way it works is like this:

When you have too much thyroid hormone in the body, the pituitary lowers its production of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). When we have huge amounts of thyroid hormone in our blood, the production of TSH goes so low that any normally functioning thyroid cells will “shut down,” as a result. With Graves, we don't have any normally functioning thyroid cells to speak of. On the uptake and scan they will be lit up like a holiday tree, because they will have taken in as much of the RAI as possible. But when you have an “autonomous node” (which is like what you are describing) normally functioning thyroid cells will be turned off, and will not take up the RAI. The only place in your thyroid that will take up the RAI are the cells in the malfunctioning node. The RAI damages the cells that take it up, but not any surrounding cells that do not take it up.

Hey everyone just a quick update. I had my RAI Tuesday morning. I spent three days in my bedroom, because my grandson lives with us (he's two). I guess I was hoping for a quick miracle, I feel horrible. I was hoping to go back to work tomorrow, but as of now I can't do anything physical for more than 1/2 hour without breaking into a sweat. What have the rest of you experienced in the early days after your RAI. Thanks, Barb

Hi Barb,

RAI is not an immediate solution to hyperthyroidism – the body has literally been under assault with hyperthyroid levels, and it needs to fully return to normal levels before any significant healing can begin. Try to look at the process one day at a time – today will be a little bit better than yesterday, and so on, rather than a dramatic shift to “well.” I was told that RAI can take up to six weeks to do the bulk of its work, but more recent practice usually gives a high enough dose to work pretty quickly, so that may not be a concern. Still, it takes some time. It can take up to six weeks just to flush out the excess thyroid hormone that was in your body on the day of treatment. Remember how you gradually felt ill? It's a little like that with getting well, but you're heading in the right direction, so try to be grateful for that.

You WILL get to health, I know that!