Monday, December 12, 2011

Graves' Disease and Ultrasound

I have now turned down TWO chances to find out what we are having - I get to have a lot of ultrasounds this go round because I not only see my regular OB, but also a specialist for a hyper-thyroid condition I was recently diagnosed with. Today I found out I have Graves' Disease. Doesn't that sound just awful? Here is some info I found about it:

"Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. The thyroid is a small gland in the front of the neck. It makes hormones called T3 and T4 that regulate how the body uses energy. Thyroid hormone levels are controlled by the pituitary, which is a pea-sized gland in the brain. It makes thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which triggers the thyroid to make thyroid hormone.

"With Graves' disease, the immune system makes antibodies that act like TSH, causing the thyroid to make more thyroid hormone than your body needs. This is called an overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism. An overactive thyroid causes every function of the body to speed up, such as heart rate and the rate your body turns food into energy. Graves' disease is one cause of overactive thyroid."

While I do have a history of thyroid problems in my family, I also read this: "As many as 30 percent of young women who get Graves' disease have been pregnant in the 12 months prior to the onset of symptoms. This suggests that pregnancy might trigger Graves' disease in some women."

Symptoms they listed that I have noticed in myself are:
Tremor in hands
Fatigue
Difficulty sleeping
Muscle weakness - my legs shake when I just bend down to pick something up off the floor
Rapid heartbeat (mine was 101 beats per minute, while resting)
Weight loss (I only started gaining weight once I went on a medication a few weeks ago)

Of course my first question was - how will this affect the baby? If left untreated, it can cause:
Preterm birth
Low birth weight
Still birth

Not good. But, we caught it very early and I go in every 3 weeks to have blood work done to make sure everything is ok. And as of today, the baby is doing great and looks healthy. Matt says it looks like we are having a Who from down in Whoville - look at that nose :)

2 comments:

Emily said...

:(
That baby looks so precious in there. Now find out what you're having already!!!

Erika said...

Oh, Shannon, I am so sorry. I know you will take care of yourself and Hiller Beauty Baby #3, and though I've never met Matt, I'm sure he'll take of you guys too. So, are you telling us that you'll be consulting Dr. Seuss to find baby's name?