feeling awful need some answers

Dear Struggling,

Oh My Goodness!  I feel for you.  How awful!  I, too, am struggling with my recovery, but not nearly as severely as you are.  I am suffering migraines, weight gain, insomnia, constant exhaustion, and am always cold.  I keep a blanket at work to wrap up in, and often end up calling ppl on my drive home from work so I don't fall asleep while driving.  I still have bouts of depression as well.  I have had my levels checked, and been told that they are normal....I beg to differ.

My husband actually started to do some research and led me to this site.  So far, I have learned I am not taking enough medicine for my weight...it's normal to gain weight ;-(, and I shouldn't be taking the generic brand of the synthroid medicine.  

I am sure you have already done your homework, and exhausted all of your options so all I can offer is support and minor empathy.  Your family obviously loves you and are being very supportive.  It is a good thing that you are able to stop working financially to focus on your recovery.  Look at this as an opportunity to take stock...maybe take a couple of classes, start a second/less stressful or part time career from home?

Good Luck!

shesabutterfly2010 said:

thanks dpeters72,
My

thanks dpeters72,

My insurance gives me the generic.  I am coming up to my appointment with my endo I am going to see if he can demand I take the real deal.  I tried to talk with my GM yesterday but he left without sitting down with me.  Everyone saw how much I hurt.  I couldn't hide it in my face no matter how much I tried.  They kept asking if I was okay and I needed to cut back my hours.  I just kept saying I don't feel good and they kept pressing me what I wanted to talk to my gm about.  I just said I would rather not say until I talked with him out of respect of it getting back to him without talking to him.  He is on vacation now.  I am upset that he didn't take my request seriously because I felt it best to have this conversation with him before he left rather then him being blindsided when he comes back. I was willing to give him 6 weeks notice so that I could train my replacement and get the staff ready for this extremely busy season but I guess he doesn't care.  I have been really upfront with him about my immune system and being a cancer survivor and he promised me that I wouldn't be working crazy shifts and keep at under 25 hours so that I could rest. I work until most times 1 am.  It takes a toll on me. I am up at 6 am rather I go to bed at 2 or at 10. I have things I need to take care of.  I know my irons are extremely low because bruises and cuts are taking forever to heal.  I am going down like last time which I was bed ridden for 2 /2 months.  I am not going this route again.  I guess I will have to post my resignation letter and just let him find it because it is few and far between when I see him because of how he schedules me. I have to take my life and health back and if it means working on my organic garden and being purposesful for my family I feel that is a blessing.  I am growing all our crops and herbs and spices this year. So that I can dehydrate and dry to make soup misses salad dressing mixes and spice rubs to have thiem for the fall.  If the only thing this does is bless my family and friends then it is worth it.  I know it is organic non gmo because I did it myself!  It is time to get back to the basics. Soak up some natural vitamin D and reward my body with rest and purposeful chores instead of being stressed and sleep deprived. THanks for the enoucouragement and I am encouraged that I am not the only one being beat down with the after effects of this cancer.  They tell you it is 96% curable but the don't tell you the lifelong after effects of loosing your thyroid

 

I'm sorry you're going through all this. Taking the name brand might or might not help. My endo insists on it in my case so my insurance pays for it. I just have a $5 higher co pay. According to my endo there are less inconsistancies in the levels of the hormone and more consistancy in the other filler ingredients. I had to try a couple brands and levels before we tried synthroid to prove to my insurance the generic didn't help. Synthroid got all my levels in the ranges my doctor wanted. I am assuming your endo checks your t3 and t4free as well as your tsh? Mine keeps me slightly hyper to keep my tsh levels down to try and prevent a reoccurance. I'm sorry you had to leave your job but hopefully some rest will help, sounds like you had crazy hours. Keep talking to your endo, they should be concerned with all these symptoms and hopefully try to help. Good luck to you.

shesabutterfly2010 said:

thanks dpeters72,
My

thanks dpeters72,

My insurance gives me the generic.  I am coming up to my appointment with my endo I am going to see if he can demand I take the real deal.  I tried to talk with my GM yesterday but he left without sitting down with me.  Everyone saw how much I hurt.  I couldn't hide it in my face no matter how much I tried.  They kept asking if I was okay and I needed to cut back my hours.  I just kept saying I don't feel good and they kept pressing me what I wanted to talk to my gm about.  I just said I would rather not say until I talked with him out of respect of it getting back to him without talking to him.  He is on vacation now.  I am upset that he didn't take my request seriously because I felt it best to have this conversation with him before he left rather then him being blindsided when he comes back. I was willing to give him 6 weeks notice so that I could train my replacement and get the staff ready for this extremely busy season but I guess he doesn't care.  I have been really upfront with him about my immune system and being a cancer survivor and he promised me that I wouldn't be working crazy shifts and keep at under 25 hours so that I could rest. I work until most times 1 am.  It takes a toll on me. I am up at 6 am rather I go to bed at 2 or at 10. I have things I need to take care of.  I know my irons are extremely low because bruises and cuts are taking forever to heal.  I am going down like last time which I was bed ridden for 2 /2 months.  I am not going this route again.  I guess I will have to post my resignation letter and just let him find it because it is few and far between when I see him because of how he schedules me. I have to take my life and health back and if it means working on my organic garden and being purposesful for my family I feel that is a blessing.  I am growing all our crops and herbs and spices this year. So that I can dehydrate and dry to make soup misses salad dressing mixes and spice rubs to have thiem for the fall.  If the only thing this does is bless my family and friends then it is worth it.  I know it is organic non gmo because I did it myself!  It is time to get back to the basics. Soak up some natural vitamin D and reward my body with rest and purposeful chores instead of being stressed and sleep deprived. THanks for the enoucouragement and I am encouraged that I am not the only one being beat down with the after effects of this cancer.  They tell you it is 96% curable but the don't tell you the lifelong after effects of loosing your thyroid

