When I was 21 I was diagnosed as being severly hyperthyroid and the endocrinologist told me if I didn't have either surgery or radioactive Iodine I'd have a heart attack by the time I was 25. Got my attention and of course back then (in the 70's) doctors were gods and you did what they said ... period. He said the surgery would give me a scar across my neck, but the radioactive Iodine was easy and I just drank it through a straw. No biggie.

Well, I was 21 ... and thin and cute ... and I didn't want no stinkin' scar across my neck, so my cuteness opted for the "straw." Thus began a nightmare - spaciness, depression, weight gain, and years and years and years of being told "it's all in your head."

It is my understanding that radioactive Iodine spontaneously (yea right) shrinks the thyroid in an easy-peasy non-invasive manner compared to surgery which is painful, messy, and leaves a scar. It is also my understanding that radioactive iodine poisons the thyroid and shrivels it up to either nothing or almost nothing.

My question is (if anybody knows or could please help me find out): Can the thyroid spontaneously regenerate itself if it's basically dead? I know we are constantly growing new skin and diseased livers can regenerate themselves and cancerous cells replaced with healthy ones, etc.

Through the years I've taken an average of 4 grains of thyroid a day - Synthroid, Cytomel, Armour, etc. But periodically my body rejects it all no matter how much I take. About 20 years ago an internist I was seeing submitted my case to the Baylor College of Medicine because he said he'd never seen anything like it. After taking 4 grains a day my blood tests showed my body was basically rejecting the meds passing them out like water. They were baffled as well and after switching from Armour to Synthroid to Armour and then finally to Cytomel it kicked in. Took about 6 months. To say that I was a zombie during all this time would be an understatement.

I'm currently taking Armour and my last blood test (6 months ago) showed zero (iodine, thyroid - not sure what to say here) in my body (despite 4 gr. a day) and my doctor said in all her years this was the lowest reading she'd ever seen and it was "dangerously low" whatever that means. Can you die from low thyroid? I don't know. I think you just feel dead but your body is still breathing.

I started Lugol's about a month or so ago and am now taking 7 drops a day. Last night I decided to paint my arm with 2% to get a gauge of how my body was absorbing the Lugol's and see if possibly I'd "caught up." I painted from my wrist to elbow in a 3 inch strip. It was totally invisible in less than an hour.

The help I need from you guys is in figuring out how to do this. I've been gradually increasig each week, but I'm wondering if I should just drink it by the droppersful or what?

I know information about radioactive iodine is probably not common other than the hype still out there about the "wonders" of it. But all that aside, can you guys please help me figure out a plan to see if I can kick start my thyroid back to life again? I never even considered that there was a possibility that it could be regenerated (and maybe there isn't) until I found curezone and you guys.

I appreciate all the help you've given me so far by your brillant openness and informative postings. I hope we can work together on this. I'm willing to try most anything ... what have I got to lose? After all Lazarus was raised from the dead. Why not my thyroid? Hmmmm?

Thanks ya'll ...

Stef from Texas