# Went to the doc for labs...



## monarch (Mar 13, 2010)

I had to share my doctor experience with the members of this forum because he (my doc) was a total jerk (not that he isn't normally) but today he exceeded the jerk adjective to one I can't use on this forum. LOL!

I was afraid to go to him and I rarely do but I needed labs done. He had only done TSH and Free Thyroxine in the past. Here is what he said to me today. I am not exaggerating or adding anything. He ACTUALLY said these things to me.

He said he would do the standard TSH test for me. I asked "what about T3 and..." he stopped me and said "you have to stop reading so much". I asked "why?". He said "because you shouldn't know about this and I'm the doctor". Then he went on a diatribe about how there is too much hoopla out there regarding T3 and it is not important. I just sat there with my jaw dropped.

When I listed my symptoms (which are all listed under hypothyroid except for gritty eye), he said _none of your symptom point to any one disease so I can't come up with a disease for you and put it in a box with a bow on it and just give it to you._ This is even less sarcastic sounding than it was face to face.

He also said _"your edema or eye swelling has absolutely nothing to do with your thyroid, that I can say 100%, you're just getting older"_. If you saw my pictures within the last year before/after I posted in another thread you can see a BIG change in my appearance. People age gradually not all in one year. He said I can go see a plastic surgeon because the eyes and thyroid are not related. WHAT??????

AND THE BEST WAS..._"who diagnosed you with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?"_ I said _"you did"_ and he said _"no I didn't"_ only to find his diagnosis in his folder on an orange piece of paper at the end of the appointment. :tongue0015:

I'm finding myself a different doctor. He did order most of the tests I requested. He didn't like it when I asked if I could write them all down. He just got up and left them room and left me with the nurse. But the lab tests he ordered for me are:
*CBC; ESR; ANA; C-Reactive Protein; B12; Iron; Free T3, Free T4; TSH; Thyroid Antibodies; Comprehensive Mt panel; Basic Mt panel*

One last thing...he did get around to the "it's all psychological" thing. He said [_because I grind my teeth at night once in a while and that is why I have sinus and eye edema. It is due to stress that I have constant sinus problems and eye pressure and pain._] O.K., whatever. I have had TMJ since I was 17 due to grinding my teeth but I guess it has taken 20 years for it to affect my sinuses and eyes.

HEY DOC, THE CRACKER JACK BOX YOU GOT YOUR MEDICAL LICENSE OUT OF IS CALLING...IT WOULD LIKE IT BACK. arty0045:


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## prettynikki5 (Dec 9, 2009)

Oh my Monarch,
I am so sorry you were treated so horribly  What a jerk, good for you for standing your ground- you are your best advocate, too bad there are doctors like him treating people, it's a very disturbing thing. I'm sure the results will be a further slap to his ignorant ego. Booooooo to him.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

monarch said:


> I had to share my doctor experience with the members of this forum because he (my doc) was a total jerk (not that he isn't normally) but today he exceeded the jerk adjective to one I can't use on this forum. LOL!
> 
> I was afraid to go to him and I rarely do but I needed labs done. He had only done TSH and Free Thyroxine in the past. Here is what he said to me today. I am not exaggerating or adding anything. He ACTUALLY said these things to me.
> 
> ...


I know one thing; he should do more reading and I do mean lots of it. What an uncaring uneducated doctor. This is all too scary. It truly made me think that he is on cocaine or something for the dialogue is truly arcane.

The only good thing and this would not have happened if you did not advocate for yourself is that the labs are ordered.

Now we wait w/ bated breath.

Thank you for your in-depth and very disparaging report. That man should be ashamed of himself.


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## monarch (Mar 13, 2010)

Andros said:


> I know one thing; he should do more reading and I do mean lots of it. What an uncaring uneducated doctor. This is all too scary. It truly made me think that he is on cocaine or something for the dialogue is truly arcane.
> 
> The only good thing and this would not have happened if you did not advocate for yourself is that the labs are ordered.
> 
> ...


I was so mad I actually told the Phlebotomist what he said to me. She said her sister is a doctor at Mayo Clinic in MN and she and her sister have had conversations about doctors and how a lot of them don't do any more reading/research after their residency. :scared0011: She said the ones that get angry when a patient asks questions are the ones that know the least. She told me that it is obvious that he is NOT knowledgeable regarding the latest data in this area and my questions made him feel threatened. Doctors don't like to be challenged.

I know there are plenty of doctors who want their patients to participate and read up on their disease. After all it is MY body and MY disease. I should know what is going on with my body. I just need to find a doctor that is actually more interested in treating my disease than he is in his own delicate ego.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

monarch said:


> I was so mad I actually told the Phlebotomist what he said to me. She said her sister is a doctor at Mayo Clinic in MN and she and her sister have had conversations about doctors and how a lot of them don't do any more reading/research after their residency. :scared0011: She said the ones that get angry when a patient asks questions are the ones that know the least. She told me that it is obvious that he is NOT knowledgeable regarding the latest data in this area and my questions made him feel threatened. Doctors don't like to be challenged.
> 
> I know there are plenty of doctors who want their patients to participate and read up on their disease. After all it is MY body and MY disease. I should know what is going on with my body. I just need to find a doctor that is actually more interested in treating my disease than he is in his own delicate ego.


