DEAR THYROID^TM

Thyrants And Thyraves: And How Do You Feel About Your Doctor?! Patients ranted and raved about weight (loss/gain/diets), RAI, surgery for Graves disease, thyroid cancer, and exhaustion, among other things. In this and future installations of Thyrants and Thyraves, we’ll be posing questions to our Dear Thyroid community. Today’s question was “When I sit across from my doctor, I feel…”

The responses were magnificent. We had equal parts rants and raves. Patients are being proactive when it comes to their health. Moreover, there were some shocking tales. Some of the things doctors have said to their patients are jaw dropping, to be sure. The raves for doctors that work in partnership with their patients was uplifting and promising.

In comments, we had more rants and rave, as well as a whole lot of support. Of course, everyone jumped in, which made the day of community building as sweet as ever.

Thank you for ‘bringing it’ every day. Your kindness, generosity and willingness to be there for each other is remarkable. You are HEROES.

Today’s comment…

Dawn Sibert says:

My PCP called my swollen, sore thyroid a FAT ROLL!!!!

Thanks Nicole for cracking me up!!! An eye-candy doc IS a bonus!!!

Thanks all of you for putting my issues in perspective. It SEEMS awful right now, but it could be worse I see. And I’ve found THE BEST DR. I ever could have imagined!!! My (former) Endo was NOT interested in treating my symptoms, just in biopsying my recently discovered nodules. To be fair, my mom had both follicular & papillary cancer at my age, but I think a TSH of 17.5 & TPO antibodies of 600 warrant treatment, maybe the nodules could shrink with treatment? My (former) PCP told me thyroid issues AREN’T hereditary & that I’m NOT anemic, my hemoglobin is 9, my ferritin is 4, (been having miscarriage like gushes & clots & periods that last for weeks). That same PCP told me the ultrasound I insisted on was unnecessary, that the only thing wrong with my neck…is my FAT ROLL!!!! LOL!! That “fat roll” was my painfully engorged thyroid!!! My new integrative Dr. ran extensive labs that also reveal an acute & chronic EBV attack, low progesterone & estrogen, Vit D, B12 & magnesium deficiencies, a Westergren inflammation rate of 42 & high cholesterol. She sent me for a transvaginal ultrasound (yep fibroids too)& said it should have been done YEARS ago with my history.My blood pressure is going despite 60mgs. of Lotensin. But it COULD be worse!!!! And I’m one of the blessed ones who’ve found an amazing Dr. with the MOST caring, dedicated staff. They started helping me & ordered my labs from a PHONE consult (because they’re so booked), then after my labs came in, they called me on SUN. EVENING to set my treatment plan in motion! UNREAL!!!! I wish the rest of you strength, comfort answers, & healing!! Thank you for being an inspiration!!!

Dear Thyroid Needs YOU… And A Few Newsy Thybites This was our second Dear Thyroid news update since re-launching Dear Thyroid with our new look and feel. We discussed receipt of our thyroid awareness bands “Invisible No More”. We also introduced our new Community Outreach Manager, Kerri Schwartz. We discussed Dear Thyroid Letters and profiles. If you missed it, we’d love for you to check it out and share your thoughts with us.

Finally, we asked for feedback about what Dear Thyroid has done for you, for a piece we’re writing. Whether you choose to be anonymous or not, we would greatly appreciate your input.

Thank you to everyone for sharing and giving as much of yourselves as you always give. We couldn’t possibly love or appreciate you more. Than the next day rolls around and, of course, we do. You ARE that special. You shape the voice of Dear thyroid. We hope that you will continue to do so, and consider sharing your thoughts with us, too.

Today’s comment…

Christine S. says

Dear Thyroid has been a place of encouragement, support and information for me. Getting swallowed up by this disease is devastating and life changing; but to finally find a place that let me know I was not alone has been equally life changing.

Here I am able to support and be supported. Here I can laugh and cry, cheer and rage, ask questions and find some answers; most importantly I am able to do so in a safe place – where my personal experiences, thoughts and emotions are allowed even invited.

Dear Thyroid provides a place for empowerment and education, offering each of us a chance to be heard. Here many of us find our footing once again. We find our voice, our hearts and even a renewed sense of living (or at least the knowledge that it is possible). We find hope….. for ourselves, hope for a better understanding at what we each face with our thyroids and its many diseases.

Dear Thyroid is a lifeline, its community like no other – a soft and safe place to land when the disease rages and leaves us free falling.

Dear Thyroid extended a hand, reached in through the muck and the mire of a tumultuous thyroid diseased ridden life and offered help, hope, a sounding board, laughter, tears and a sense of community not found anywhere else. For all of this I am more thankful than I can say.

Tags: Comment of the Day, community building, Dear Thyroid, graves disease support, hashimoto's disease support, Health Community, health support community, hyperthyroid support, hypothyroid support, literary community, literary support, thyroid cancer support, thyroid community, thyroid literary community, thyroid support community

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