# What should my doctor be doing?



## Steal_My_Skin (Mar 18, 2011)

Hello, again.

I was first diagnosed in January and my GP put me on methimazole until I could get to an endocrinologist. The endo upped my dosage slightly, did labs six weeks later, and said I am "back to normal." I will get copies of these labs when I see the endo again for regular lab work at the end of May.

My question is, I'm seeing most of you talk about getting the RAIU scan and visiting opthalmologists. My endo hasn't suggested any of this. Am I too early in the game to need these procedures/referrals? Is it possible they just might not apply to me? My endo seems content to look me over and check my blood. He seems like a good doctor, but is he being thorough?

Believe me, medical care scares the sh.. out of me. I'm the last person looking to get more tests and have more doctor visits. Plus my doc is being considerate of my lack of health insurance and trying to keep this affordable for me.

Any thoughts?


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## midgetmaid (Jul 22, 2010)

If I didn't have eye symptoms, I would feel comfortable not seeing an optho.

Renee


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Steal_My_Skin said:


> Hello, again.
> 
> I was first diagnosed in January and my GP put me on methimazole until I could get to an endocrinologist. The endo upped my dosage slightly, did labs six weeks later, and said I am "back to normal." I will get copies of these labs when I see the endo again for regular lab work at the end of May.
> 
> ...


You should always listen to your instincts. Yes, you should have RAIU. Not only does that tell the rate of uptake which is very important to know but it will pick up any suspicious nodules.

We are finding more and more that hyper (Graves') and cancer are bed fellows.

http://www.thyroidmanager.org/Chapter18/18-cancothr.htm

And if you indeed have Graves' (exophthalmos, goiter, pretibial myxedema and thyrotoxicosis) or if you think you have TED (thyroid eye disease) associated with your cirumstances you definitely need to see an ophthalmologist to establish a "baseline" and receive early medical intervention as the eyes have to be treated independently.

http://www.kellogg.umich.edu/patientcare/conditions/graves.disease.html

Do you feel back to normal? I empathize with both of your concerns. It's a mess out there.


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## Steal_My_Skin (Mar 18, 2011)

I was feeling great. Then for the past 3 weeks or so things have been weird. My mood has been off (though getting back on track, I think), and I've been tired and headachey this week (maybe due to the weather change we're having here). I dunno. Unless anything big changes, I'm holding out until my next endo appointment in May.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Steal_My_Skin said:


> I was feeling great. Then for the past 3 weeks or so things have been weird. My mood has been off (though getting back on track, I think), and I've been tired and headachey this week (maybe due to the weather change we're having here). I dunno. Unless anything big changes, I'm holding out until my next endo appointment in May.


Just don't give yourself short shrift here. This is a very serious disease. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.


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## Steal_My_Skin (Mar 18, 2011)

*sigh* You're right, Andros. I think I've internalized all the times the docs have discredited and/or blamed me over the course of this. I have been worried, but I keep explaining away my own concerns.

"Losing your hair? It's because you stress yourself out. You need to breathe!"
"Panic attacks? Proof again that you stress yourself out! It's all in your head, you just have to make the choice to change it!"
"You lost 15 pounds? Oh my god, girlfriend, no way!" (Yes, this was a "doctor" saying this. No, I was never 15 pounds overweight to begin with. When this was said to me, I was throwing up almost daily, had missed about two weeks of work, and weighed less than I did in high school).

I repeat: *sigh* My endo is more considerate than these people, though I have yet to get into my latest concerns with him. I'm kind of waiting to see if it reaches a point where I can use my "big girl words" to define what I've been feeling the past few weeks. Everything lately has been so vague that I don't know how I'd even attempt describing it to a doctor.

I've had about 3 good days in a row. I'll see if I can sustain that.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Steal_My_Skin said:


> *sigh* You're right, Andros. I think I've internalized all the times the docs have discredited and/or blamed me over the course of this. I have been worried, but I keep explaining away my own concerns.
> 
> "Losing your hair? It's because you stress yourself out. You need to breathe!"
> "Panic attacks? Proof again that you stress yourself out! It's all in your head, you just have to make the choice to change it!"
> ...


Whatever you do, don't mention being down in the dumps or anything remotely close to it. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh.

Almost every single poster here has been at the place you are at now. Some still are. It seems that sometimes it takes a tragic event to get diagnosed and treated.

Hard to understand when we have the world at our fingertips as they say.

I am validating you; we all are!! It is not in your head. It's in your neck!!


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