Remission

My Graves Disease is now officially in Remission!  My doctor said that I might not have to ever worry about it again, because I responded so quickly to medication.  yay!
We have had a busy summer, with a wedding and lots of family things, and even some visitors.  We are gearing up for a busy fall.  GW and I are ready for potato harvest to start, just so he can quit worrying about his potatoes, and I can quit worrying about him.  The suspense is killing both of us.  Will they or wont they be good?  As long as they arent terrible, it will be okay.  
 Natalie starts preschool in a few weeks, and I am nervous for her ;)  I hope she adjusts okay, and isnt too scared or timid.  Emma's recent accomplishment was learning how to climb out of her crib....I guess its great to get to age 3 before even attempting to climb out, but I am sad that I cant confine her in her crib anymore ;)  Savannah's recent accomplishment is learning how to climb up on chairs/stools/tables.  I'm not ready for that either.  But I am ready for her to learn how to climb down the stairs, that would be handy.  Emma had her first real dentist appointment, and Uncle Benny found 2 cavities, and combined with the 2 that Natalie has, our next appointment is sure to be a memorable one.     

      

Graves Disease

So, I have recently been diagnosed with Graves Disease. I had been feelling very tired, and just 'off' lately. I usually am ready for bed at 9 and sleep like a rock, but I had been having a hard time getting to sleep at nights. It would be midnight and I would be wide awake, my mind thinking about a million things. I also felt like eating all the time, and I would be voraciously hungry in the middle of the night. I felt extreme muscle weakness, breathless, dizzy and lightheaded during exercise (or even just walking up the stairs). So, after a few weeks of this, I finally asked my Dr. to check me for Vitamin D deficiency and also my Thyroid. Bingo! I have a severe Vitamin D deficiency, and my thyroid is hyperactive, producing too much hormone. More tests and thyroid scans, and the diagnosis is Graves' Disease. I am on a beta blocker to slow down my racing heart, and also PTU, which is one of the two medications used for Graves' Disease. Removing all or part of the thyroid is not something they do much anymore, but killing the thyroid is my other option, if the drugs cannot control it. hopefully it doesnt come to that. Our hope is that with a couple years on the medicine, the Graves will be 'cured' for a while, at least until I'm out of the child-bearing years. PTU damages the liver, so I can only be on it for a couple years. Anyways, I'm feeling much better, and I'm hopeful for the future. I am anxious about what this means for future pregnancies, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Both medications used for Graves' have risks during pregnancy, but PTU is the safer bet. Untreated Graves' Disease is far more dangerous for mother and baby during pregnancy than the medications, but I am still very anxious about it. I am on a quest for information, so if anyone knows anything about Graves' Disease, please let me know. I am so glad I listened to the little whisperings of the Spirit that something wasnt right, and requested labs.