The current situation is that us patients know full well that we have thyroid desease and are going inot appointments trying to persuade the doctors of this. We take a list of symptoms and the endos especially see this as us starting an argument and challenging their professional competence. It is advasrial as and we are in a weak position so it is us that suffers. It is an abusive system. My mother who did if nothing else know how to manage people used to say that you had to ask for the opposite from abusive systems to what you really want. So here are a possible couple of possible phrases that might helpat an endos appointment. It might sound funny but I also think it might seriously help.
On meeting and endo for the first time
'I really don't think there is anything wrong with my thyroid doctor but my GP insisted I came'
' I think I might need my medication reduced doctor because it seem to be making me tired'
Put a similar brain dead look on you face as my dog is modelling in the picture and for good sake don't mention thyroid uk or the words recent reasurch. Try 'I haven't learnt how to use the internet yet doctor but am happy to trust your opinion 100
Good luck!
16 Replies
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You can be well read and have a n adult informed conversation with your healthcare provider. You don’t have to resort to the ‘parent child relationship ‘. However I do agree that it’s how you have that conversation and how you ask questions that determine the best response. Don’t go into see your GP or Endo and behave like the world expert for example but do go in and ask questions, have an informed discussion about what you’ve read, ask their opinion and you should get a positive response most of the time
Great reply!! but does not always happen especially when there are very unproffessional pig ignorant gps and endos, you can be having a informed intelligent adult talk but still managed to be brushed off.🌟🌟
There difficult old school health professionals to deal with but I still stand by what I’ve said above and don’t give up. We don’t always here what we want to here or get what we want but there needs to be understanding on both sides without attitude. I agree it doesn’t always work out but then we need to ask ourselves why that is
Never give up, because if we do no one else is going to do it for you! I agree.x
in reply to
Even sympathetic GPs and doctors are not free to prescribe as they wish. There is huge pressure on the to conform to bad practice and lots of ignorance. I havea very kind GP but getting treated in a way thatmeets my medical needs is just not going to happen and we have a great relationship.
The endos have more freedom and consultants traditionally havealways been able to treat in a off the cuff manner.I frankly have much better things to do than keep bangingmy head against the NHS brick wall and have chosen to self medicate and I frankly dont think they could do a better job especailly on levo.
Except when they see a suppressed tsh and start a long angry rant, this was while I sat quietly hoping for a quiet discussion. It still upsets me to think about it.
I can not remember the last time I used the word 'doctor' as a form of address.
I remmber working with a charge nurse once who used to be really gratuitus toward the doctors. It was really sad but he used to have a special tray with doileys and kept special tea cups and posh biscuits that he produced when they came in the ward. He definatley called them Doctor. He used to even poor the teafrom the pot inot thier cups for them. I asked him once if thiswas all nessasary and he said yes it was the easyiest way to them to do what he wanted. It made me feel a bit sick.I could only do obsequisness tounge in cheek but he used to take it seriously. The depths people have to go to.
Then kick yourself hard for being an airhead when a dopy doctor takes you at your word and agrees that TSH 9.5 isn't hypothyroid because it's under 10 or reduces your dose because some people do feel overmedicated when TSH is <2.0.
I do get the feeling most of the time their mind is made up before you walk in the door and however daft or clever you present they have seen the blood results and made a decision. I do however think some of them are damned contrary and they will just oppose anything a patient wants so it is best to try to make them believe you want the opposite to your real needs.
I think it really depends of whether the doctor is an abusive pig or just ignorant. Ignorant you may well end up in a worse state but if abusive and you are a good actor you could try 'I am absolutely terrified of taking tablets doctor'
How about asking when they start patronising "oh, so you want a parent/child relationship? I am sorry, I was doing the Adult to Adult one! Shall we start again?
Cue on Doctor who is so far on the back foot, he/she is out of the door!
I would love to think that would work, I really would! However, I've never argued with a doctor, and never been contrary, difficult or confrontational. I was always polite. It got me absolutely nowhere. I was offered a multitude of medication to deal with my symptoms, as they “couldn’t possibly be thyroid-related”. If I mentioned my TSH being a bit high, or my T3 a bit low, it was of no consequence. I didn’t enjoy being patronised.
Since regaining my health (buying my own T3), I am a lot more confident generally. I can have a more coherent discussion with GPs and my endocrinologist, but they still give me a smarmy smile and continue to treat me as if I am an idiot.
I would also say that I have had perfectly normal discussions with my neurologist, cardiologist, orthopaedic surgeon and all the other “ologists”, it’s only ever been an issue with endocrinologists and GPs.
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