Tag: health

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Looking out at the Walnut Street Theatre through the windows of the waiting room at Wills Eye. — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (47 mm, f/5.6, ISO800), Copyright 2019-03-20 Khürt L. Williams

I was at Wills Surgery Center today for what I thought would be a quick morning of tests. But the optical surgeon had a lot of questions, so they performed a series of test. We were here until lunchtime. If you don't know, I have Grave's Eye Disease which has progressed to the point where I may need surgery. I'll know in a few weeks when I return for more tests. The doctors are concerned about pressure behind the eyes. If the pressure becomes too high, the muscles of the yes could squeeze the optic nerve and cause blindness. I have a follow up in three weeks for more tests.

I am looking out at the Walnut Street Theatre through the windows of the waiting room at Wills Eye.

Wills Eye Surgical Center

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Sourland Mountain Preserve — FujiFilm X-T2 + Fujifilm XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, f/8.0, ISO200), Copyright 2019-03-06 Khürt L. Williams
Member Post for 3/4/19 (The Brooks Review)

What if the only way to lower your health premium to an affordable rate was to allow your health insurer access to your Apple Watch data?

I don't think this would provide any benefit to me. I have Type 1 diabetes. It's a chronic progressive illness. Food and insulin are one of the over two-dozen variables that affect blood glucose control. The majority of these variables not under my control. Insulin dosing is an art. Even if I eat the same thing for every meal, I will get a different blood glucose reading throughout the day, and it would also be different each day.

Given that the Apple Watch is not a medical device capable of accurately measuring blood glucose and operating an insulin pump, wearing.

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Ellis Island—Nikon D40 + 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6

After six months of trial and error my endocrinologist agreed that we needed to try something new.

She proposed radioactive iodine treatment but I ruled that out. While we have general data on the success of that treatment (90%) we also know it does not work for some people and there are complications, especially for the eyes. I have three cousins who tried radioactive iodine treatment and ultimately ended up with surgery. I also learned from my mom that hyperthyroidism runs in her side of the family. She informed me that the entire McLaren family (which is my grandmother’s family from Carriacou) has thyroid problems. It has affected many of the grandkids. I am so lucky.

I initially said yes to doing radioactive iodine treatment which, because of possible compromise of vision, required a trip to my ophthalmologist. He did some tests and then explained to me that I, in fact, had two diseases. Graves Disease and Graves Eye Disease(GED). He also advised me that neither radioactive iodine treatment nor a thyroidectomy would address GED. GED has to be treated separately and my options were limited. The proptosis in my eyes is worsening but until I recover from the thyroidectomy, there is nothing to be done.

Sigh.

Yesterday, I met with a surgeon at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick to discuss expectations and risks of a thyroidectomy. Surgery is scheduled for the second week of December.

Am I scared? Yes. Absolutely. There is a risk of infection and bleeding. There is a risk of nerve damage leading to changes in speech.

But the risk of untreated or poorly treated Graves Disease is higher. None of what I am experiencing right now is pleasant. Bhavna reminds me that the silver lining is that in a few weeks this chapter of my life will be in the past. But in the meantime, I'm shivering in the cold rain.