5 replies to this topic

[mrsmcw918]

I have been researching doctors because I want to switch, since my current doctor "has done everything that she can" to help me. I'm nervous about going through this all again...feeling hopeful...testing...then being told that I'm fine and just getting old. I'm trying to get up the courage to call the new doctor.

Then this morning a friend suggested that I call an endocrinologist instead. She gave me a name and number. I don't know what I should do. Will an Endocrinologist see me if I've had "normal" lab results?

[cascais]

Hi !

Have you ever had an ultrasound done I wonder ?
My thyroid bloods also came back fine always but a few nodules were found during an ultrasound ordered by the gp. But the gp didn't t run the antibodies labs until I asked her to. Only when the ultrasound returned with nodules that I was then sent to the endocrinologist.

It might also depend on whether you are prepared to go private if that's an option where you are ? I decided to go private because the public route in my country would have just taken too long.

You will probably be asked to re- run labs and so on by a new doc or an endocrinologist. My enfin asked me my family history as well as a list if my symptoms. That's quite important I think.

If I had to do this again I would probably go to an endocrinologist given the choice . I think most gp does not have enough knowledge in this field and might miss things and endocrinologist wouldn't miss.

Hope that helps
Cascais

[cascais]

Can t see an edit button on the post , but basically I was saying that the endo asked family history and full list of symptoms also

[mrsmcw918]

Hi !

Have you ever had an ultrasound done I wonder ?
My thyroid bloods also came back fine always but a few nodules were found during an ultrasound ordered by the gp. But the gp didn't t run the antibodies labs until I asked her to. Only when the ultrasound returned with nodules that I was then sent to the endocrinologist.

It might also depend on whether you are prepared to go private if that's an option where you are ? I decided to go private because the public route in my country would have just taken too long.

You will probably be asked to re- run labs and so on by a new doc or an endocrinologist. My enfin asked me my family history as well as a list if my symptoms. That's quite important I think.

If I had to do this again I would probably go to an endocrinologist given the choice . I think most gp does not have enough knowledge in this field and might miss things and endocrinologist wouldn't miss.

Hope that helps
Cascais

I had an ultrasound done in May of last year. All that she said when she called with the results was that it was non cancerous. I was supposed to get another one done in December, but I never did.

[cascais]

I had an ultrasound done in May of last year. All that she said when she called with the results was that it was non cancerous. I was supposed to get another one done in December, but I never did.

Hi, 

 

i wouldn t have been happy with that answer. what the heck does that mean ? 

it sounds to me that there is something on the ultrasound, that was interpreted as "non cancerous" but to my understanding if there is a nodule, unless they do fine needle aspiration of the nodule to examin its cells,  they don t know what it is...

maybe they are assuming its non cancerous because  of its size ... but yet again, it would have been nice for the doc to give you more details.

 

i assume you still have symptoms, so based on that and on what the doc said... i would definitely ask to see an endocrinologist if this was me. 

[mrsmcw918]

Hi, 
 
i wouldn t have been happy with that answer. what the heck does that mean ? 
it sounds to me that there is something on the ultrasound, that was interpreted as "non cancerous" but to my understanding if there is a nodule, unless they do fine needle aspiration of the nodule to examin its cells,  they don t know what it is...
maybe they are assuming its non cancerous because  of its size ... but yet again, it would have been nice for the doc to give you more details.
 
i assume you still have symptoms, so based on that and on what the doc said... i would definitely ask to see an endocrinologist if this was me.

Oh sorry...she found a nodule at my first appointment. That is why I had an ultrasound. No biopsy. The notes said something about if it got to a certain size that they'd do a biopsy.
This is why I'm so frustrated by this doctor. She was very concerned about my symptoms, she was concerned about the nodule, concerned about the antibody count...but the test results come in and nope...I'm normal.