I just found this site, TU!, and here is a synopsis of what's going on with me.

[Rkstarkey]

Brand New.

Last yr I had 12 vertebra compression fractures. A few months before they started breaking, I had in intense headache which lasted almost 24 hrs. A yr prior to this I began seeing prizmatic lights. I incurred an increased allergic reaction to iodine contrasts, after several ctscans within a few years. 10 yrs ago, I was given my first chemo and had my first allergic reaction ever to Taxotere , and they gave it to me again 3wks later. They put me on Fermara for 5 yrs, after 2 yrs of chemo, and then bone growth Prolia ever 6 months. I missed 1 shot, and so had 1 in a yr, and they think my hyperthyroid, {perhaps graves disease} along with the missed shot, caused my back to literally break.

Today I had my right-side thyroid removed. I had a node of 1 cm, which biopsied as indeterminate. They were going to take my whole thyroid, but it finally became stable after continually upping methimazole to 15mg/day.

test results I've had:

SGPT/ALT 22 IU/L 6 - 60 IU/L

TSH <0.004 uIU/mL 0.4 - 4.7 uIU/mL L

Free T4 1.30 ng/dL 0.70 - 1.48 ng/dL

I am under the care of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Bone & Joint Specialist at the UW in Seattle, and an Endocrinologist. And still, all in all even with an unbalanced spine, I doing doing pretty well.

Thank you for this tremendous resource.

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome to our forum and your picture is lovely - you look the picture of health.

I am sorry you have had all of these very unsettling problems plus cancer.

The fact that your are feeling pretty good at present is great and I do wish you well and continuing progress.

Other members who've had similar problems to yourself will respond.

[Rkstarkey in reply to shaws]

Thank you, and that was last summer. My spine was fracturing, I think I had 3 by this time. I just didn't know what was wrong. 4 months later, 12 were fractured at once. So, my appearance has changed considerably since then. I feel like I've been put into an 84 yo body. I didn't get to work into menopause either, that came with the chemo. I read last night, of some new problems I might have now with only 1/2 thryoid and am praying I won't, but am glad to have found this resource.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Rkstarkey]

Your story is awful and you have been through the mill, no doubt about that. Try not to worry at present re thyroid hormones as members will respond if you have questions/problems. You have more than enough on your plate at present.

I hope the doctor will also test Free T4 and Free T3 until you get onto a stable dose. Levothyroxine is inactive and it's job is to convert to T3 - the only active thyroid hormone required in our billions of receptor cells. Most doctors only look at the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone - from the pituitary gland) which rises when thyroid gland is failing. So once on levo or other hormones, your dose should be graduated slowly until you feel much better with relief of all symptoms.

There are other options if not doing well on levo and I hope doctor or Endo will be sympathetic and treat you with regard to symptoms and they don't dwell on the TSH alone.

Regards

[Rkstarkey in reply to shaws]

I won't overly worry, I promise. And thank you for your time and empathy. It has been a hard road. I've only seen my Endo once; she is 3hrs away, and I get my blood tested and she emails me the results and tells me what to do. I am getting the same tests done which I have had for the past yr in 2wks and then in 6wks. Am I currently getting both the Free T3 &4? She's hasn't spoken about any other medicine except that I may still be hyper, and may have to take 5 mg of the methimzole. Time will tell, and you can bet I will be right back here with my results.