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| Hi,
I've just been diagnosed with Graves' Disease (autoimmune disease, attacks the eyes and thyroid, speeds up metabolism in a nutshell) and was wondering if anyone here has experienced (or knows anyone who has) this thing, and has any advice on how to manage (in the longer term) a fairly robust ashtanga asana practice and chronic illness (of any sort). I'm not doing much asana now, but would like to build back up to where I was, eventually.
cheers,
lisa |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
  
Location: A Blue State |
Hi Lisa,
I can't tell you much about Graves Disease, but I have battled an autoimmune problem for more than 15 years. I think that finding a positive attitude has been the greatest challenge, and it was only after I adopted a daily yoga practice that I've been able to stay there consistently. So.. if you are not doing vigorous ashtanga for a while, I'd suggest keeping at least a good practice of forward bends, hip openers, and if you are up to it, backbends and inversions.
Best wishes - and remember that life and living are in your hands to do - diseases are just annoyances, not endpoints.
... bg |
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| Thanks, bg. I'm still keeping my ashtanga practice for now, but have switched from second (up to eka pada) to half primary, and have cut out many of the vinyasas. I just don't have much stamina, and lost 5kg of muscle in a month, so strength is gone. The daily practice had been keeping the disease in check before diagnosis, I think; Graves' comes with a lot of head symptoms (anxiety and such) that were very mild for me. Now that I've started medication, I can come back to pranayama and meditation, too.
Surprisingly, I'm really OK; as you said, it's an annoyance, but a manageable one.
lisa |
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Member
Posts: 19
Location: UK .... betwixt the two cities ! | Hi Lisa,
Graves' disease is one of the many things I was tested for before I was finally diagnosed with Myalgic encephalomyelitis. Some of the symptoms are similar.
So I can comprehend in some small way how it affects your practice. I was at first advised to stop yoga but felt it was better to continue on the days I was capable.
I am still learning to be adaptive in my practice and lower my expectations and now am at a level of practice I was at before. But there doesn't seem to be much advice anywhere on what to do.It has been a slow learning curve and still wish I had even better comprehension.
Fortunately I have a very understanding teacher who allows me to adapt/omit any postures/vinyasas on my worse days ( to conserve energy). On home days I tend to spread any yoga over the course of the day rather than one intense session which is good for reduced energy levels and stamina.
This way I have managed to keep well and fit under the condition thankfully, I am sure you will do the same
Best wishes
Edited by bluewave 2009-10-12 8:36 AM
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| lisa:
my SIL had raves disease and had her thyroid irradiated. i don't recommend it, and harvard did a study that traditional chinese medicine (herbal and acupuncture) can relieve graves disease in a year. while irradiation is the most common treatment in the US, it isn't the only available, and i suggest you research as much as you can before "killing" an organ like my SIL did.
beyond that, i would just do what you can and not worry about it overmuch. ood luck! |
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| Blue,
You're right, there isn't much out there, and I suspect that part of it is that this disease takes such different courses in different people. To that end, I have been doing just what you did - no expectations, one day at a time. I stopped altogether for a week, because my GP told me to do nothing but eat and rest, but that made the anxiety worse, and made all my joints ache. I've been mostly practising at home, but I think my teacher will be fairly understanding too.
Zoe - RAI isn't done here much any more (or the surgery, for that matter). I did loads of reading before my first appt with the endo, so I was prepared to say I didn't want it, but it didn't come to that. He did say that it's usually the treatment of choice in the states. In Australia, medication is the first tack, and the disease sometimes goes into remission after 2 years or so. So far so good, I'm not having any adverse side effects. Do you have a citation for that research? I scoured the internet for alternative therapies, and came back with nothing. I actually found many claims, on Western medicine and alternative sites, that Graves' can't be treated with TCM; that it's one of the few things that really responds best to a more standard Western approach.
I was going to go to a naturopath, but after racking up nearly $800 in medical bills in just 10 days, have decided to hold off,maybe until the thyroid levels are normal. I do have a handle on how to approach things with diet and lifestyle once things have settled down.
thanks guys,
lisa |
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| yeah, i can understand about the bills! i'm so glad that radiation therapy isn't number one in other countries. the US is totally backwards in some ways.
anyway, i ordered this book for my SIL: Graves Disease, a Practical Guide by Elaine Moore. It was a really good, well-researched book, i thought. here's an interview with the author: http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/gravesbook.htm
i'm still looking for the article about TCM that was published by Harvard's either university press or medical journal. when i find it, i'll post it. it was illuminating.
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Ashtanga and Graves Disease
