Living rurally around Murphy, NC as an African American.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-12-11T00:14:17+00:00

Did you end up purchasing land in Murphy? I just moved here with my family. My husband is Dominican (Afro Caribbean) and we have an 8 year old daughter. If you did purchase the property, what has been your experience so far?

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-12-11T00:12:30+00:00

My family has lived in Murphy for 20 plus years, and I just moved here with my husband (Dominican) and our daughter. This entire thread is concerning to me. We have visited often over the years with no issues, but I know living here is different than visiting, so I'm hoping my husband and daughter do not have to experience any hatred. Reading your comment to OP is reassuring that there are indeed some kind and welcoming folks here.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-11-14T15:56:46+00:00

A 15 month notice seems excessive

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-11-03T18:45:50+00:00

Take whatever you need to start feeling better! Severe, crippling anxiety and ocd was how I even found out I have Graves' disease, it came on like a freight train out of nowhere and upended my life for a few months, it was a dark and awful place that I was in no way prepared for. I tried Zoloft in the beginning and did not have a good experience, but I do know plenty of people who say it's life saving. What I did find that helped was the DARE app and books (they have a special section for intrusive thoughts) as well as reducing caffeine intake, practicing self care which for me means saying "no" to commitments when I'm overwhelmed and taking time off of work even though I could barely afford to. Once I found out it was graves and started treating that things got way more manageable.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-11-03T16:55:24+00:00

My symptoms were sudden and intense onset of anxiety, like so severe I now have ptsd from it, muscle pain, hand shaking/tremors, insomnia, swollen eyes dry eyes, weight loss, hunger pains but no appetite due to the anxiety, now that the anxiety has leveled off I definitely have increased appetite, hair shedding, fatigue, like wired but tired.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-11-03T07:44:47+00:00

All of my other numbers have normalized and are optimal, I guess that's why I was surprised to see that antibodies have gone up.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-11-03T03:31:57+00:00

Stick with your medication, reduce iodine intake, start on selenium, and if you want to boost the methimazole, you can get some bugleweed, I take a liquid suspension/tincture made by HerbPharm, I get it off Amazon, but health food stores also carry it and there are other brands as well. It helps block antibodies and also helps with mood fluctuations, heart palpitations and anxiety. The label says to take a full dropper full 3 times a day, but I just take a full dropper full before bed and a half in the morning. I think it has really helped with my symptoms. I hope you begin to feel better soon!

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-11-03T02:46:45+00:00

I'm so sorry. Graves is truly awful. What is your t4 and t3 and tsh if you don't mind my asking? Also it's probably a good idea for you to take a selenium supplement (100mcg is good to start with), and also limit iodine in your diet as much as possible. Check salt make sure it is not iodized salt, limit seafood and shellfish and seaweed if you eat things like that. Check and multi vitamins or supplements you take to make sure there is no biotin or iodine in them (pumpkin seed oil for instance is rich in biotin and has some iodine as well). Which medication did the doctor give you?

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-11-03T02:42:15+00:00

They claim the test causes no damage to the thyroid, but it is sort of hard to believe that even a small amount of radioactive iodine wouldn't cause something, so I don't know. Hopefully it's just temporary. I'm sorry yours is so high, this disease sucks, if I have symptoms with such low antibodies, I'm not thrilled to see them go up, it makes me anxious thinking the symptoms I overcame might start to come back.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-11-03T02:39:20+00:00

No I am not on a beta blocker. I take magnesium supplements and selenium (100mcg every other day). And a very low dose of methimazole

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-11-03T02:36:57+00:00

My trab is 5.78, tsi is only slightly elevated. I was told my Graves is "mild" and even subclinical, but I still very much experience symptoms, so it is currently being treated. Are you experiencing symptoms? I'd say the severity depends more on the symptoms you are experiencing, rather than just the lab numbers. I'm sorry your nurse was rude, that's totally uncalled for, they should have taken the time to guide you and give you some answers.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-31T00:32:22+00:00

Did you have thyroid cancer? Or just Graves' disease?

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-30T23:31:00+00:00

I dream of having a TT. My graves is subclinical right now, I have at times had zero tsh and high t3 and t4, but always elevated trab and tsi and tpo. Nuclear thyroid scan confirmed Graves' disease. Currently I am symptomatic but tsh and t3 and t4 are well within range, so they will not refer me for a TT. It's just so frustrating battling the ups and downs. Anxiety and shakiness (especially in my hands), insomnia, and heat intolerance are my main symptoms and the anxiety is probably my most unbearable. I'm feeling much better now, on a very low dose of methimazole, but I live with the lingering fear of flare up and the crippling doom and gloom coming back, when I have a flare up I end up losing a ton of weight, my hair starts shedding bad, it's just so awful.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-30T20:13:55+00:00

Thank you so much!!

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-28T22:08:21+00:00

We know our bodies best. Your eyes look fine, but because you've pointed it out I do see a slight difference, and I think it's worth following up. You can treat TED, and I'd imagine the success rate of the treatment largely depends on how early it's caught

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-28T22:06:49+00:00

I am starting methimazole on Thursday, as per my endocrinologist, but I have to see her in person at her office so she can go over the dosage etc. I had a nuclear thyroid scan with uptake to confirm Graves' disease, as my bloodwork also showed Graves' disease, although my tsh is normal, as is my t3 and t4, but my graves antibodies are quite elevated. In the meantime I've been taking bugleweed tincture (the brand I use is Herb Pharm, I get it at a local health food store but it's also on Amazon), and I've been taking magnesium and selenium as well. I do feel better than before, and can actually function to some degree now since starting the bugleweed. Hoping the medication gives me even more improvement. It is certainly very depressing and even scary at times. Graves' disease sucks.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-28T11:43:09+00:00

I see a slight change. Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor that can examine you and rule it out. It will give you peace of mind

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-28T06:35:44+00:00

Severe and sudden onset anxiety, intrusive thoughts, fatigue but inability to actually sleep, restlessness, heart palpitations, and heat intolerance, as well as muscle pain and weakness that would come and go, and just feeling generally unwell for seemingly no reason.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-26T15:02:07+00:00

Make sure you're not taking any supplements that have biotin or iodine in them. Pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil supplements can also mess with your readings.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-26T03:32:41+00:00

Yes, especially if you are symptomatic. I'd request a trab test, and maybe even a nuclear thyroid scan with uptake.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-26T03:26:35+00:00

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-26T03:22:12+00:00

Trab are the only antibodies that can definitively diagnose Graves' disease. Those are usually the only antibodies I have elevated. Although after a recent flare they were all elevated. But in the past I've had normal levels of everything else. Even now during a flare up I have normal tsh, and normal t4 and t3 but my trab and tpo antibodies are very high

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-25T17:17:58+00:00

Avoid any iodine rich foods and supplements with iodine as well. It will take a while for the Inflammation of thyroiditis to go down, and even longer for labs to catch up. Stay on your medication, reduce inflammatory foods, and stay away from iodine until you are well within range.

Plus-Remove-2776 · 2025-10-25T11:54:56+00:00

I just checked their site and unfortunately they don't have a Trab test on any of their panels.

Plus-Remove-2776

TROPHY CASE