What Important Life Lesson Thyroid Disease Taught You
Hashi's has taught me to trust my gut feeling and be persistent. I felt extremely depressed, unmotivated, sluggish, gained weight and lost hair. I suggested thyroid disease to my family doctor. She prescribed anti-depressants.
For two years, I kept asking if my symptoms could be thyroid related and she recommended a sleep study instead! After asking for copies of my old labs, I found out that my TSH had been above 5.0 for some time and my doctor dismissed or overlooked it.
Fortunately, I pressed on and visited an endocrinologist who revealed that I had Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and elevated anti-bodies.
How Has This Lesson Changed Your Life?
My mistake is that I trusted my family doctor to make the right decisions for me. I never asked for copies of my labs. Why should I have? I trusted her. This taught me to become a health advocate for myself. I am the client. I hire/fire "the experts." I listen to my body and keep better records of my labs, etc.
When I received the diagnosis, I almost cried. Tears of joy, that is, for finally getting an answer to why I was feeling the way I did and knowing that there was treatment for me.
Advice
- Ask for a copy of your labwork EVERY time! Doctors are humans too--they can overlook something or make a mistake.
- Trust your gut feeling!
- Listen to your body!
- If your doctor will not listen to you, find a new one!
- Do not give up hope! There is help for you.
- Educate yourself, arm yourself with knowledge,become more confident in communicating your needs with health professionals.
