Graves Disease/Hyperthyroidism

Sooo...here we go. We are going to start a conversation that...quite frankly, I'm sick of talking about. However, it is now a part of my life...here to teach me something...so, I feel I should share it with you. Besides, I hope to possibly help someone during this process. This is the deal - I was recently diagnosed with Graves Disease a.k.a. hyperthryoidism. Basically, it is an inflammation of the thyroid gland caused by an overproduction of the thyroid hormone. The risk with Graves is that it can cause a heart attack or other heart problems. The thryroid gland is producing way too much of the hormone and causing many symptoms, such as rapid heart rate, sensitivity to heat, trouble sleeping, hair loss, muscle weakness, bulging eyes, depression, etc. I do not have all of these symptoms, however, I do have many of them. The first four for sure. The rapid heart rate is the worse. Well, maybe the heat sensitivity because I am so sick o being hot and sweaty!!! But, the rapid heart rate is by far the worse. My resting heart rate is approximately 120bpm. To put it in perspective for you, generally speaking, it is ideal to have a resting heart rate under 80bpm. So, if mine is 120bpm RESTING...well, you can just imagine if I do any sort of activity...like, oh I don't know, climb the stairs! I'm completely worn out. It is very scary to be lying completely still in bed and have your heart beating out of your chest. So, where do I go from here? Well, conventional medicine is suggesting that I treat with radioactive iodine. What this does is it basically kills the thyroid, thus resulting in a reduction in the production of the thryoid hormone. However, as you can probably guess, eventually you stop making the thryoid hormone altogether and become HYPOthroid. So guess what happens then? You have to take a medication that basically a thyroid hormone replacement! Does this all make sense? Keep up with me now; I'm moving on. So, I do not want to go with the radioactive iodine(RAI) route. I really do not want to kill off my thyroid only to have to then take medication to mimic the hormone it should have been producing! So, what is my next option? Well, there is a medication that can reduce/stop the production of the thyroid hormone. The downside is the side effects. It can cause problems in the liver in a small percentage of people. My last option is alternative medicine. I'm talking acupuncture, chinese herbs, tai chi, dietary changes, etc. This is the route that suits me. However, I just took more blood work and my results indicated that my levels were very high. Not good. So, I've opted for now, to use the medication that reduces the production of the thyroid in conjunction with alternative medicine. I just feel I need to take a more holistic approach in order to have any hope of putting this thing into remission. Oh, and the doctor did tell me there is a 50/50 chance of that happening. However, my levels are so high that she feels that it is less likely, but still possible. I love acupuncture and I am committed to doing this. I HAVE to do this. Even when I feel very discouraged and I want to just go with the Radioactive iodine and be DONE with this already...I HAVE to do this! I get more blood work in two months so I am going to go all out these two months and see if I have any changes. I have many people praying for me, a supportive husband, and the best bab girl in the whole world for inspiration. I really can't lose.