Saw Doc yesterday. She wasn't willing, or able, to do further blood tests as my results on Free T3, Free TF4 and TSH were within normal ranges.
I said okay, I can get the other tests done privately, if that'd help? She said 'they' (the Practice) wouldn't accept blood tests not done by the NHS..! 'Scuse me?
I asked would she consider just doing the Thyroid anti-bodies? She said there was no point, because as my Mother had Hypo the anti-bodies would have been passed down to me?!
I reminded her that I had informed her both verbally and in writing, that my Mother had 'normal' Thyroid blood tests, up until she was rushed into Hospital, on the point of dying! (She was actually diagnosed with Hypothyroidism at age 17 in 1939 (WW2 ~ war-time wasn't the best time to be ill. No time is, of course.
She came out with: "Do you realise that Thyroid is the most over-diagnosed illness and was the 3rd highest prescribed medication 'world wide'... and, she wasn't prescribing for me ~ not even a 'trial'..! She was particularly focussed on the TSH.
This is a Doc I've had a good relationship with for 17 years..!?! I don't know how to deal with this, and it seems I've nowhere else to go to get a diagnosis that she/The Practice will accept, as going Private for Consultations/Diagnosis/Blood Tests is considered to be outwith the NHS?
It's like, I save the NHS money by getting private blood tests, which I can't in any way 'influence', and the results aren't "acceptable"? I asked about seeing an NHS Specialist/Consultant? "Oh! that'd take forever!" says she. How long's forever? "I don't really know, certainly not measured in months!" was the response.
The whole Consultation was beyond 'surreal'.
What on earth do I do now, please?
(I don't have, or would be able to get, Private Medical Insurance.)
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LadyBarb
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Could you possibly kindly ask her are the rest of the world mistreated and ignorant as it sounds like NHS testing is the only correct one in the world? Is she aware that the same lab NHS uses provides private testing as well? For example synlab does that.
If it were cholesterol measured privately would she insist high number is not concerning instead happily giving bucketful of statins. If it were influenza test would she reject that? If it were cancer?
Or is it just simply thyroid they try to undermine in order to get rid of patients they feel are annoying?
Thanks Justina ~ I couldn't believe what was happening. She's never, ever treated me like that before. I couldn't counter her about the private blood tests, as I didn't know that the NHS uses private testing as well. (It would have taken the wind out of her sails if I had known that.)
The entire situation was mind-bending, and unfortunately it did feel that as a potential Thyroid patient, offering to get further tests to rule out whether or not I had it, the only "figure" she was interested in was the TSH.
How could someone with Thyroid prove to be a nuisance? I wasn't questioning the figures the "NHS" had done ~ I was suggesting different tests which I'd requested from her ~ and that's when I said I'd happily pay for the tests Privately, if the Practice didn't do them ~ and I get told they don't accept Private Blood Test results??? I mean ~ what on earth..???
God Forbid, but if I'd had cancer and had been treated that way, I'd have left there and been totally suicidal.
Comical thing is, I rarely go to the Doctors, but with my mother's history, I'm certainly concerned about having Hypo.
I asked her "How would you explain someone suddenly putting on over a stone in weight out of nowhere?! ~ Answer: People put on weight! So I followed that up with "How would you explain someone losing 10lbs from the 13th April, being on antibiotics (antibiotics for my gallbladder which had suddenly developed either a blockage or bad infection). Answer: I'd no stones as had been shown on an ultra-sound ~ it was one of the other Docs who had said I could have a blockage, or an infection.
I told her the antibiotics were working and she told me I wasn't getting any more ~ she could see no reason to justify prescribing! Pardon? So, I'm gradually sliding back into pain from that again.
Maybe I'm not allowed to have two things wrong at one time?
In fact I'd 3 things wrong, and had waited about 3 weeks for a 'double appointment' which SHE'd told me to book when I was seeing her!). I'd also a strange discharge from my vagina and as I've had a hysterectomy so no womb, and am well beyond being sexually active, and it smelled like hell (not fish as she'd said it would!), so she said she could do a swab or I could do it myself and she explained how ~ and I said to save HER time, and as I'd had it done before, I'd do it myself and hand it in at the desk. It's no big deal.
I'm getting to the point that I think it's considered a sin if someone at least tries to educate themselves about any illness they may have. "Doctor knows best"???