 

I know exactly how you feel. I was diagnosed in February 2013 with a aggressive tyroid cancer. So my year kind of went like this. I found out in 2012 that I was having a problem eating my doctor sent me in to get a ultrasound and they found growth on my tyroid. They sent me to go have a biopsies which they almost didn't do cause the ultrasound was not pulling up well but then knowing my family history they said no we need to do this. The pulled out several samples and then the pathologist came in and diagnosed me right there she also was worried about a few peices and had them sent off and results back really quickly. My doctor calls a few days later and says I need you to come in tomorrow and then he tells me I have a aggressive gene and I will have to have surgery in a week. Since the surgery I have not been able to get back to who I really am and I really hate it. my first month I got to take 25 mcg a day. I lost lots of hair, gained weight, dry skin, depression just a bunch of horriable pain. Then the doctors took me off completly to prepare me for Radiation, after about a month and a half went by they finally got me in. I was very weak felt like I was dying slowly, my husband would have to hold me cause I didn't want go to sleep I couldn't use the restroom and he would have to wake me up cause I could sleep all day all night and it would scare him. There were many more things to add to all that on how my body felt. I finally got to do my radiation and when the doctor said I could take my meds at a higher dose well I was like a kid with a Popsicle. Slowly I got energy back but just felt like I was not in my body I had before. I would get sick easy, gained weight, depression, anxious, couldn't sleep, hair felt bridal, could not use the restroom and pain. It has been a little over a year now and I feel like I don't even know who I am, I get agitated quickly, I don't handle stress well, my energy is high and low I don't sleep well I was taking bupropian and Xanax to control some these things but I didn't how I was feeling with those meds. I don't ill taking a pill for the rest of my life but to take three sucked. I am trying to lean on god and pray for strength to overcome this, but I think I need to come to exceptance. I work hard but I have to push myself and I get tired and my body hurts. though I hope one day I can feel close to what I felt before this. Cause I don't like the new me.

GoldieK said:

Hugs to all fellow thyroid cancer survivors!

Just had I-131 treatment this afternoon, after complete throidectomy two months ago. Two papillary cancer nodules, rather large. Waiting to see how the next week goes. I was lucky to not be bothered by the two weeks on low iodine diet, nor to get fatigued when they took me off thyroxin. Waiting to see what side effects show up from today's treatment and down the road. My Nuclear Medicine Specialist agreed to monitor blood levels for now, and that was great news as I have much confidence in him. The main tip I would like to share with all of you is to look for a nearby Cancer Community ( used to be called Wellness Commnity or Gilda's Clubhouse.) What an amazing support group for all cancers- and totally FREE. Ours offers 250 free classes/programs every month. I've gone for three weeks now, and it has really boosted my hope that I WILL beat this cancer.  I am in a cancer support group, guided imagery class, have tried yoga, will try tai-chi soon. Several useful programs on different aspects of living with cancer. Everything is really helping me survive and live well. While in the hosipital for the surgery, several other life-threatening illneses were diagnosed, such as diabetes, so I am not taking any of this lightly. There are great books, too, for living well with cancer. Perhaps start with one by oncologist Bernie Siegel, and go from there.

I hate to say that I am glad I am not alone because that means other have had to go through this, but its also nice to know I am not the only one experiencing issues. I just recently went through my surgery in Aug. Had a total removeal, results came back with a combo of papillary & follicular. I see my Dr tomorrow to find out about further treatment.. This is a world to me, I have always been the one to take care of everyone not needing people to take care of me. I have been trying very hard to hide my hair thinning, being tired, aches, and everything else that's been happening. I have always been super woman in my family and at work, dislike feeling as if I can't be counted on. I really miss the old me, its was and is still so unreal to say I have/had cancer.

I had half my thyroid removed,now I have TCV....3 nodes removed and a 2 parathyroid.  I am not looking forward to the future.

I am onwner of a bussiness and I  teachspin four times a week.   I am trying to stay as active as possable.  I get very tied sometimes and also depressed.  But I am doing my best to stay positive.

tom.destio@gmail.com said:

Are you doing any better?

I had half my thyroid removed,now I have TCV....3 nodes removed and a 2 parathyroid.  I am not looking forward to the future.

 

I am onwner of a bussiness and I  teachspin four times a week.   I am trying to stay as active as possable.  I get very tied sometimes and also depressed.  But I am doing my best to stay positive.

I feel what you feel

I have had all the symptoms you described before and tired and weak all the time, also depressed. i checked my levels and they were kinda low, specially T# so i ask my doctor to add Cytomel, i start with mg a day and jump to 10mg a day, it's helping already i don;t feel that bad anymore. and i'm also looking forward to go back to work as soon as it's possible

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