My Experience with Thyroid Disease

I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism in my early 20s. I will never forget the first time I took the medication for this condition. I felt as though my body had been flooded with endorphins all in one swoop. I continued to take this medication (think it was synthroid) for the next 10 years, until I lost my medical insurance and could no longer afford it.

In my late 30s I began to have weight gain, lack of energy, and scaly skin. After talking to my family doctor (who didn't even try to hide the fact that he thought I was just trying to get thyroid medicine to lose weight!) I was back on thyroid meds. And, have been on them since.

Now, I have had multiple illnesses over the years. I was in the emergency room twice with rapid heartbeat (up to 260 each time; they had to stop my heart and reset it to bring me back to normal). I was also diagnosed with a benign brain tumor in 2007, which was successfully removed. I have had an awesome recovery.

However, I am still on thyroid medication. When I happen to forget a pill for a day or two, I begin to suffer severe headaches. I am regularly monitored for this medication (a generic levoxyl) and my blood levels are normal. But, I still have misgivings as to whether or not I am being treated correctly for this condition.

Last week I had a monitoring session with my cardiologists because of various past experiences with high blood pressure, (which is now controlled) and high cholesterol (which we are working on). I had been told by a friend who also had thyroid issues that most doctors don't do the '˜right' testing for thyroid levels.

I asked my doctor about that and she said that it varies between doctors. She also stated that if I went to an endocrinologist they would slant towards a fuller scale of testing, but most would just do the regular T3 panels. We are including that in my blood work upcoming.

On the whole, I am not happy with the attention that has been paid to my thyroid condition. However, because of other more pressing medical problems I have had to place my thyroid problems on the back burner.

I also believe that because of the way our health care is distributed, we are really at the mercy of what illness takes priority. If your doctor does not think you need attention in a certain area, he will condescendingly tell you that you have nothing to worry about and push certain conditions down the road.

That is why I doubt that my thyroid condition has been properly diagnosed or that it ever will be. Why don't advocate further for myself? Because, like my doctor- I have had to fry bigger fish in the past few years, even though this could be the root of it all.