Dear Thyroid^TM

Our Dear Thyroid Community grows stronger every day. Much like a family; we laugh, cry, debate, express our anger and much more. That, among other things, brings us closer and demonstrates our ability to connect with each other, and share our stories via letters, comments, rants and photos. The struggles we deal with day in and day out, including the impact our respective disorders has on our families, is what bonds us.

We have decided to launch “Comment of the Day”. Every comment is an expression of what each of our thyamily goes through and is important. We learn from each other’s comments and stories. We feel supported in our darkest moments and we laugh our asses off knowing that we aren’t alone. Someone out there in the ether, er, thyether reads between the lines and feels us deeply. That said, in the spirit of community, we are choosing one comment a day to post as an individual blog post.

Today’s comment was written by Sarah Broers regarding today’s letter “An Infinite Number of Monkeys Typing At an Infinite Number of Typewriters Might Not Produce Shakespeare, But They’ll Still Be Ahead of the Insurance Companies and Pharmacies“.

The discussion about Sharen’s letter dealt with issues thyroid patients face daily with respect to pharmacies, prescriptions and insurance companies. In fact, in many ways, this conversation was a continuation of Wednesday’s column “Going For The Throat: Confessions of a Health Insurance Neophyte“, written by our EIC/Health Care, Robyn Davis Hahn.

Sarah, thank you for your comment and thank you, Dear Thyroid community for bringing our community closer together, and for allowing us to learn more about you and about ourselves.

Sara Broers says:

March 11, 2010 at 1:32 pm

Our insurance companies should NOT determine what types of medications we receive. This should be between us (the patient) and our physicians. I just don’t get it! Keep fighting~thanks for standing up for yourself and the rest of us!

(Written by Sharen, Thyroid Patient)

Dear Thyroid,

Happy New Year. You and I have finally WON! Well, let’s say we’ve won the first step, and that is finally getting the insurance company to open their eyes. Not sure if it was my patient call, or the medical bills or the doctor’s office finally calling to let them know that the generics are not accepted in my body. Anyway, I received a call today to let me know that they are letting me take the correct medication for one year.

Dear Thyroid,

Well, two days have passed so I called the pharmacy, and—yep!—they are saying that the insurance company will not process the medication. So I called the insurance company back, and they are stating that the pharmacy did not call them. So, they will call the pharmacy back, then me.

Dear Thyroid,

Another day has passed and so far not a call from anyone. The pharmacy states that the insurance company didn’t call, so I will call the insurance company. Called the insurance company and the lady suggested that I stay on line while she talks with the pharmacy. She called them, then she talked with me, stating that the pharmacy was lying and that the medication will go through at a certain dosage only per pill.

Dear Thyroid,

Well, another day has gone by and I am still fighting with the pharmacy and now the doctor’s office. How hard is it to understand that the pill can only be 25, not 50! Finally, after 4 HOURS, I’m able to pick up the right dosage and the insurance company is paying.

Dear Thyroid!

Oh Good Grief! I stopped at the pharmacy and they have not even started to work on the prescription. Then they state they do not have the full amount, that I will have to come back sometime next week. They also stated that none of this was their fault.

Dear Thyroid,

I am back on the right medication, and I am feeling better. The thyfog is less and the thyblindness has eased as well. The thought of seeing the doctor in March is not high on my list. I have kept record of all the running around that has been done due to her people and herself and I feel she needs to know that this is not the way people should be taken care of.

But I won, ONE battle, and maybe because of this victory, others will be able to fight and win as well.

So, OK Thyroid! Wakee….Wakeee….

Sharen

–

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Thyrants for the Week

Facebook/Twitter

Ana Prpic: I don’t know which is worse, for weeks I was sleeping 9,10, 11 hours and still was tired, past few days I sleep 5 or 6 hours and have so much trouble falling asleep. It’s both sad and funny

Anita Roberts: I’m all over the damn place right now. Last week it was heart palpasaurus, exhaustion and lotsa sleeping, including naps, hair fall. This week it’s fitful sleep, tight throat, rough skin, joint pain. CRAP!! And I was doing so well. Guess my Hashi’s is on the attack again. Pisses me off. I’ve lost weight tho. Weird.

Kathleen Taylor: my focus is terrible. I can’t even focus on one thing at a time, never mind more than that

Christinah84: Having one of my slo-mo days. Everything seems to take forever and I constantly forget what I was about to do.

ARTIBILITY: Ok…here goes. I hate when I am freezing cold… and it is 75. I hate when my hair falls out & I have somewhere to go. OK it 4 now

Glandside Adventures

@HypoGirl of HypoGirl.com has created a wonderful podcast, her first, chronicling her experiences with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. In her podcast she covers symptoms, her feelings related to her symptoms and fears regarding her future. You must give it a listen! We’re very proud of the girl.

