JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Brian Austin Whitney Blog Friday, March 2nd, 2007

Hi Brian,
YES, I have had to argue with doctors and nurses and switch when I was unhappy with the care I received. More than once. I don't like confrontation, so it wasn't easy for me.
I have a hypothyroid condition, which isn't miserable at the moment, but seriously affects quality of life and energy when it's out of whack.
I finally found a book ("Living Well With Hypothyroidism") which clued me in to what my test results were REALLY supposed to be, and discussed how to speak to your doctors about the results.
It turned out my then-doctor had me on too little replacement hormone to do me enough good. I switched doctors after demanding my lab paperwork and discussing my treatment plan and getting nowhere. With the new doctor, I switched doses, then brands of Rx, and finally started feeling human again.
It's a weird disease because the symptoms are all over the place for any individual. You might have some and not others.
Now I tell everyone with even a HINT that "my thyroid might be low" to GET THEIR LAB RESULTS in print--make sure your TSH is BELOW 3.0. (high numbers mean you have less thyroid function) These are the new and updated numbers from the Board of Endocrinology or whoever figures these things out.
Anyway... there's my mileage.
I moved and had to switch dr.'s yet again, but have been lucky to find a proactive one that I like and get along with.
Good luck--and YES you are doing the right thing. No one cares about your very own body as much as YOU do. It's the only one you've got!!
Linda