He told her off instead of palpating her neck and ordering blood tests. What is interesting is the amount of weight she put on - drs think thyroid problems only account for about a stone of weight gain. Anyone had a similar experience with t cancer?
dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...
(Daily Mail news story - much as it grieves me to link to the Mail.)
Horrible, horrible GP but sadly one of many.
Shame it was in the Daily Fail as that paper bashes the NHS and HCPs so much that a newsworthy story's main point will probably be missed and dismissed by the people that should be taking note and doing some serious reflective practice.
Still if it helps one person to go in to the GP's armed with this article - even to get a basic hands on exam, then that's good.
Yes, I hope she made a formal complaint.
I've had thyroid cancer and gained 4 stone over the process. Although I didn't exactly gain any before my operation - I'd been in weightwatchers for 2 or 3 years before, unable to lose that last stone in weight.
I gained most of my weight during the periods when I was on zero thyroxine for RAI, gaining about a stone each time, over a period of a week.
I read the article yesterday, and found it really useful even now. Still being quite disabled after nearly 3 years, it's hard to figure out your place in the world. Sometimes I underestimate what being ill has been, and feel like it's a small thing - strangers nearly always enormously underestimate it. This article of course from being in the Daily Mail overdramatises everything. But it also gives the kind of response I think a lot of ordinary people would have, in terms of being shocked by fairly 'minor' symptoms like gaining weight. It gave me something to think about, and also something to show to friends if I think it's what they need to see. I will definitely print it out and keep it.
Would you feel able to contact this woman and share experiences? She will be getting a lot of accounts and it could be a small way of beginning to change gp reaction.
Had my thyroid checked in Cyprus. Fed up with 'out of range' results being ignored by my GP
Antibodies after Thyroid cancer
Proof - UK GP's are lazy and arrogant
Had my blood drawn this morning and the nurse said she feels the reference ranges are stupid :D
