Showing posts with label endocrinologists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label endocrinologists. Show all posts
June 25, 2012
June 18, 2012
Patients with Thyroid Dysfunction Demand Better Care (Petition)
If you haven't already, be sure to sign the petition for "Patients with Thyroid Dysfunction Demand Better Care."
You can also visit their Facebook page here.
You can also visit their Facebook page here.
June 13, 2012
Endo appointment and my Iron
I've known my endo since I was a kid. I've known her Nurse Practitioner almost as long. Although they haven't always agreed with my decisions (such as no flu shots while pregnant - or ever, for that matter), they respect my decision.
On Friday I had an appointment with my endo's NP for a diabetes recheck. I hadn't been since December. I had been so nervous about telling them I was taking an alternative route with my thyroid, that I just cancelled my March appointment.
I talked with my thyroid MD about it and he seemed to have no problems with me telling them I'm working with him. (I had been paranoid about that, since he's always going on tiraids about the other doctors in town hating what he does.) He even went as far as to say that he thinks my endo and her staff are a little curious, if not sympathetic, toward what he does.
The NP has always been very personable with patients. She and I chatted like old friends. We talked about my diabetes and she asked about my miscarriage and how I've been since then. I said I wondered if it might not be good to check my iron since I lost so much blood. She said sure and started adding the labs into the system.
While she was adding the labs, I said that I wanted to let her and my endo know that since January I've been using some alternative methods with my thyroid, that I'm on NDT, and I'm working with a doctor . . . so I wouldn't be needing any thyroid labs drawn that day.
She was very stony-faced, tight lipped and said, "I'll take those labs out of the system then." She did it, said, "Okay," and very quickly changed the subject.
It was one of the most uncomfortable few seconds of my entire life!
I'm relieved not to have been yelled at or given a lecture. But we'll see what happens when I meet with me endo for my 3 three month follow-up in September. She might give me an earful about it, but I can also see her ignoring it.
On Friday I had an appointment with my endo's NP for a diabetes recheck. I hadn't been since December. I had been so nervous about telling them I was taking an alternative route with my thyroid, that I just cancelled my March appointment.
I talked with my thyroid MD about it and he seemed to have no problems with me telling them I'm working with him. (I had been paranoid about that, since he's always going on tiraids about the other doctors in town hating what he does.) He even went as far as to say that he thinks my endo and her staff are a little curious, if not sympathetic, toward what he does.
The NP has always been very personable with patients. She and I chatted like old friends. We talked about my diabetes and she asked about my miscarriage and how I've been since then. I said I wondered if it might not be good to check my iron since I lost so much blood. She said sure and started adding the labs into the system.
While she was adding the labs, I said that I wanted to let her and my endo know that since January I've been using some alternative methods with my thyroid, that I'm on NDT, and I'm working with a doctor . . . so I wouldn't be needing any thyroid labs drawn that day.
She was very stony-faced, tight lipped and said, "I'll take those labs out of the system then." She did it, said, "Okay," and very quickly changed the subject.
It was one of the most uncomfortable few seconds of my entire life!
I'm relieved not to have been yelled at or given a lecture. But we'll see what happens when I meet with me endo for my 3 three month follow-up in September. She might give me an earful about it, but I can also see her ignoring it.
June 5, 2012
Upcoming Endo Appointment
I have an appointment with my endocrinologist's nurse practitioner at the end of this week. I have known my endo for 20 years - since I was 9 years old. I've known her NP for at least 15. They may not always agree with my decisions (declining flu vaccinations, for example) but they have always shown me respect regarding my obviously well-thought decisions.
And yet I'm nervous because I haven't been there since December which, as you know, was before I went on NDT through my new MD.
My endo previously handled all of my thyroid care. At my appointment in December, I showed her a list of a dozen symptoms that I had jotted down and told her, "We've GOT to do something else!"
I asked about NDT, T3, more labs. She very quickly gave me reasons why NDT wasn't a good idea ("I have a problem with putting ground up dead pig thyroid inside of you") and T3 ("Your body doesn't need T3 because it automatically converts T4 into T3").
I don't even remember where the conversation went after that and why she didn't order more labs. (Because she wouldn't know what to do with them, probably.)
I'm nervous because I get to half-fire her - because I don't want her to handle my thyroid care, but I do need her to help with my diabetes care.
I also have this great opportunity to tell the NP about Stop the Thyroid Madness and Recovering With T3 and how effective it is. I think that I could make a pretty decent argument in the mere fact that something I am doing with NDT must be right if I have had 77 symptoms dramatically, including chronic long-term depression (despite the fact that I went OFF my Prozac when I started NDT) improve in just a few months.
At the same time, I'm not sure if I want to deal with the stress of the appointment. What a dilemma.
And yet I'm nervous because I haven't been there since December which, as you know, was before I went on NDT through my new MD.
My endo previously handled all of my thyroid care. At my appointment in December, I showed her a list of a dozen symptoms that I had jotted down and told her, "We've GOT to do something else!"
I asked about NDT, T3, more labs. She very quickly gave me reasons why NDT wasn't a good idea ("I have a problem with putting ground up dead pig thyroid inside of you") and T3 ("Your body doesn't need T3 because it automatically converts T4 into T3").
I don't even remember where the conversation went after that and why she didn't order more labs. (Because she wouldn't know what to do with them, probably.)
I'm nervous because I get to half-fire her - because I don't want her to handle my thyroid care, but I do need her to help with my diabetes care.
I also have this great opportunity to tell the NP about Stop the Thyroid Madness and Recovering With T3 and how effective it is. I think that I could make a pretty decent argument in the mere fact that something I am doing with NDT must be right if I have had 77 symptoms dramatically, including chronic long-term depression (despite the fact that I went OFF my Prozac when I started NDT) improve in just a few months.
At the same time, I'm not sure if I want to deal with the stress of the appointment. What a dilemma.
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