Optimal replacement or not?

[dolphin5]

Just had a thought - next time we find ourselves pleading for a higher dose of T4, or the addition of T3, we need to use an analogy.

"So, doctor, if I have my legs amputated half way up my thigh after a car accident, would I have prosthetic limbs made to make me my original height, or would you give me new legs that make me 6" shorter than I used to be, because that's within the normal range and the NHS is short of money so we can't afford to restore your previous height?"

"Thyroid function is superficially much like height. Leaving me way short of the height I used to be leaves me unable to ride my bicycle, unable to walk as fast as I used to, unable to wear the clothes I used to wear, unable to reach high cupboards. My whole identity changes as I can no longer do what I used to do, and that's just superficial stuff. Without adequate thyroid hormone, none of the cells in my body can be relied upon to work. My body breaks down and malfunctions, bit by bit. Life as I knew it with a fully functioning thyroid gland, and the levels of hormones that my body used to produce (with my set point, not someone else's) is over. Gone!"

[Hidden]

Dolphin5 that is so funny but Oh so true. Prosthetics probably have an advantage over the thyroid in that you can actually see them, underactive thyroids destroy you unseen and unheard by the medical profession, so they blame us. I can almost hear the scenario to the prosthetics, "if you think they are not long enough it must be in your mind, perhaps some antidepressants would help you".

[Howard39 in reply to Hidden]

Hi

Both comments are very funny and made me laugh out loud.

Good post

[shaws Administrator]

How we wish they'd learn the difference between optimal and 'in range'. I liked your post.

[humanbean]

I loved your analogy.

You might find this post of interest (although, sadly, it isn't funny) :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[dolphin5 in reply to humanbean]

The interesting thing about that chart is that even some people with a healthy thyroid gland have levels that are close to undetectable! My TSH is down there, but people with a much higher one should show the chart to their doctor.

[Dalilafng]

Super!