Ding ding, round two!

[thegymguy]

Hi guy's. I had a GP appointment yesterday which has the usual ending. I had gotten the name of a GOOD endo (thanks barbara) and asked my Dr if he could refer me to him. His response was probably what many of you have already come across, "NO you don't need a specialist to deal with your thyroid, we can do that here".

As luck would have it I have just received the results of my blood test from Genova Diagnostics. They show my TSH is elevated 7.43 (range 0.4-4.0)and my Reverse T3 is 0.56 (range 0.14-0.54).

My Dr seem's like a decent enough man so I am writing a letter, including the blood test results, asking him to reconsider the referral. I think that seems a reasonable thing to do?

I also found out that the endo I want to see does not see private patients so if this comes to nothing I will be selecting an endo thyroid uk recommends.

Still, it could be worse, we could be in the middle of a recession!!!

[Jude]

Doesn't it make you want to spit

[thegymguy]

Makes me want to do more than just spit! But I'm not going to let the system beat me or let them get to me. They're not worth it. Do what I do,have you seen the film Anger Management? Just say...goosefrabba..goosefrabba (you have to see the film to appreciate it!!)

[Bunny]

It's is so unfair on you the system is daft. I saw my GP.lots of symtoms and my hlast TSH only 2.61...and I heard him dictate the letter to the Endo saying "She has many of the symptoms but her test results are..."" so I count myself extremely lucky so far and can only hope the Endo is as fair!! If I am hypo I know it is at the low end but OMG that is bad enough. It isnt fair that we cant have an equitable GP system in this day and age

[Rachellb]

Do persevere, I had exactly the same situation when I was fighting for a diagnosis some years ago. After what sounds like a similar GP appointment I phoned back and politely said that I had been thinking about what she had said and would still like to see a specialist, whereupon she said that if I wanted her to act as my secretary she would and slammed the phone down! Needless to say I didn't go back there again and if had felt stronger at the time would have made a complaint. At least your doctor didn't try to deny that you had a thyroid condition. Take heart - the white paper on healthcare issued on Monday should empower patients and give them greater choice. When it becomes law we will no longer be restricted by area and can choose our GP - if any of us are lucky enough to find a 'tame' one they should prepare to be bombarded by hypothyroid patients!

[lynx in reply to Rachellb]

Hi its March 2011 - how do we change gps?

[Hidden]

I HATE doctors. Most of them are primitive to say the least. I've been told I can't be referred to a specialist so am working around it another way (as I have private medical insurance). I have a condition called Lichen Planus but am sure I have a thyroid problem as well, but .... doctors not helping me one bit. My blood results were apparently 'normal' but I don't believe them and in any case you get a better result by sending urine to a place in Belgium. Has anyone heard of this ????