5% Lucky

 Way back in March, I mentioned here on the bloggity that I wondered if the Covid had messed with Kevin's Graves Disease.  Then he got Covid again in June.  Because why not?

He had a physical the other day and his Graves Disease is active again.  His thyroid numbers are high.  Alarmingly high.  They changed his dosage and now we wait to see. He has another blood test in a few months, sooner if he gets more symptomatic.   If they don't drop, then it's possible radiation again.

ELEVEN POUNDS he has lost.  I bought him a size smaller jeans and we need to cull through his shirts.  He wears them a little big anyway but now they hang on him.

During the exam, the doctor - a general practitioner because Kevin hadn't needed a thyroid doctor - initially attributed it to age.  Then Kevin asked "What effect does having Covid TWICE have on it"  The doctor didn't know but agreed that it could be a thing and will look into it.  #thankscovid

So, here goes me to search with my Grey's Anatomy Medical Degree on the University of Google.

Well, look at that. The second result was from the National Institute of Health:

And, YES, I did send this to the doctor. It feels like I shouldn't have to but here we are.  Kevin pointed out that he is not the doctor's only patient; because he's more reasonable than I am most days.

I feel both relieved and sad about this.  And then oops, there goes my anger again.

Because for the eleventieth time: he got Covid twice due to unvaccinated people who didn't practice social distancing and/or came to work sick and/or have any empathy/respect for the people around them.  And now, he's back in active status for Graves.

Deep breath....

His meds were changed and I'm back to tracking symptoms on a calendar and squelching the PTSD that comes from having an ill spouse.  We're assuming that the meds will put him back in remission because we can't think about going through radiation again.

He's been on his new dose five days now.  His body went at WTAF on Saturday and that was a really bad day.  He actually said "I am not alright right now" at one point.  He was shaky to the point of not being able to do fine motor tasks.  He was spacey, not able to keep the thread of a conversation, he looked pale and wan.  We checked his heart rate and blood pressure and by some miracle, those were normal. 

All of that reminded me of the speech we got from one of the specialists that said "No big decisions. No buying a car or a house. No getting a divorce. No big decisions until you're in remission."

As for the Why Didn't We Notice question:  we had chalked any symptoms to stress from the parents/family and he's in the busy season of his work.  In addition, because of the Covid taking away the sense of smell and taste, we attributed weight loss to that.  (it can be a factor but the Graves is more likely the culprit)  And, I had gotten out of the habit of tracking symptoms because I hadn't needed to.  

So that's just...neat.

Then while I was busy with being a research nerd, I found an article that states approximately 5% of people who had Covid and a loss sense of smell/taste, have NOT recovered that sense.

Kevin is just so doggone lucky.

Aren't I a bundle of good news today?  

HOWEVER, on the same NIH site, in a different article, was information for rehab to get the sense of smell to return. Then that led me to an NBC article, link here.   Wouldn't you know that the amazon has a kit for that. (it will be here Sunday)  It's worth a try and I wouldn't consider it if it hadn't been recommended by the NIH.

AND this is much easier than the other therapies: injection of plasma or placing of electrodes into the nose.  Kevin is skeptical about the above kit but he was a Hard Pass to the other rehabs.

I'm posting about this on the bloggity not for sympathy but to give everyone who has an autoimmune disease - or has family/friends that do - and had the Covid, advice to Check In With Your Doctor.  Make sure that everything is steady and unchanged.  Don't assume.