Assembled by Mary Shomon, Your Thyroid Guide
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Firstly, I watch the Oprah show every day and it has been a tremendous help to me in my life. So thank you very much Oprah for contributing in a positive and wonderful way to my life.
Secondly, I am writing because I would like thyroid problems to be covered on her show. There are many people who have been diagnosed with the mystery disease CFS (ME in England) who have finally been discovered to have been hypothyroid, but this was missed because of the appalling lab tests introduced in the late 1970s. A book was written in England by a lady called Diana Holmes "Tears Behind Closed Doors". Diana was misdiagnosed and for 30 years was disabled and confined to a wheelchair and scooter. After 30 years of a disabled life, a doctor gave her thyroxine and she recovered completely. She had been hypothyroid all along but had had 'normal lab test results' so no-one treated her. There are many, many people with so-called CFS who are now being found to be suffering from chronic untreated hypothyroidism and there are several doctors in America, notably Dr Lowe, who is of the opinion that CFS is actually chronic, untreated hypothyroidism.
It is an appalling battle to get treated in England, as well as America, because of the adherence to the lab tests meaning that doctors no longer give thyroxine to people who may have all the symptoms but appear 'normal' on their tests. Please cover this subject. It causes a great deal of misery to many people, including myself, who have to fight for treatment which most people think we don't need. Not only that, but all those people who have CFS and fibromyalia, (including me) may actually be suffering from untreated hypothyroidism and are going untreated because of the lab tests.
Thanks, in hope.
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