DEAR THYROID^TM

Doctors, endocrinologists, integrative specialists, only those that don’t work with their patients; wake up! Your patients are more than the sum of their numbers. Regardless of what they try; many of them still have glaringly thyroid related symptoms. Your magic pills aren’t working for every patient. Start practicing medicine, figure out why your patients are struggling and why they aren’t achieving wellness. Stop pawning your patients off on other doctors (for thyroid symptoms) and do a little research. Really, it won’t kill you. That’s why you’re a friggin doctor.

Below, are some very brave patients speaking up about their symptoms and issues. I suggest you read this in its entirety and do something about it. Because if you don’t, we’re not going to stop speaking out about our respective illnesses. We will not give up. We will continue to fight and ensure that we get the treatment we so rightfully deserve. I’m just sayin’.

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Dawnalive I have to partially re-pierce my ears every now and then. They close up easy.

HDinOregon Does having had a thyroidtectomy cause excessive rains in Oregon? Are there statistics to that effect? Growing webbed toes 🙂

aimlessaimers mine’s not very rant-ish. More whiny. I’m cold & can’t get warm even in hot shower. That’s all. not very ranty.

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Kaytee Sumida I’ve been very achy for the past few days, and yesterday had an “off and on” migraine for most of the day. Not sure if it’s exactly “thyroid related”, but I did start DIM on Tues, and progesterone cream yesterday morning. These were recommended as a way to “balance” estrogen dominance, which may be why I have hypothyroid signs/sx in the presence,  of normal lab results and minimal response to thyroid rx. Hopefully, this is just a “clearing” that needs to happen so improvements can be made; I was told it usually takes 10 days to 2 weeks before there are any noticeable results, and about 3 months before any significant changes

Anna M. Holyst-Sourile My balance is off and i was freeeeeezing last night which actually brought our Raynaud’s – love having purple fingers yeay!!! If they only oozed purple paint – NOW THAT would be cool.

Tina Golding- Conklin Dr. lowered my meds a couple weeks ago. I went in to see him today because I feel like sh*t, he blew me off. Its like he wasnt listening to me, I am so frustrated and tired of feeling like this. He is usually a great dr. I hate this thyroid crap.

Lori Caprio Callahan Thyrant here I come…my thyroid supposedly looks normal but it’s so far from normal. I was painfully reminded this week how sick that little thysucking gland still is.   You let me down big time this week. I needed you more than ever and you said fuck you to me, but I will forgive you and be good to us this weekend with a massage and reflexology,  and a trip to the bead store. I still have to work this weekend but if I don’t take care of me, you will continue to stomp on me and I’m not backing down from this fight. Hope you heard me because I mean it!,  Fuck you, right back atcha!

Amy Elizabeth Parker I got some thyroid labs and blood sugar labs done this week….seeing my Dr. on Monday. Hoping all is well! Can never be too careful when pregnant or otherwise, really!!!

Anita Roberts well, i’ve had an interesting week. last weekend i started on my new drug, plaquenil. i did everything i could to avoid it, but the RA just won’t remit or go away. slowly over the last 5 months my joints have begun to worsen, so i went ahead with it. a few days later, i got my erfa thyroid meds from canada. wow. suddenly i have energy and a,  slight lessening of joint issues. in fact, i had one day on wednesday with no limp. i’m waling miles every day now. nice. brain fog clearing, eyes de=puffed, sleeping better. no naps, and go go go all day-all week!!! well, yesterday i sort of hit the wall and the joints were really sore and stiff again. and i forgot to take the plaq. but, it’s all good. i can see that this combo will work. my voice is lower tho and throat a bit swollen. will have labwork for thyroid done in a month to see how new meds are affecting the ‘roid. other than that, i think it’s gonna be an interesting summer…

Anna M. Holyst-Sourile Yes my hair is still falling out – ughhhhhh! Ok maybe morrow i’ll look at cool wigs!,   (Happy Thoughts)

Joanna Isbill So very grateful for all the awesome sleep I’ve gotten this week. **dripping with sarcasm**

Elizabeth Campbell I feel fat and I have another sinus infection.

Elaine Apodaca-Martinez My eye is acting up again. I thought I was done with my TED business. My bottom lower left eyelid had been flipping inward. An attached lash embedded itself into my eyeball. I had a bubble on the side of my eyeball and headaches and did not know why. Thankfully after the doc removed it and gave me meds it is going down. Who would have thought. Lids turning inward…………..what next???????

