Graves' disease...?

so unfortunatly i went to my doctor today for some follow up appointments on my thyroid issues i've been having. she thought it was just hyperthyroidism but wanted to go into detail with it and now to find out i've been diagnosed with graves' disease. i've been reading up on it and the fact i have to get radiation to really be rid of it scares the hell out of me! but what scares me even more is that my husband and i have not completed our family so we'll be trying to get pregnant with our 2nd and last child in the next year or so. is this disease going to affect my pregnancy? what about the radiation? i also have the RH factor problems and needed RHOgam shots with my last pregnancy. will these two problems become serious issues? i'm going to discuss all of these questions with my doctor of course i was just looking for output to bring things into perspective! thanks :)

Don't worry. I was diagnosed with Graves Disease when my oldest was a year old (1999). I went and had the radioactive iodine done to destroy my thyroid. I went on to have a beautiful little girl in 2000. She was not affected at all. One thing is you will have to take medication for your thyroid but that should not affect your child as long as you are monitored correctly. I wouldn't start trying for another little one until they get your medication level at a good place which could take a couple of months. After that things should be good to go. Best wishes!!!

Im sorry, but unfortunately i do not know much on this tipic.. All i know is that the radiation and treatment can Definitely not happen while you are trying to conceive. it will hurt the baby.

I have Graves' disease as well, and was diagnosed about a year and a half ago. Not everyone who has Graves' needs to have the radiation therapy. I haven't, nor does my doctor feel I need to. I have been on medication (Tapazole normally, and then Propylthyrauracil during my third pregnancy) since we figured out what the problem was, but there are lots of things you can do to help your body heal itself as much as possible without resorting to the destruction of the gland (it's actually pretty handy...) Certain foods can have a huge effect on the thyroid, so it's beneficial to know which ones to avoid and which ones to eat more of. I got a nutritionist to help me with this. If your doctor is not willing to discuss other treatment options, I'd suggest getting a second and possibly third opinions. I've known a few people, my pharmacist included, who have gone into remission. Yes, radiation does knock it out, but from what I've researched, it should be the last option after everything else has failed. Oh, and I am also Rh- and had the Rhogam shots every time and have not experienced any conflicts with the two. As you discuss treatments and options, definitely do your research since no one person has all the answers, even if they do have a medical degree.