And it is not just male doctors. Be on your toes w/ this one. I hope you can find someone who is knowledgable (or at least willing to be), caring and interested helping you gain back your health.


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## Gudrun (Mar 19, 2010)

Sounds like the endo I saw the other day. He hated that I read up about thyroid disease online, as if everything other than what they tell you is incorrect . It was scary how much of what he said contradicted dozens of sources I've read. It's so discouraging, I can relate.

What's weird is that we're all hypochondriacs somehow. They only have to look at my chart to know I rarely go to the doctor, is feeling unwell and wanting answers crazy?


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## monarch (Mar 13, 2010)

Gudrun said:


> Sounds like the endo I saw the other day. He hated that I read up about thyroid disease online, as if everything other than what they tell you is incorrect . It was scary how much of what he said contradicted dozens of sources I've read. It's so discouraging, I can relate.
> 
> What's weird is that we're all hypochondriacs somehow. They only have to look at my chart to know I rarely go to the doctor, is feeling unwell and wanting answers crazy?


What is scary is that they don't even look at your chart more that a minute before they enter the room, then give you 15 min. to say why you are there, and they don't know or remember your history. The "it's all in your head" thing is a total cop out because it is easier to prescribe a drug or antidepressant than really do the work to figure out what is wrong with you. My aunt had renal failure because a doctor she went to prescribed meds that almost killed her because he didn't look at her history or take the time to find out what med she was on already and prescribed a med that was deadly in combo with the med she was already taking.

Sorry, but I don't trust doctors. I haven't had good experiences and I've heard too many horror stories. This last appointment just made me more leery of the so-called experts. I look forward to finding a good doc that I can trust.


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## Gudrun (Mar 19, 2010)

If it makes you feel any better, I really like my GP.

The thing about your facial edema reminds me of when I showed the endo my horribly swollen tongue, he just shrugged at me like it was no big deal. I keep biting the sides of it and it's sometimes hard to talk, please don't tell me that's normal.


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## Gudrun (Mar 19, 2010)

And isn;t it funny how they act when you have a symptom they can't explain. Like, "Hey doc I have this":

"tightness in my throat" - "stress"
"insomnia" - "stress"
"hair loss" - "stress"
"irregular periods" - "stress"
"a swollen tongue"- "Uhhh, well...hmmm. Doesn't look that swollen, maybe a little. Do you have allergies? No, well it's probably no big deal."


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

monarch said:


> What is scary is that they don't even look at your chart more that a minute before they enter the room, then give you 15 min. to say why you are there, and they don't know or remember your history. The "it's all in your head" thing is a total cop out because it is easier to prescribe a drug or antidepressant than really do the work to figure out what is wrong with you. My aunt had renal failure because a doctor she went to prescribed meds that almost killed her because he didn't look at her history or take the time to find out what med she was on already and prescribed a med that was deadly in combo with the med she was already taking.
> 
> Sorry, but I don't trust doctors. I haven't had good experiences and I've heard too many horror stories. This last appointment just made me more leery of the so-called experts. I look forward to finding a good doc that I can trust.


This is why we all should at least become familiar w/ elemental anatomy, medical jargon and most importantly, keep our own records for ourselves and our family members.

And always be sure that what you are learning is from a "credible" source. There is a lot of misinformation out there and not just about the thyroid. The more you learn, the more discerning you will become.


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## monarch (Mar 13, 2010)

Gudrun said:


> And isn;t it funny how they act when you have a symptom they can't explain. Like, "Hey doc I have this":
> 
> "tightness in my throat" - "stress"
> "insomnia" - "stress"
> ...


Definitely! It is either "stress" or "psychological issues".

On another note, the lab my clinic uses is really conservative. They still use the range .5 to 6 as "normal" for TSH levels. I felt horrible at 3.xx yet I was considered fine because the lab said so. I just wish docs would treat patients more on how they feel physically rather than purely treating them based on labs numbers.

I look forward to getting my labs back. They are going to just love it when I ask for a copy of my lab report. :winking0001:


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Gudrun said:


> And isn;t it funny how they act when you have a symptom they can't explain. Like, "Hey doc I have this":
> 
> "tightness in my throat" - "stress"
> "insomnia" - "stress"
> ...


If your tongue is swollen, that is really one of the worst symptoms of "untreated" and/or "undiagnosed" thyroid disease.

Possible causes of tongue swelling:

Acromegaly 
Allergic reaction to food or medicine 
Amyloidosis 
Angioedema 
Beckwith syndrome 
Cancer of the tongue 
Congenital micrognathia 
Down syndrome 
Hypothyroidismexplode 
Infection 
Leukemia 
Lymphangioma 
Neurofibromatosis 
Pellagra 
Pernicious anemia 
Strep infection 
Tumor of the pituitary gland

This also happens in hyperthyroid even though this list does not say so.


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