Saturday, September 20, 2008

Ready To Rumble

Well, I got my results from the endocrinologist back. Everything's normal.

He recommends no more testing.

Funny though - all of the trials I've read in regard to thyroid issues all say that they throw out certain results if a test subject is on estrogen. Hmmm - makes me wonder if that somehow skews the results. Up front I told the doctor I was taking estrogen. You'd think he would have perhaps recommended doing a baseline test and then have me go off of the estrogen (something I wasn't really looking forward to going through again) and test at least every month to see what happens with the thyroid hormone levels.

Guess he didn't want to be bothered. First doctor in 2000 told me I was just getting older (at 31?). This one blamed it on my "sex hormones" and alluded to the possibility that it was all in my mind.

Gosh, sometimes I wish it was.

In 2000, I let that idiot convince me that everything must be the result of peri-menopause. I lived for three years without sleep. Didn't realize that was a symptom of menopause. My family doctor finally took pity on me in 2003 and suggested perhaps seeing if a round of estrogen might help. It did for some of the symptoms and after being on it for several years finally started sleeping more regularly. However, I still continue to deal with other symptoms that have never gone away, and every single one of them in on the thyroid hormone list, NOT the adrenal or sex hormone list.

One symptom I continue to live with is the hoarse voice. I'm a singer - I live to sing and haven't been able to very well since 2000. I've realized that I want that ability back more than anything, and I'm going to fight to get it back if at all possible.

I've come across some infomation on additional doctors, doctors who listen AND hear their patients. Doctors who don't just use a test as their only litmus for diagnosis. In my research, apparently there's quite a bit of controvery surrounding what actually constitutes a "normal" thyroid reading anyway. These doctors I come across treat the symptoms and not just if you get a positive reading on a test.

That's all I've been asking - for someone to just hear what I'm saying and at least TRY something to see if it will help. The fight is on. I'm not giving up. I did that in 2000 essentially, but not now.

Let's get ready to rumble!

2 comments:

Brian Johnson said...

I'd love to joke about the state of medicine this day and age, but it makes me nash teeth when I start talking about it. Someone, I don't know who, let the HMO and someone other than doctors start making decisions on how things are done. I look at the way the Keystone Cops are treating my mother with lung cancer and it makes me do wall to wall counciling. The test I've been yelling at the oncologist to do and the treatment I said which has been needed ever since the initial diagnosis three months ago is finally going to happen. They say it's one of the best oncologist around, I've seen nothing but a tragedy of errors on their part.

I recommend trying to get a thyroid screen done by your primary care PhD. See if he'd be willing to look at it. Otherwise it might be time to change endocrinologists.

B

BTW have they done a hormone study on you or just put you on estrogen???

Denise said...

Sorry to hear about the ongoing issues with your mother's care. Seeing another family member treated this way would probably put me at their throats.

Are you kidding? A study? Gee, that would actually take some time and a bit of intellectual investigative analysis. You think they take time to do that? I'm convinced the medical industry has become a field of numbers - see how many you can prod through like cattle and collect the insurance money.

Seriously though, there are good doctors out there. It's just like walking through a maze trying to kiss a few frogs to find the right one though.