*Deep breath* *Let it out slooow*
Feb. 17th, 2009 06:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oddeggGeneral pissed-off whinging. Just letting off steam. Ignore me.
Dear doctor,
I realise that I have not completed a medical degree and am not qualified to the same extent that you are, and yes – I agree, my symptoms could be explained by other factors and we should investigate those. BUT – given the controversy and disagreement over the accuracy of thyroid tests and that my symptoms can also ALL be explained by a sluggishly performing thyroid and that my last two T4 levels have only just scraped into the ‘normal’ range, don’t you think that a little more investigation is required there?
Don’t you think that dismissing the matter out of hand and claiming that “there’s no border-line here” and that “thyroid is either normal or not” is a little short-sighted? Do you actually mean that because the ‘normal’ range is 10-25 pmol/L my reading of 10 shouldn’t ring any alarm bells? Even when coupled with the constant tiredness, sleep problems, dry skin/hair, hair loss, constant sore throats, joint/muscle pain, mental fog, memory problems, low mood/disinterest, and inability to loose weight? If I was just that one point lower that would all count, would it? But because I’m not then all that means nothing because “there IS no border line”?
I quite agree that depression can also account for many symptoms here. And I would indeed say that I’m depressed and that I have been for a while. But actually, my general mood has improved recently while my physical health has gone down – would that really be the general pattern? No, of course I’m not 100% better mentally, but given that I’m happy-ish most days apart from being constantly tired etc, etc can we blame everything on depression? I’m not looking up the LD50 dosage of Paracetamol on the internet anymore these days; I’d say my mood has fucking improved from a year or so ago, mmmm? So why do I feel like an arthritic 80 year most days now? I fucking hobble when I get out of bed because my ankles are so stiff. My Achilles tendons sometimes feel like they’re tearing, with a red-hot pain. When I’m walking the two streets back from the tube some days I have to mentally coax myself to take each next step because I’m so tired. Can “general physical conditioning” account for that? (And well done, by the way! What a polite way of saying I’m unfit and overweight. But am I really that unfit when on good weekends I’ll happily walk at least 5-10 miles just wandering around?)
And I know depression affects cognitive function, but I have the memory and mental concentration of a goldfish with Alzheimer’s now – along with the frustrating feeling that more powerful intellectual functioning is there, if I could just reach it through the fog of cotton wool my brain seems to be wrapped in.
Oh, and my query as to whether I could have a low dose of thyroxin for a set time as a trial to see if my condition improves? That was on the advice of a colleague who’s a specialist registrar and a practising GP and not something I was viewing as a “quick fix” as you implied with your o-so-fucking-patronising smile. I’m reluctant to take medication as a norm and I suffered through my insomnia till I broke down crying at work before I asked for sleeping pills. I’m not looking for a magic wand in this situation because I’m well aware there isn’t going to be one – I don’t mind being in for the long haul. I just want to feel better!
But, fine. I will do your Epworth Sleepiness scale and your mood questionnaires, but I think I can tell you what they’re going to say.
Mr oddegg generally comes to bed after me and although he has said I snore (mainly when I have a cold), he’s said it isn’t that bad and he’s never mentioned that I stop breathing so I’m not that sure your theory of sleep apnoea is right. And the mood questionnaire is the same one I fill in on the ‘living life to the full’ website; it’s going to say that I have mild symptoms of depression – emphasis on MILD – with a normal anxiety score.
So while you’re chasing the straw dummy of depression I’ll be over here loosing faith in you and deciding to go the alternative route. My appointment with the acupuncturist is next week.
Have a nice day with your pigheadedness and fuck you very much.
Yours, oddegg
Dear doctor,
I realise that I have not completed a medical degree and am not qualified to the same extent that you are, and yes – I agree, my symptoms could be explained by other factors and we should investigate those. BUT – given the controversy and disagreement over the accuracy of thyroid tests and that my symptoms can also ALL be explained by a sluggishly performing thyroid and that my last two T4 levels have only just scraped into the ‘normal’ range, don’t you think that a little more investigation is required there?
Don’t you think that dismissing the matter out of hand and claiming that “there’s no border-line here” and that “thyroid is either normal or not” is a little short-sighted? Do you actually mean that because the ‘normal’ range is 10-25 pmol/L my reading of 10 shouldn’t ring any alarm bells? Even when coupled with the constant tiredness, sleep problems, dry skin/hair, hair loss, constant sore throats, joint/muscle pain, mental fog, memory problems, low mood/disinterest, and inability to loose weight? If I was just that one point lower that would all count, would it? But because I’m not then all that means nothing because “there IS no border line”?