@Kairol, Thyroid Cancer Patient and Patient Advocate, and author of “Everything Changes”, is doing a book reading and happy hour in San Francisco co-sponsored by “I’m Too Young for This”. It’s going to be a glandarific time! If you live in the Bay Area, you simply must head over and meet Kairol. Here are the details.

We’re resurrecting an oldie but a goody later on today, “Marco Thylo”, written by Katie Schwartz and Joanna Isbill. Stay tuned, more dish coming from the Gland Canyon later.

In case you missed “Why We Write Letters To Our Thyroids” this morning, give it a read and let us know what you think. We hope to see more letters and literary things from you in the coming weeks!

Love,

Us

Hey, Thyroid!

Thanks for your help on Monday.  I really mean that.  Man, the way you made me flip out on that ER doc was just AWESOME!  Had you not screwed with my emotions again, I would never have had the “TEST”. Due to your nastiness, you frightened the ER doc into giving me a fecal occult test. I know, I know, the name of the test sort of sounds like a séance you hold in the bathroom. (Lame joke!)

Where was I????  (Brain fog again, Hee Hee) Oh, yeah. The test!!

Had you behaved like yourself, like you normally do when I go to the ER, they would have probably just sent me home after rehydrating me.  Because you acted up, they agreed to do whatever test I wanted.  They actually found the cause of my stomach ailment I had for a long time.

ER:   Why are you here again?

Me:  I’m throwing up and pooping myself at the same time again.

ER:  You were just here 6 months ago.  You have already had tests done.

Me:  (Thyroid kicks in) I AM SICK OF BEING TOLD THAT IT IS ALL JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK I OVEREAT!!!!  SON OF A BITCH!  YOU DID TESTS LAST TIME, IT DIDN’T FIX IT!  DO DIFFERENT ONES THIS TIME!!!!  CHECK MY $#1t FOR AN INFECTION!  MAYBE THAT IS IT!

There were more words said, but you get the idea.

ER:  OK, OK we’ll do it.

Two days later, the health department calls.

HD Nurse:  May I speak with Jacqueline Kipilo?

Me:  Who is this?

HD Nurse:  Is this Jacqueline?

Me:  What do you want?

HD Nurse:  Is Jacqueline not there?

Me:  (Thyroid kicks in) This is her, WHAT THE F$&*% DO YOU WANT??? WHO ARE YOU???

HD Nurse:  Hi I’m from the Health Department. You have Cryptosporidiosis. You can find it on www.cdc.gov

Me:  Sorry.  WHAT????  I didn’t mean to yell before, but I have a thyroid problem. (Yes, I did tell her that.)

After the nurse explained that I have a parasite, she asked me about my symptoms.  I told her I couldn’t have a parasite because I have this problem every six months.  She had explained to me that because I have Hashimoto’s, my immune system is not strong enough to fight it and it has probably been in my system for a long time.

Thyroid, since you made me fat, I have been trying to go swimming as much as I can.  THIS IS PROBABLY HOW I GOT THE PARASITE!!!!  AUUUGGGGHHHHH!  The parasite lies dormant then it acts up again.  Sort of like you, Thyroid.

The nurse told me that I shouldn’t go in creeks or rivers due to low immunity and the risk of contracting parasites. So just a little public service break from the actual letter here… Don’t go drinking natural spring water from the spring while hiking if you have Hashimoto’s or Graves!!!! You get WORMS!!!!!!

Ok, enough of that.

1. The thyroid is also good for…

Getting out of cleaning the litter pan, “Honey, please clean the litter from now on.  I have an autoimmune disease and I can’t clean it anymore.”

1. Doing what you want.

Husband:  no, we aren’t going there.  I’m tired.

Me:  SON OF A BITCH!  I’M FEELING GOOD TODAY AND YOU JUST WANT TO SIT AT HOME.  WHAT IF I DON’T FEEL GOOD ANYMORE THIS YEAR????

1. Making people leave you alone.

I have been talking to myself lately to try to remember things.  If you start moving your mouth while you do it, they think you are crazy and leave you alone. Who are they you ask???  The “normal’s”: Those who don’t have a screwy gland.

My husband once asked what it was like going through this.  I told him quite sweetly, “Darling, imagine your testicles growing teeth and biting off your penis.  Your testicles are a gland and they would be acting crazy if they did this.  It would cause a lot of physical and mental pain, and you would be really upset.  My thyroid is a gland and it is acting crazy. It is causing me mental and physical pain and making ME really upset.”

Now he doesn’t question when I say I’m feeling bad.

Whenever people think there is something wrong with me, I am just going to smile and say, “It’s a Thyroid thing.  You wouldn’t understand.”

Love ya Thyroid!  (This time)

–Jackie.

(Bio) “Hi. My name is Jackie, and I am 40 years old.  My life ended as I knew it, the Spring I turned 30.  I didn’t know what was wrong with me.  Doctors insisted I was crazy.  I almost believed them. Thank you, Dear Thyroid for your site. I hope this letter I write will finally allow me to accept my condition.”