....why thank you one and all!
The reason for the drama queen moment is this; I went to see my Doctor today! This is a very big deal for me so I'll say it again; I went to see my Doctor today!
The reason this is such a big deal is that I am a recluse! I find it very difficult to leave the house for positive situations, so to go to see my doctor filled with trepidation is huge! And I did it!
This was Friday morning. I had been up since 1am (night shift) so at 8.30am I decided to call my Doctor's surgery to see if I could get an appointment. Strike while the iron is hot, take the bull by the horns, you get the picture.
My Doctor could see me at 9am, bonus! This was the best possible outcome as it did not give me time to work myself up into an anguished state or worse still the dreaded panic attack! So, all good so far.
I had already prepared a list of questions I wanted to ask and had Mary's book tucked under my arm like a comfort blanket. So off to battle I went.
I think my Doctor could sense that I was in a bit of a mess and did not try to rush me out of the office. I was in the arena of battle for at least 45 minutes, amazing!
Now, do not by fooled! I am nowhere near as eloquent in the flesh as I am in this blog, ha ha ha!
But I covered all the bases and told my Doctor that I was struggling to cope and was near to breaking point. It all got a bit teary at times, me, not the Doctor! But the gravity of the situation was communicated eventually, how effectively I am not sure. I even managed to get a laugh, it went something like this;
Me: "Doctor my digestive transit is about 4 days from top to bottom and this continual constipation is unpleasant."
Doctor: "Oh, that's not very nice. We'll have to see what we can do about that."
Me: "Thank you. So I guess you could say I'm full of shit."
Doctor: "Ha ha ha."
Those of you who have followed this blog know that I was only making a statement of fact! Anyway I have been prescribed Movicol for the foreseeable future.
We also played an amiable game of catch (or hot potato) around the subject of depression. My view; I am not depressed but my thyroid issues result in a poor quality of life. You know I have had a nervous breakdown in the past and I know what depression feels like. I am under extreme mental pressure from many angles but that does not mean I am depressed. Doctor's view; depression, hypothyroidism, hypothyroidism, depression, chicken, egg. Go figure!
The surgery was quiet due to school holidays so my Doctor managed to arrange for me to have a blood sample taken by the nurse there and then. This was very much appreciated as it avoided the need to go home and repeat the process of leaving the house! So I was on a roll!
I have a problem with blood samples being taken; I have "deep veins" apparently so hitting oil can be a bit of an ordeal. In the past I have had to go back another day after a butcher had 12, yes twelve, unsuccessful attempts at getting blood. Someone was smiling on me yesterday as the nurse struck pay dirt first time! I kid you not!
So overwhelmed was I by my experience exceeding my expectations that I have forgotten exactly what my blood tests are for. TSH, T4, T3 and something else, along with kidney and liver function tests I think. Anyway, an appointment has been made to discuss these results next Wednesday, so we will see what is what then.
My Doctor has also agreed to refer me to an endocrinologist at the local hospital. To discuss "fancy" blood tests and T3. Happy with that as I had only been asking for more than 5 years!
Overall a positive outcome. Could it have gone any better? Yes. But disaster was avoided and progress has been made towards taking control of my health.
Friday was a good day.
I am thankful for that much.
the good-doctor vibe must be doing the rounds as I too, have just had a 'successful' doctor's visit. i've just been trawling around the internet looking for stuff related to circadian rhythms and i found this in wikipedia about melatonin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin. There is a whole pile of other stuff related to sleep and sleep disorders which made me think of your sleep issues. Have you looked into some of this yet? It seems like a good jumping off point, if not. I used to have other sleep issues and ended up contacting a top sleep clinic in the States and got some very good advice so I was able to get my doc to do some related tests.
ReplyDeletemany more Happy Fridays to you,
Aly
Constipation is a symptom of Hypo.
ReplyDeleteWhen you get your results write them down (TSH, FT4 and FT3 if they did this one).
You need to understand and learn about the thyroid because the endo's and GP's know fuck all.
I am well !! and i have bullied the gp and endo into doing what they should understand is correct for me. i am off to see the endo later this month to now try and get him to put me on T3 as well (i take it myself with wonderful results).
If i hadnt researched about my health i would still be a tired, worried person using an anti depressant which alleviated little of the physical discomfort i was in. I was angry and aggressive at times and generally life was shit.
But i have done my research and i am better. You just dont need to suffer like this. What forums do you use ? All the answers are out there, in peoples heads. Tap into their personal experiences are start trying stuff for yourself. It will cost money because the NHS will not give you the stuff you need (iodine, b12, selenium, iron, vit c in high doses other vit and minerals and the important T3 and cortisol (i imagine your adrenals are a key to this and so not producing plenty of cortisol).
The bulletin boards which are good are TPA in the UK and real thyroid help (very good help here)
Hi Robert, I too have problems when it comes to taking my blood. The solution I found was to drink lots of water before going to the clinic (even took a bottle with me to sip whilst I was waiting) and before I left the house held my arm under the hot tap for a while, then wrapped up warm - cardigan, jumper, etc - even in hot weather.
ReplyDeleteLiliane
PS Stay well clear of iodine. The source of your hypo is Hashi's, not iodine deficiency, and to take iodine when you don't need it is very dangerous. I know - been there, done that, got the dead gland to show for it !