I should have gone to the Hospital about my gallbladder, but it was just prior to the Easter weekend and, unfortunately the hospital isn't known for its cleanliness, and it has very disheartened, over-stretched staff, I decided to try the antibiotics first. If this pain from my gallbladder increases to severe again, I'll go directly to the Hospital. I couldn't go through another consult with her. B x
If the pain around gallbladder continues or worsen I'd go to hospital too. Infection can spread fast if left untreated! It should be treated properly. You can develop an infection without visible stones, she should know that
"I asked would she consider just doing the Thyroid anti-bodies? She said there was no point, because as my Mother had Hypo the anti-bodies would have been passed down to me?!"
I don't understand what she's saying, here. Did your mother have high antibodies? Is that why she was hypo? In which case, according to your doc, you would have inherited the antibodies, but they wouldn't make you hypo as they did your mother? Why not?
It's like something out of Alice in Wonderland! There's no sense or logic in anything she says. I think I would be tempted to write to the practice manager to ask if it was true that they don't accept labs not done on the NHS, because after that load of gobbledegook, I don't think you can trust a word she says!
Oh, and I would have said that fibromyalgia and ME/CFS are the most over-diagnosed 'diseases' in the world, and hypo the most under-diagnosed.
Hi Greygoose ~ "Alice in Wonderland" sums it up totally. The whole situation was totally surreal. I was sitting looking at her thinking "Who is this woman? What on earth IS she talking about?" The only thing that was clear was that she was saying that with 'normal test results' I wasn't going to be treated.
My Doc isn't the Head of the practice ~ I think if I write to the Practice Manager and question what The Doc said, I might get struck off of the practice. I do intend to make an appointment with the head of the practice and see him.
If he says the same thing, then I'm with the totally wrong Practice.
I can PM you more of "Alice in Wonderland" which I sent to someone I correspond with, if you'd be kind enough to give me your further opinion?
To make the situation even more 'surreal', on the TV boards which show which patient is being called to which Doctor's room, there was also a notice that "Any patient is entitled to have a third party accompany them to a Consultation: if you don't want the person appointed to you, you may choose your own person."
I mean, what on earth..???
As mentioned, this is a Doc I've had a good relationship with for 17 years? Something's gone wrong very wrong somewhere and I've no idea what it is.
Keep going and don't give up! Either change your GP (go and visit another GP at another practice if necessary to "interview" them. To be able to work together with your GP is of utmost importance. They facilitate and a good GP would be happy to help you. Take good care of yourself. Xx
Thanks, Liverbird. I'm going to make an appointment with the Senior Partner of the Practice. If that doesn't go well, once I explain what's happened, then I absolutely need to go elsewhere.
What's totally stunning me is 'how' she could treat me like that after 17 years of a good relationship. I've also got ME/Fibro and as there's nothing much can be done about that, and as I've so many allergies to meds and foods, I'm not that often in touch with her, unless it's an infection I can't fight off as my immune system is badly depleted, or a company who's meds had worked, and had been bought over by a.n.other larger one ~ and the PL (Product Licence) number has changed and the med no longer suits me ~ as all meds with the 'same name' are not the same (at least in my experience) ~ as in makes me more ill with unexpected side effects, which usually means it gives me agonising pain in my joints, which I don't need, particularly from a med, on top of what I already have!
I know some people who are in that Surgery each and every week with 'something else'. They seem to turn it into a 'day out', as there's a cafe in the Community Hospital. As a Doc I'd find that objectionable!
I'm usually greeted by the Doc with "Long time no see!" It's been nearly a year and a half since I've seen you!" I may have had the occasional brief phone 'consult' with the Doc, but other than that, I've been very far from a "demanding patient"! B x
Yeah! That should have been my first 'hint' that I was in for a 'bad day'. Why would I even 'need' an 'appointed person' ... where were the going to get 'them' from ... if I needed help, wouldn't I go in with a friend' ... and if I'd taken my camera with me, I'd have taken a photo of it, because it was so "weird", I'd have wanted to pass it around (I'm not into 'smart phones', unfortunately) ~ in fact if I'm down that way, I'll make a point of going into the Community Hospital, and getting a photo of it! I'll need to go to the Bank and Opticians soon, once I get over feeling wiped out physically (have M.E./Fibro) and, wiped out mentally!
Your doc certainly sounds like the Mad Hatter! Docs are scared of private blood tests because they havent a clue how to read them! When they order blood tests they depend on the labs to pick up the problems they havent a clue themselves what any of it means. So if your tests are within lab range and not red flagged they will mark them "no further action" If you come in with private results it will make ur doc look stupid coz they dont understand them and dont know what they mean. Its as simple as that. A very scary state of affairs ! X
"Mad Hatter" ~ or Queen of Hearts ("Chop Off Their Heads!" ~ all these sick people, spoiling my day!!! ) ~ I always hated that Alice story, but felt as though I was IN the starring role!
