- Joined
- Jan 20, 2004
- Messages
- 1,526
Hey Ken,
Glad I read this thread, as I've been around a fair bit of thyroid problems (it runs in the family; my dad, mom, and brother all have wacky 'roids). From what I've seen, assuming the level of thyroid being produced is off (read: too much or too little), your wife will be given a thyroid pill to help the body regulate the amount of thyroid produced. This brings up two questions: 1) why is it off in the first place? and 2) how much thyroid should she receive? To answer those questions:
1) the thyroid could be off due to a few different factors. One could be the tumor. The tumor may be throwing off the 'roids ability to produce its chemicals. Now, the tumor may or may not be benign. But, here's the good news for a worst-case-scenario situation (namely, thyroid cancer) - cancer of the thyroid is relatively easily dealt with. I know a girl in her early 20's who had thyroid cancer and they took out the thyroid and gave her chemo pills. Aside from her feeling lousy, it was pretty much as easy as that. Early detection is the key, and you guys have cleared that hurdle. If the tumor is benign, then it'll be even simpler to handle. Surgery may or may not be needed but, if it is, find a good specialist.
A non-surgical step to curing a thyroid is to kill it off via radiation. This isn't as nearly as bad as it sounds. All she does is get a shot of radiation, then takes a synthroid pill every day. Easy enough. However, in this case, after the radiation, can't kiss her for a few days
Third, the thyroid could be producing the wrong amount because the pituitary gland is off. You see, the pituitary gland controls the thyroid and tells it what to produce. If the pituitary is not making the right amount of chemicals within itself, it's giving the wrong cues to the 'roid. If this is the case, you take a pituitary pill. As a side note, you may want to have her pituitary gland checked (via a simple blood test), in order to cover all the bases.
Finally, and most commonly, thyroids can just quit working. In this case (and all the above, save pituitary problems), the answer is to take a synthroid pill. This brings us to question 2.
2) How much thyroid your wife needs to take will depend on how off her 'roid is. She may have too much thyroid in her blood, or she may have too little (I forget the symptoms for each, but the answer is the same, regardless). Now, finding the proper dosage of synthroid can be a bit tricky. She may go through the mood swings, weight swings, energy level flucuations, and body temperature swings for a little while, as she finds out how different dosages effect her. Not to worry, this is part of the process. Bottom line, if she isn't feeling good after a month or so of a certain amount, the amount needs to be changed. The doctors determine how much to give based on thyroid levels in the blood. This brings us to one final quirk: doctors read thyroid levels based on amount in the blood stream. There is a certain level that is considered optimal, with a bit of up-and-down variation from there. If the levels read too far up or down, the person is prescribed synthroid. The amount given the person is based on how far away from that pre-determined "optimal" level the person is. Now, here's the catch: it is my opinion, based on family experience, that the "optimal" level is actually different for every individual. I may run fine with my thyroid on the slightly-low-end of optimal level, but someone else may feel downright lousy with the same amount. The cure for that person is to take a bit more, even if this puts their reading a bit higher than the chart indicates. Bottom line is this - it takes a little bit of time for synthroid to kick in and it has a cumulative effect. As it builds up in the blood stream, it will become optimally effective. If your wife is feeling lousy, then the dosage needs to be tweaked.
So, whatever course you are looking at, whether it be surgical or non, your wife should be fine. You caught it early, which is the single most important factor
Now, just hang in there and look forward to the day when this is all behind y'all. 
good luck,
Trout Tamer
Glad I read this thread, as I've been around a fair bit of thyroid problems (it runs in the family; my dad, mom, and brother all have wacky 'roids). From what I've seen, assuming the level of thyroid being produced is off (read: too much or too little), your wife will be given a thyroid pill to help the body regulate the amount of thyroid produced. This brings up two questions: 1) why is it off in the first place? and 2) how much thyroid should she receive? To answer those questions:
1) the thyroid could be off due to a few different factors. One could be the tumor. The tumor may be throwing off the 'roids ability to produce its chemicals. Now, the tumor may or may not be benign. But, here's the good news for a worst-case-scenario situation (namely, thyroid cancer) - cancer of the thyroid is relatively easily dealt with. I know a girl in her early 20's who had thyroid cancer and they took out the thyroid and gave her chemo pills. Aside from her feeling lousy, it was pretty much as easy as that. Early detection is the key, and you guys have cleared that hurdle. If the tumor is benign, then it'll be even simpler to handle. Surgery may or may not be needed but, if it is, find a good specialist.
A non-surgical step to curing a thyroid is to kill it off via radiation. This isn't as nearly as bad as it sounds. All she does is get a shot of radiation, then takes a synthroid pill every day. Easy enough. However, in this case, after the radiation, can't kiss her for a few days
Third, the thyroid could be producing the wrong amount because the pituitary gland is off. You see, the pituitary gland controls the thyroid and tells it what to produce. If the pituitary is not making the right amount of chemicals within itself, it's giving the wrong cues to the 'roid. If this is the case, you take a pituitary pill. As a side note, you may want to have her pituitary gland checked (via a simple blood test), in order to cover all the bases.
Finally, and most commonly, thyroids can just quit working. In this case (and all the above, save pituitary problems), the answer is to take a synthroid pill. This brings us to question 2.
2) How much thyroid your wife needs to take will depend on how off her 'roid is. She may have too much thyroid in her blood, or she may have too little (I forget the symptoms for each, but the answer is the same, regardless). Now, finding the proper dosage of synthroid can be a bit tricky. She may go through the mood swings, weight swings, energy level flucuations, and body temperature swings for a little while, as she finds out how different dosages effect her. Not to worry, this is part of the process. Bottom line, if she isn't feeling good after a month or so of a certain amount, the amount needs to be changed. The doctors determine how much to give based on thyroid levels in the blood. This brings us to one final quirk: doctors read thyroid levels based on amount in the blood stream. There is a certain level that is considered optimal, with a bit of up-and-down variation from there. If the levels read too far up or down, the person is prescribed synthroid. The amount given the person is based on how far away from that pre-determined "optimal" level the person is. Now, here's the catch: it is my opinion, based on family experience, that the "optimal" level is actually different for every individual. I may run fine with my thyroid on the slightly-low-end of optimal level, but someone else may feel downright lousy with the same amount. The cure for that person is to take a bit more, even if this puts their reading a bit higher than the chart indicates. Bottom line is this - it takes a little bit of time for synthroid to kick in and it has a cumulative effect. As it builds up in the blood stream, it will become optimally effective. If your wife is feeling lousy, then the dosage needs to be tweaked.
So, whatever course you are looking at, whether it be surgical or non, your wife should be fine. You caught it early, which is the single most important factor
Now, just hang in there and look forward to the day when this is all behind y'all. good luck,
Trout Tamer
