Have a Medical Decision, Could Use Input

[StormFinch]

I've just found out recently that I not only have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis but also Grave's Disease. I was on medication for the Hashi's part when my thyroid suddenly started working again, overtime, so now I'm severely hyper on no meds. My doc would rather not give me the meds for the Grave's because he's afraid that I will drop back into hypo and risk coma, but the hyper is dangerous in it's own right. At the end of the month I go back for my most recent lab tests and at that time he's going to ask me to make a decision. Currently, the choices are A) the partial or complete removal of my thyroid or B) radioactive iodine to kill it off.

Radiation of any type makes me nervous, but especially the kind where no one can have close contact or use the same toilet as you for 2 weeks. I have two teens in the house, 5 pets (3 rescues), and no real way to be able to separate myself from my family for the time needed to let the radiation wear off. Patients are advised not to go to a hotel because you can accidentally expose the cleaning staff. When I thought about that, the decision seemed to be quite clear, surgery. However, I also have osteoporosis, with 4 non injury related stress fractures, and regularly low calcium levels. The parathyroids, those pesky little critters that control your calcium, sit on the back side of the thyroid. They can be disturbed or damaged during surgery and play all sorts of havoc with your calcium, to include ending up in the hospital with dangerously low levels.

So now what? How do I go about this? I'm at a complete loss here. I guess I could try to convince the doc that I should try and balance both meds, but I'm not sure how dangerous that could be.

Anyway, this is where I could use the input so I came to you. Thoughts? Opinions? Help!

 

[sheryder]

StormFinch, sorry for your medical problems but hope you are feeling okay. Your problem is complex and obviously only you and your doc can make this decision. That said I am pretty simplistic, No to radiation-=ad chit for your family as well as yourself; No to balancing 2 drugs-hard to get regulated and may cause damage during the initial playing around to get the right meds and perhaps stress or other health issues could cause an imbalance at any given time which makes this choice very difficult I expect. Also, every medication has a measure of poison so I wouldn't want to take 2 kinds if I could avoid it.; I would choose the surgery and trust the expertise of my surgeon to NOT damage the parathyroids. Just remind him before the surgery when he/she talks with you that this is a big concern for you due to other medical conditions. Worst case scenario, if I understand your comments correctly, would be that you would have to better control your calcium if the parathyroids were damaged. Seems like a better issue to deal with if it came to that. I am basing my comments on the information as you present it as I have NO first hand knowledge of any of your issues. Just the choices I THINK I would make given this info. God Bless and I hope all works out well for you and your family.

 

[StormFinch]

Thanks for the reply sheryder. Sounds like you and I are pretty similar in thought processes here. As to how I feel? Let's just say I wouldn't wish these two diseases combined on my worst enemy.

The two drugs would never be taken simultaneously, but would have to be switched out depending on whether I was on an upswing or a down swing. With removal/killing off the thyroid it becomes one med for the rest of my life. I don't have a problem with that, it's the idea that my bones could get even more fragile if they mess up the surgery. (My stress fractures come from simple things like stepping down from one stair to another) I live north of the city I grew up in and it was definitely not known for it's intelligent doctors. My oldest son was born there and it took 3 of them before he was diagnosed with the double inguinal hernias he was born with. We've only been here a year, so I'm not sure what reputation the local surgical field has.

Anyway, all in all the whole thing just makes me nervous. Add the Grave's to that and I can become a basket case. Thanks again for taking the time to post, it really does help.