Kathleen Taylor Just this week diagnosed with COPD. Now, I’m not blaming you, thyroid..however the fact that you make me need the Levothyroxine, and THAT can contribute to my breathing problems is not helping me any! I hate taking meds! How many more can I juggle?! This is interrupting my sleep along with the apnea you’ve had a hand in bringing on. Don’t worry though..I’ve got it covered. I’ll get that sexy CPAP next week. Maybe when I want to get romantic, I’ll put some lace on it..thanks!

JT false memories. I have a thought – like “I’m going to leave my keys in the ignition, so I don’t lose them” and this thought will make a memory that I did leave my keys in the ignition. However, I will then forget to leave my keys in the ignition and then I just fall back on this very real memory that I did, which leaves me hopelessly confused and frustrated. WHERE THE HELL ARE MY KEYS??? If I can’t trust my own memories, then what good are they?

Elaine Bastajian You mean it’s not just MY brain that’s wacky?

A D Blackadar I had a thought this morning. I’ve never thought of myself as having a thyroid ‘disease.’ More like a ‘disorder’ or ‘condition,’ but never ‘disease.’ So on a lark I googled hypothyroidism definition, just to see what would come up. Most of the time it was defined as a ‘deficiency,’ ‘condition’ or ‘disorder.’ Seldom was it called ‘disease’ (Hashimotos, Graves and thyroid cancer excluded, of course). For what it’s worth, Wikipedia actually referred to hypothyroidism as a disease. Words have meaning, and I found myself wondering if perhaps the reason why more people don’t take this seriously is because it isn’t really considered an illness or disease in the arena of public perception. It’s taken forever for alcoholism and depression to be considered diseases, and sufferers still find themselves the target of misinformation and stigma. There are still people out there who think depressed people or alcoholics bring it upon themselves somehow, as a result of a character defect. Unfortunately that also seems to be the attitude thrown at many of us who wrestle with our thyroids (e.g. metabolism has nothing to do with weight gain, we’re just fat, lazy (pre)menopausal hypochondriacs).   Just some food for thought.

Lauren Cosh I just feel so so ill and so depressed. Just dont know what to do.Ive had Graves for years, had RAI a year ago was severely Hypo. I am in normal range but my blood tests change every week…. plus i have low ferrtin 18 and low serum Iron of 7. My new integrated Dr has diagnosed me as Clinically HYPO, adrenal fatigue, insulin resistant, poss PCOSand IBS plus I get migraines. Im lying down all day and even that dosnt help. Will I ever feel normal, happy energetic with no anxiety and feeling severly weak and ill. It never ends… feel like gving up. MY only hope left is that may be starting on whole thyroid next week. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated, thanks alot.

Linda Barton Reed My current rant: I am just so tired of feeling like crap 90% of the time. My mind has so many wonderful ideas and things I would like to do/accomplish, but my body will not have it. Most days I just want to crawl in the bed and shut out the world, even though I know how truly blessed I am. I don’t even like myself when I feel this way! I’m on meds, but apparently not the right amount. Plus, I started having new symptoms like dizziness, shakiness, achiness- especially legs and ankles, and feeling excessively tired, but wired- hard to get to sleep- at the same time. Thankful my dr. appt is coming up. I have to get some relief! If this dr. can’t help me, I’ll just have to find one who will. My daily “pep talks” to even get small things accomplished are helpful, but not near enough. Sometimes I feel so conflicted between my head and body that I don’t even feel like the same person. That is scary and very unnerving. Just knowing others understand really helps a lot, though! So, I’ll press on the best I can and take it a day/hour at a time until I see the light at the end of a very long, depressing tunnel! At least the sun is out today- that helps! 🙂

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Thyrant:,   I would like a little consistency with the info that my doctors give me!!!,   One month they tell me that I am doing so well I’ll be in remission by the next appointment; at the next appointment they’re all doom and gloom about how if my number don’t improve they’re going to remove/kill my thyroid!,   A month later they’re back to good news and another month after that it’s bad news.   Doctors: do not give me false hope!,   I feed off good news so when a month later you rip it away from me I am double-y upset.   If you don’t know where my numbers are going to do, just say you don’t know!,   I can take the ambiguity, I just can’t take the roller coaster!!!! ~ natasha

Thank you all for your bravery and beautiful rants; every one of them is important.

Tags: high thyroid issues, literary thyroid support, low thyroid issues, thryoid patient blog, Thyrants, thyroid blog, thyroid diseases, Thyroid Problems, thyroid support blog

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