From: Rikk Hansen
Date: Sat Feb 2, 2002 12:25 am
Subject: Success Story
I've been a member of this board since last fall but have mostly sat on the sidelines and listened since I've felt like such a "newbie".
I share this success story with humility and gratitude. I know that what has worked for me so far might not at all be the best approach for someone else, and that many of you have symptoms much worse than my own and have struggled with this disease for far longer.
I was diagnosed with Graves Disease this past September after suddenly losing a lot of weight. My main symptoms were the weight loss and serious heart palpitations. The endo I saw said my thyroid levels were about three times normal and immediately scheduled me for radioactive Iodine treatment the following week.
Luckily, I didn't follow that advice - thanks to all the sharing of knowledge, experience and support here online. I canceled the RAI appointment, began to use the key nutritional supplements recommended on ithryroid.com and contacted a holistic practitioner in Texas that I felt good about. I live in California but I had read some of this person's books over the years and felt good about his approach.
The doctor told me that he had successfully treated Graves patients in the past that recovered completely without the RAI procedure. I had one phone interview with this holistic doctor after which he sent me one homeopathic treatment and a regiment of herbal formulas. (I had used other products from this "Systemic Formulas" line in the past with positive results.)
My endo had told me I was making a big mistake when I told him I wanted to postpone the RAI procedure but had agreed to prescribe one of the anti-thryoid medications. I decided to wait on starting to take these though in order to give the vitamins and herbs a chance first.
After a couple months I wasn't seeing any dramatic results. I had begun to gain some weight but was still eating like mad and had the heart palpitations. Since I wasn't sure exactly how the herbal supplements were supposed to help I wasn't sure whether to continue or to try another approach.
About this time I had a significant dream. The dream was about having my car fixed. In the dream the problem was caused by getting some wires crossed through my own fiddling around. A master mechanic as able to diagnose and successfully fix the problem with just a few key changes. On awaking I realized that the dream was about my hyperthyroid condition, some of the details in the dream made it clear that the holistic person I was working with was the right person and that his treatments were on track. So I decided to continue.
Over the next month I continued to gain weight back. I took a blood test in preparation for a meeting with my endo that had originally been scheduled as a follow up to the RAI treatment. By the time I had that appointment in late December I was back up to a health weight and generally feeling good. The endo was surprised to find that all my thyroid levels were now normal and that my heart rate and beat were also back to normal. He said that in his years of practice he'd only once before seen someone with levels so high go back to normal without more radical treatment.
It's been a month since this great news and I continue to feel good - though I'll be taking a blood test every three months this year to keep track of things. I thank you all for your sharing of knowledge and experience - it's been an invaluable lifeline and resource. I thank Spirit for the guidance and for the healing its brought through those healers that were right specifically for me.
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Rikk Hansen
59772 Hillcrest Dr. N
North Fork, CA 93643