The Food Mixer Analogy.

[Lalatoot]

So you want to make a cake.

You put all your ingredients in the bowl of your food mixer and something is wrong.

A GP comes to help. He tests the switch at the socket is on. He declares that it is switched on so everything is working fine.

Still no cake mix.

So you ask the GP again. this time he checks the switch and then sees if the motor is running ok. Again he declares that the switch is on and the motor is running. All is well.

Still no cake mix.

So you call the GP and he says that as he has checked the switch and the motor is running so you must be wrong.

You insist so the GP checks again reluctantly and to their amazement finds that the switch is on, the motor is running but that the paddles are not going round quickly enough to make a mix.

That is why we really need GPs to test that TSH is switching the thyroid on; that the thyroid 'motor' is producing enough ft4 and that that ft4 is producing enough ft3 to turn your paddles around all your activities.

[tattybogle]

back in the days of wooden spoons , before they invented mixers (or TSH tests) it was much easier to diagnose the cause of the problem ...

[Lalatoot in reply to tattybogle]

Spot on Tattie!

[DippyDame in reply to tattybogle]

Exactly tatty, they can't see the wood for the trees!!

[Murphysmum]

Like this!

I’ve also likened the need for T3 for some people to engine oil.

So you’re putting oil in your car, the engine in running so it must be fine. You know that it’s not quite running right, yet the gp says “no, this vegetable oil is the same as any other oil, you’re engine is working fine - no need to change it”.

But it’s not great. Your engine is sluggish and clunky and inefficient. You eventually get your hands on the “right” oil - lo ans behold it’s a revelation!

Your engine is faster, cleaner, quieter and more steady. It starts up quicker and runs smoothly for longer.

It ran before, but now it’s on the optimum oil.

GPs (and many endos) can’t see this either…. 😜

[tattybogle in reply to Murphysmum]

i have a car one too .. GP's think it's OK to adjust the speed of our bodily functions from afar.. via text message ..."computer say's 'lower your dose ' "

..... i'm tempted to reply "would you let me control your accelerator pedal from afar, without being able to see where you are going, while you're driving home through town tonight. ?.. i'll adjust it to the national speed limits .. it will be fine, don't worry doctor"

.... what d'ya mean "you rather control your own accelerator pedal and anyway, you might have better insight into your needs than i do because you're the one looking out the windscreen ? .. i think you must have been reading some rubbish about self treatment on the internet ..but if you're feeling nervous you could prescribe yourself some counselling, or some AD's......

[Tythrop]

I love these analogies, it helps my brain understand stuff better.. Like the ballcock in cistern analogy for tsh (the ballcock) and the water supply in the tank(t3 and t4)

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

For those with an understanding of the UK mixer market going back many years, I was half-expecting something like:

"K" sera sera.

Whatever will beat, will beat

Image of beater on Kenwood food mixer

[fibrolinda in reply to helvella]

I groaned before I laughed😁 but I did chuckle, thank you

[Tythrop in reply to helvella]

Ouch

[Lalatoot in reply to helvella]

I do have a Kenwood Chef as pictured!!!!

[Zephyrbear in reply to Lalatoot]

So do I!!! 😂

[tattybogle in reply to helvella]

i've still got one too, ...i've even still got all the bit's including the coffee grinder, I'm pretty sure it's older than me. I remember licking the bowl after my grannie made cakes in it.

[serenfach]

I inherited my mothers Kenwood - 1964 model, and still use it (lemonade in the liquidizer with whole ice cubes is the best ever!).

I have always thought that the car/oil thing is the GP seeing the can of oil on the garage shelf (TSH), then looking at the dipstick (T4) but not checking the oil pump is running (T3), but I prefer the analogy with the wrong oil.