I keep questioning myself ~ how could I have had a good relationship with that woman for approx 17 years, and now not know who the hell she is?
Surely, if the Docs don't know how to read private blood tests, it's a wonderful opportunity for them to learn ~ and have saved the NHS a considerable amount of money in the process?
If it's as simple as they don't know how to 'read' the tests because the Labs haven't done their work for them ~ then we are, indeed, living in a very scary world, and it's a more than very scary state of affairs, Magsy! It's more like terrifying! B x
it could be she was having a very bad day and you got the brunt of it !
why not email her with your concerns and tell her how upset you were by her reaction - give some facts from the wise ones on here ... and re request the tests you want - stressing WHY you want them . Sometimes an email is fact based and takes the heat out of the situation and we as patients arn't caught on the back foot .... you say your results are in range - are they low in range or borderline ?
Hi Cazza ... thanks ... I can't email her (but I'd already sent her a 'fact based' long email before I saw her, or knew the results) ~ and contact with her has to be snail mail or getting some-one to hand the mail in and get a receipt for it!
Probably better sending a Recorded Delivery, letter to the Serion Partner of the Practice, before the content's of the letter become public knowledge within the Practice (but the mail would be more related to what's happened since, due to the Doc's terrible attitude to my gallbladder problems and me ending up in A&E on Friday!)
The Practice of the Surgery is focussed on the TSH only. The Practice has a letter on record, giving the full history of my mother's experience of nearly dying through "Normal Test Results" via the NHS ~ and me stating I've no desire to go the same way.
"My" Doc is not for budging, although I did sort of manipulate her to do my Vit.D blood test (her favourite hobby horse "Vitamin"!) ~ and then I she said as she was doing that, could I have my B12, Ferritin and Folate done too please? She did take blood for them but wasn't a happy bunny at all!
The results for these latest blood tests are 'normal' (within NHS ranges?). I haven't seen the figures: I got the results that they were 'normal' from an NHS Doctor when I was in my "local" A&E Dept (after a 1.5 HOURS of a bone rattling drive in an Ambulance) on Friday, for problems with my gallbladder!
It's a long Story, not for here! I'll just say that as I'm absolutely phobic / terrified about going into Hospitals (for very good reasons), it was a *big deal* for me to go in there 'voluntarily' ~ and it was a total nightmare ~ it was unbelievably bad ~ but not for full discussion right at the moment!
With the great advice I've already received on here, with my NHS "normal ranges", it seems that my Thyroid would already be being stressed/struggling (I can't recall the exact word used, sorry!)
FREE T4 12.6 pmol/L Range 9.00 - 24.00
FREE T3 4.1 pmol/L Range 3.5 - 6.5
TSH 2.15 mU/L Range 0.3 - 6.00
It IS clear that the Doc will do nothing, based on these figures ... or however I "felt" I was treated by her.
as I understand it from this site - to feel well many of us need T4 & T3 in the upper ranges ( top 20% of range ) and TSH < 1 ...
My doctor was absolutely not for moving me up the ranges for 7 years until I showed her the Pulse article about treatment ranges that louise emailed me ... I clearly wrote all my symptoms and said that I wanted her to TREAT the condition differently just to see if I would feel better - 2 months on My meds doubled and I have to say I feel amazing ... don't give up - or change GP - its your health after all
Doc won't budge Cazza.! She believes that Thyroid is the 3rd most mis-diagnosed so-called (!) 'illness' in the World! She read it in one on her Medical Magazines and believes that 100%. I've no idea 'why' she's so utterly willing to be convinced about that ~
I wrote to her about all my 'symptoms' and how spookily alike M.E./Fibro they were ~ and, the above was her dismissive answer.
She won't even consider treating me for it ~ even as a 'last gasp' attempt to help me feel better after 29 years of being ill with a much misunderstood diagnosis of 'symptoms' ... and I'm at a total loss of how to have her look at treating my 'symptoms' and treating them!
It may well be a matter of having to 'self-treat' without her consent.
If anyone can let me know how I do that, please PM me?
