Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Pesky Hormones

So I have had a thyroid issue since sometime in 2002. Well, not sometime, about March of 2002 when I was diagnosed with Graves disease and informed that I was very, very ill. Gee thanks. After lots of scans, discussion, bloodwork, etc. it was decided that because I wanted to be pregnant we would proceed with surgery and remove most of my thyroid gland. The hope that the remainder would function on its own and I wouldn't require medication.

Of course, my body is completely uncooperative and it has never functioned properly since except for a few times or at least enough for the doctors to say that I was allowed to get pregnant (twice). Once again my thyroid hormone is off so yesterday I had to go back to the endocronologist for another dose adjustment. Huge pain but if it's off I have wacky symptoms like exhaustion (although I'm pretty sure that's also a symptom of having triplets).

But that's not the biggest pain. The biggest pain is that my platelet count is low. What does that even mean? Why do I end up with stupid stuff anyway? Random things like ovaries that don't work and thyroids that don't work. Do I now have blood that doesn't work? My bloodwork says "FEW GIANT PLATELETS PRESENT" - just like that. In big bold letters. Is this bad? Should I have giant platelets? If so, why don't I know these things?

I agree with my blogger friend, Cadi, I want a window into my body to know what's going on!! So now I have to see a Hematologist to figure out why I have a low platelet count and if this means anything. I'll keep you updated as I deal with yet another stupid medical thing. Have I mentioned how much I hate stuff like this? Oh wait, I forgot to say that the reason I had my blood drawn was for the allergist to find how why I've been breaking out in hives. Maybe I'm just allergic to myself, after all Graves is an autoimmune disease. Can I be allergic to platelets??

5 comments:

Cadi + 4 said...

I want to see in your body too so I can see your giant platelets. I hope you get some answers soon. I'll be praying for you. Makes me feel like a huge whiner with my little health problem.

Cadi

Denise said...

Many prayers that everything is ok. I hope you get some answers soon. I know how frustrating it can be to not know what is going on.

Anonymous said...

Hi there!

I think you may have TRab antibodies - which are the antibodies that caused your thyroid to go wacky in the first place. Removing a thyroid doesn't get rid of them in Graves disease, and they can often move on to other places.

Since you are getting blood work anyway, ask how high your Graves disease antibodies are. (you also should be doing this anytime you get pregnant too, since TRab can effect the fetus and cause problems in pregnancy).

Another name for TRab is TBII. The long name is "TSH receptor antibodies" or "TSH Binding inhibitory immunoglobulin".
TSI is the stimulating kind, you can ask for that too, but you'd for sure want to see the TOTAL of TRab/TBII.

Best to you!

Angie said...

I hope you get things figured out. I'm sorry you have to go through this...I'll be saying prayers for you.

Kelly said...

Oh Dorinda. I'm so sorry. I am so behind on reading everyone's blogs. I had no idea this was going on.

Maybe you're only allergic to giant platelets?