Why do Md's ignore a thyroid disease sufferer’s body fluctuations? We can travel from hypo to hyper with regularity, on or off medications. These swings cannot be good for us both mentally and physically. It is very rare that I am in the "normal" range. I am talking MY normal, not the normal someone made up, which is supposed to encompass all of mankind on the planet.
I think, blood work should occur as often as a diabetic patient. If we are feeling bad…prick us? Seriously…if we did this, I believe we would live in a kinder, gentler nation.
I have been struggling with thyroid problems for more than 10 years. I have my body fluctuations down to a science, for example, see below:
The following scenario illustrates me checking out at the grocery store and the store clerk asks me an innocent question – “Do you want your receipt with you or in the bag.” These are my thoughts depending on my thyroid levels.
Me – Hypothyroid - “You can put it in the bag.” ….Sigh...Whatever, I don’t care, I shouldn't’t even be in here spending this money. I am one paycheck away from sleeping in gutters with the rest of the homeless people. Maybe you should give the receipt to me; I may have to use it as toilet paper when I am a hobo living on the streets.
Me- Normal thyroid levels – “You can put it in the bag.”…Awww look at her pretty smile, I bet she brightens a lot of customer’s days when they come in here.
Me- Hyperthyroid – “You can put it in the bag.”…Take this receipt and shove it up your ass, what kind of stupid question is that?
If these are my thoughts, can you imagine what my attitude must be like during these thyroid swings?
COME ON THYROID SUFFERERS WE MUST GET THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO TRY TO KEEP US NORMAL!!!!
Don't forget to get your copy of my thyroid book, Wow Your Mom Really is Crazy. Buy it on Amazon today.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAmen! s.d.74...I hear ya! I am sorry about your wife. Something needs to be done. My father passed away recenlty from Cancer and I saw the unbelievable care he received. His death has made me want to fight for my fellow thyroid suffering bros and sisters. We deserve the same type of care...maybe even more so beccause once you get one Autoimmune disease the chance of getting another one is extremely high. Lupus, MS, Sclerodema to name a few, can be very deadly. I will be thinking about your wife...take care!
ReplyDeleteI feel so much better knowing it's not just me! you're all nuts too! just like me!
ReplyDeleteI think many doctors really don't understand why we have symptoms when we are taking our medication. They think we are not taking it properly sometimes or if we are taking them but still depressed, they are all too quick to whip out the prescription pad rather than consider increasing our T3 levels or drawing bloods. It is probably the most misunderstood condition to my mind, amongst doctors and society in general. If we complain of being tired, piling on the pounds, feeling apathetic, we are told it's age or we are eating like pigs and not exercising. I have kept a food diary and listed EVERY calorie that went in to my mouth, even down to throat lozenges and presented it to my GP, as well as documenting my exercise profile. I take more exercise than my GP, eat less and am still 3 dress sizes larger than I was last year! He hasn't actually said verbally that he doesn't believe me, but his expressions scream it at me!
ReplyDeleteI can go for weeks and feel great then one day get up, wanting to crawl back to bed but force myself to get up then burst into tears while I'm having my coffee with no idea as to why I am crying. When I swing to hyper (I have Hashi's), I am probably the world's most horrible woman/wife/mother/dog owner in the world and feel like I should have "evil" stamped on my forehead to warn others. Having Hashi's means we can swing from normal to hypo to hyper without passing normal before we get to hyper. I find many people, including doctors, (or should that be especially) are either dismissive or patronising with pseudo-sympathy....the kind of sympathy a person is offered when they are in denial over something.
If it is one thing I have realised, it is that blood values on a piece of paper are worth tidily squat. They are numbers and are of little value to the real picture and it is high time doctors started treating us based on our symptoms and NOT on what lab values say. My TSH normal is around 0.01 - YES, you are reading right, which is indeed hyper, but according to open minded endocrinologists like mine, he sees it is my normal and doses me accordingly. Which is precisely what they did years ago before lab values were around! Common sense is not so common as the saying goes.