Why Your Doctor Thinks I'm Crazy!

I was talking with a reporter the other day, who is interviewing various doctors for an article on thyroid disease. The reporter said that in speaking with some of the mainstream endocrinologists, one of the doctors had said "Mary Shomon is crazy." The reporter was a bit confused as to why some doctors would suggest such a thing. It's a safe bet that some of you reading this will also have doctors who think that I'm crazy.

One very well-known East Coast endocrinologist actually did a presentation to his fellow endocrinologists, and to start off the session, he did a David Letterman "Top 10" style list of "The Top Ten Signs You Have a Crazy Thyroid Patient on Your Hands." (Isn't it comforting to know that when the endocrinology community gets together for educational sessions, they start out by making fun of patients?) In any case, "She walks in carrying a copy of Mary Shomon's book" was actually number 2 on the list!

Hearing that doctors say I'm "crazy," and that they dread patients who walk in carrying copies of my book is the BEST thing anyone could tell me. Because that means that I'm doing my job as a patient advocate...and the endocrinologists are taking notice!!

But let's take a look at some of the reasons why some doctors say I'm crazy, while at the same time, millions of visits are made each month to my websites, and hundreds of thousands of copies of my books, guides and newsletters are in the hands of thyroid patients around the nation and the world...

1. Endocrinology is a specialty that attracts "accountant" personalities -- who want to view you as a "lab value."

If practiced properly, endocrinology is a specialty that actually requires great finesse and subtlety, people skills, and the ability to integrate the complicated workings of the endocrine and hormonal systems. Unfortunately, endocrinology does not seem to attract warm, people-oriented personalities -- in fact, it seems to attract just the opposite. The ranks of endocrinologists are filled with doctors who view things in a very rigid, very black and white manner. I call them the "accountants" of medicine, because endocrinologists typically focus on diabetes or thyroid disease, both conditions that are "diagnosed and managed by the numbers." In diabetes, blood sugar and insulin levels are measured, and drugs are given to keep the numbers "normal." In thyroid disease, TSH levels are measured, and drugs and treatments are given to keep the numbers "normal." If the numbers are ok, the patient is ok. It's as simple as that. Or is it?

My motto as a patient advocate has always been "We're patients...NOT lab values!" But this is totally opposite to this "your lab values are normal, therefore you're fine" approach to diagnosis and treatment. No wonder some doctors think I'm crazy!

2. Most doctors don't know what to do to help patients besides giving levothyroxine, and besides, it's easier to just do the minimum.

In a study of Graves' disease patients post-RAI treatment, the Thyroid Foundation of America found that the majority of patients studied did not feel well, despite being treated to "euthyroid" status (normal TSH range). My quality of life study conducted last year -- the first of its kind ever conducted among a substantial number of thyroid patients (the survey population was almost 1000 patients) -- found that more than 50% of patients were not satisfied with their treatment, and more than 90% complained of still feeling fatigued, and almost 65% finding weight loss difficult or impossible. More than half of all patients had difficulty concentrating, a feeling like their mind was in a "fog," reduced or nonexistent sex drive, inappropriate weight gain, pains/aches/stiffness in joints, and forgetfulness.

Interestingly, these are the same patients who many doctors declare so "easy to treat." Yes, it's easy to treat, especially when "treatment" consists of having your nurse draw blood, sending the blood out for a TSH test (the cost of which you mark up 300% or more), fill out a prescription pad, and send the patient away for a year.

Patients who complain of continued fatigue, weight problems, depression, aches, pains, hair problems, skin problems, etc. -- this actually requires WORK! These people are NOT easy to treat. So, the answer? "It's not your thyroid." Even if you never had these problems before your thyroid condition was diagnosed, and now you do -- "It's not your thyroid." Even if these are all symptoms of a thyroid condition, if your TSH is now "normal," then "It's not your thyroid."

Many doctors do NOT believe that...

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