You're Fired!

No, not you! My thyroid doctor.

It's been about eight hours now and I think I'm finally calm enough to share this story.

This morning I had an appointment with my thyroid doctor, an endocrinologist. We'll call her Dr. H.

First a little history. The only reason I ever went to this doctor is because when we first moved to this town she was the only non-reproductive endocrinologist on our insurance.

I've had a baby. Reproduction not an issue (at least not then). I simply need a doctor to regulate my thyroid levels. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. That's where my body systematically attacks the thyroid glands until they eventually can't produce any thyroid on its own.

It's rare for someone as young as me to have any hypothyroid problems. But see, they run in my family.

Anyway, the very first time I went to see Dr. H she didn't believe I had any problems until I told her about my doctor in Iowa. Turns out she'd worked with him personally.

"Well, if Dr. K says you've got low thyroid than you must have low thyroid."

Since then, I've been in to see her once every six months to go over any ongoing symptoms and get my levels checked.

She has consistently poo-pooed any symptom I report saying they must be from another source, since my tests are all "normal". Despite the fact studies have shown the standard TSH test can be normal and the patient can still be symptomatic.

Anyway, I've become increasingly displeased with this. Six months ago, she tried to lower my supplement saying the test showed I was getting too much. Even though I remained symptomatic.

I finally started standing up to her and said, "No."

Today, I recited a whole litany of symptoms: unexplained weight gain, hair loss, eczema, splitting and cracking fingernails, unexplained joint pain, etc.

All are symptoms of low thyroid. Once again she tried to tell me that since my test was normal (six months ago! she hadn't done the new one yet) these must be related to something else.

As our disagreement escalated (I did my best to stay calm, cool and collected but must admit my volume level did start to rise toward the end) she pulled the comment, "I have patients that come in here every day with serious problems."

She'd basically just called me a hypochondriac!

I stood up, said, "Then maybe I shouldn't be coming here anymore" and walked out.

Doctor fired!

Now begins the long and tedious search for a new thyroid doctor, before my current prescription runs out. And I must face the fact I may not be able to find a doctor who's on my insurance plan. A big financial ouch, there!

Nimitz' Lady