I quite agree that depression can also account for many symptoms here. And I would indeed say that I’m depressed and that I have been for a while. But actually, my general mood has improved recently while my physical health has gone down – would that really be the general pattern? No, of course I’m not 100% better mentally, but given that I’m happy-ish most days apart from being constantly tired etc, etc can we blame everything on depression? I’m not looking up the LD50 dosage of Paracetamol on the internet anymore these days; I’d say my mood has fucking improved from a year or so ago, mmmm? So why do I feel like an arthritic 80 year most days now? I fucking hobble when I get out of bed because my ankles are so stiff. My Achilles tendons sometimes feel like they’re tearing, with a red-hot pain. When I’m walking the two streets back from the tube some days I have to mentally coax myself to take each next step because I’m so tired. Can “general physical conditioning” account for that? (And well done, by the way! What a polite way of saying I’m unfit and overweight. But am I really that unfit when on good weekends I’ll happily walk at least 5-10 miles just wandering around?)
And I know depression affects cognitive function, but I have the memory and mental concentration of a goldfish with Alzheimer’s now – along with the frustrating feeling that more powerful intellectual functioning is there, if I could just reach it through the fog of cotton wool my brain seems to be wrapped in.
Oh, and my query as to whether I could have a low dose of thyroxin for a set time as a trial to see if my condition improves? That was on the advice of a colleague who’s a specialist registrar and a practising GP and not something I was viewing as a “quick fix” as you implied with your o-so-fucking-patronising smile. I’m reluctant to take medication as a norm and I suffered through my insomnia till I broke down crying at work before I asked for sleeping pills. I’m not looking for a magic wand in this situation because I’m well aware there isn’t going to be one – I don’t mind being in for the long haul. I just want to feel better!
But, fine. I will do your Epworth Sleepiness scale and your mood questionnaires, but I think I can tell you what they’re going to say.
Mr oddegg generally comes to bed after me and although he has said I snore (mainly when I have a cold), he’s said it isn’t that bad and he’s never mentioned that I stop breathing so I’m not that sure your theory of sleep apnoea is right. And the mood questionnaire is the same one I fill in on the ‘living life to the full’ website; it’s going to say that I have mild symptoms of depression – emphasis on MILD – with a normal anxiety score.
So while you’re chasing the straw dummy of depression I’ll be over here loosing faith in you and deciding to go the alternative route. My appointment with the acupuncturist is next week.
Have a nice day with your pigheadedness and fuck you very much.
Yours, oddegg
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no subject
Date: 2009-02-17 07:24 pm (UTC)The first think my shrink insisted on a year ago when she started medicating me for depression was the thyroid test, and I do believe that she discussed "borderline" cases with me, and I wasn't one. I was suffering from severe depression. But yes, the symptoms are pretty much the same, so its fucking obvious to anyone with the brainpower of a squashed squirrel that the thyroid needs medicating first.
If I were you, I'd complain to the Practice Manager and make an immediate application to change your GP. The current one is clearly suffering from an excess of fuckwittery.
*hugs again*
no subject
Date: 2009-02-17 07:46 pm (UTC)Yeah - I'm not going to leave it there but I'm just going to put it aside for tonight. I mean, I do know that I am still down, and I'm not saying that depression doesn't have anything to do with my symptoms, but she was just "Thyroid? Nope - see? These numbers prove it"
"You mean those T4 readings of 10 and 12 in separate tests? When a lot of doctors think that a reading of under 15 is a warning sign? Those numbers?"
"Yup"
.... ?
*Deep breath* *Deeeeep breath*
And of course depression is the explanation for searing tendon pain! Why didn't I think of that!
*DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP breaths*
no subject
Date: 2009-02-17 07:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-17 07:55 pm (UTC)I am trying to be serene about it at the moment. There's another doc in the practice and I'm going to find out what I can about seeing him instead, or seeing anyone else.
And in the meantime I'm gonna have someone poke needles into me, LOL!
no subject
Date: 2009-02-17 08:19 pm (UTC)Fucking quacks. I have ME and am overweight, so you can guess what the usual response there is when anything crops up. My doctor is generally good, but the rest of the practice are total fuckwits. So it wasn't a lot of laughs when she was on sabbatical for three months at the end of last year. I still haven't ruled out changing practices, but I'm cynical enough to think most of them are pretty much the same.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-17 09:12 pm (UTC)That'll be another 'depression' symptom though, won't it?
no subject
Date: 2009-02-17 08:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-17 09:03 pm (UTC)Or possibly just cos she's a fuckwit :(