My query is, having had time to think about it ~ with all these 'patients' being treated world-wide "third largest (misdiagnosed) and over-prescribed illness (as stated by my Doc) ~ WHY haven't they caught onto the fact that it's NOT the TSH that matters? Thyroid UK even have information for 'professionals' (I think!) ~ but it seems you have to either have the illness or wonder if you have the illness to actually pay any attention to becoming informed about it.
It's NOT good enough ... very far from 'good enough'..!
How ill is ill Daz? What does it take? I thought the general idea was supposed to be 'prevention rather than cure' ~ but apparently not. Seems it's 'leave it as long as possible' and see what happens.
If it doesn't involve going into Hospital via A&E, it doesn't seem to be ''important enough'. All this could have been avoided (in my case) by a prescription of antibiotics! The Doc knows that I'm very careful with antibiotics, and know they're not a "cure-all" and isn't always required or appropriate.
I told her the antibiotics were working ~ this could have been "cured" and an 'infection' might never have occurred again in my life-time!..! Now it looks like the whole of the NHS is going to be unnecessarily involved.
It's a no-brainer:
Antibiotics working? Keep them going for another week ~ vs ~ Ambulance, A&E, Ward Admission, Hospital Investigations, (more) Blood Tests (not, of course, Including Hypo because they were 'normal'!) ~ Oh lord,now I'm getting so sore and so angry ~ the Doc knows I'm a high contender for a Hospital Acquired Infection ~ and all I've ever asked of her is to keep me out of Hospital.
First "Alice in Wonderland" and now this..? Sorry, I really am losing the plot ... B x
Apologies for late reply ~ ended up in A&E ~ got nightmare of a Doc ("I'm from surgical!") lunatic ~ he could have been a Locum, I've yet to find that out ~ who decided I'd had a fall ~ with not so much as a bruise on my back ~ and sent me off for further x-rays of my shoulder blade (clavicle) ~ while the younger Doc beside him kept saying "Gallbladder .... Gallbladder! ... Gallbladder,,!!!) and he wasn't being listened to either, and appeared to have been dismissed ... while "I'm from Surgical" came back i to congratulate me on not having 'shattered' my clavicle ... It was weirder and weirder. I lost the plot and got very "clinical" in my approach to him!
I'm sure my Doc must have known that the NHS uses these 'private labs' ~ but I didn't know, or else I'd have challenged her about it..! AS you say ~ beyond pathetic..!
Changing a Doc where I live id like another nightmare waiting to happen. It's very far from easy ~ and i'm not up to it just yet. I'm wiped out with 'pay back' from the M.E./Fibro and all that's gone on, and the stress takes a heavy toll on my body.
Thanks for your help, and I'll try to check out which Lab also does NHS tests ~ unless you happen to know which ones? B xx
With the 'symptoms' for M.E./Fibro being so spookily similar, I'd be inclined to believe you!
I'd also now believe that my GP is ignorant..! However she's convinced that Hypothyroidism / Thyroid problems in general, are the 3rd most misdiagnosed illness in the world..! She read it in one of her medical magazines and is inclined to believe it as an absolute 'truth' ...!
I haven't given her any article, since I gave her an article on Vit D (her favourite Vit in the whole wide world!) and which showed results of pain relief, relative to dosage given, and she threw it aside. Totally dismissed it.
I now see no other option than changing Doctors, but where I live, it's a nightmare which I'm not quite ready for 'yet' as it takes a lot of energy that I just don't have at the minute. I'm so washed out. B xx
I totally believe you RFU ~ and OMG I could really have done with someone on my side against my Doc..!
Would you please PM me and let me know where I even start..? My brain is so fogged at the moment ~ I'm having a problem even getting to the kitchen and remembering I went there for a cup of tea, even with the 'hint' of an empty mug in my hand!
I couldn't have made it clearer to my Doc, that my mother had been dying from undiagnosed Hypo, when a Locum Doc made a house-call and knew exactly what was wrong with her (and she'd no goitre!) ~ and had her in Hospital and being treated, within 1/2 an hour. She was in Hospital for months.
All her NHS tests had been within the ;normal range' up to and including tests done when she was slowly dying..!!!
The Numbers mattered, not the person..!!!
My Doc will not accept that 'family history' etc., despite evidence to the contrary of what she believes..!!!
I even said to my Doc that "I'd like to do some 'living' before I die!" With my female family lineage, even with my current health problems, I could have 20 to 30 years ahead of me... even being 67..! (Might as well have talked to the wall..!)
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help with nhs blood test please for hypothyroid
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Test result for Thyroid and NHS bloods - help needed please
