Thyroid disease on tv photo: Here is a photo of... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

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Thyroid disease on tv photo

Chippysue•

8 years ago•5 Replies

Here is a photo of the 8 of us with some of the signs

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Chippysue

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Thyroid abnormalities

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5 Replies

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8 years ago

I'm sorry to say this, but why is it when I look at those symptoms in the photo ...hair loss, dry skin, memory loss etc.... they come nowhere near to describing the Devastating impact that this illness has on some people's lives.

If they were my symptoms I'd count myself let off quite lightly.

Yes I have those symptoms too but given the opportunity to highlight the full impact of this dreadful illness I certainly wouldn't have chosen those.

This is precisely the problem with media coverage. Thyroid disease keeps being painted as a 'soft' illness, easily rectified by medication and predominantly the reserve of menopausal women.

When are we going to get tough about this?

It destroys marriages and families. It destroys careers. It can cripple with pain. It can leave you bedridden and isolated. It can cause psychosis and major depression. Be misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder. Leave it's sufferer suicidal. Change you physically both facially and bodily. Disturb cognition, slur speech, cause loss of speech etc.

In short it is a tad more than a bit of dry skin and hair loss.

This disease will never be taken seriously by the media until the full devastating picture is painted.

Chippysue• in reply to8 years ago

But you haven't seen all of the symptoms, you haven't seen the programme. You didn't drive over to Walsall when I asked on a post on here.

We were asked the symptoms we wanted to put and between us there has been devastation and still is.

Why don't you wait until you see the programme and then if you don't like what they portray I will give you the Director's contact details?

HarryE• in reply to8 years ago

Off you go then, you go and organise it.

I had 47 symptoms but I still believe it was a great thing to do, and all organised at very short notice.

Rachellb8 years ago

As the comment above says, these were just some of the signs. We were all hypo patients, including the producer (I have been for 18 years), so have an in-depth knowledge of the devastation to lives this dreadful disease causes. The programme is about metabolism in general, not just hypothyroidism, so cannot at this stage go into greater depth unfortunately. The aim is to raise awareness of the disease, particularly amongst those who are being fobbed off, told that their blood results are in range and it's their age, they're depressed or it must be something else, etc., etc. many of whom do not research their condition, believing it to be 'normal'. The programme contains an interview with a patient who speaks more about the condition. I for one am just delighted that we are getting some press coverage at least after years of silence, this will hopefully be the start of things to come and better understanding and treatment of the disease. I continue to push for press coverage and recently gave an interview to the Times in connection with T3 availability.

8 years ago

Time for me sign out I think.

Thank you Thyroid UK.

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