This is one, of very many, of his famous quotes.
“It is much more important to know what sort of a patient has a disease than what sort of a disease a patient has”.
I take that to mean, first find out what Lifestyle has the patient chosen.
So, address that first and then maybe the health problem will be soon gone or very minor.
All the best
Persevere
Nah, can't agree with that. Some of the people with the most 'healthy' lifestyles - according to our standards - get some pretty horrible diseases. Yet adepts of drugs and *** and rock'n'roll can be some of the healthiest people around. Ill health can happen to anyone, regardless of how they live. I don't think life-style is all it's cracked up to be, just another form of patient-blaming.
Here here. Sounds like a get out clause for uncaring doctors.
GG couldn't agree more . I know some people who ate and watched their diets worked out and unfortunately got sick. And I also know someone that is very obese does not watch their diet does not exercise and does not have BP problems and does not have diabetes. What does it show you?
Have to admit I think most of us here would feel a bit wary about that one, I hate to think what's written on my medical records about the type of patient I was. By the time I gave up on the NHS and got private treatment I was a gibbering, emotional wreck, literally, and these symptoms were clearly considered very annoying by my GP.
I guess it is true though that most of us are doing quite a lot to manipulate our diet and supplements and exercise etc to try to improve our condition, we know it's not enough on its own but neither are our meds/hormones enough on their own; you have to give yourself the best chance to be well.
If we're talking about quotes... "The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not." Mark Twain - not entirely true but sometimes it does feel a bit like that (sigh)
I read an article recently that stated that many autoimmunes are down to lifestyle, and a proper diet and exercise would be the cure. This is patient blaming again. We do not want our bodies to fight itself, we want to be well, but no amount of exercise is going to stop my thyroid from disappearing.
An enthusiastic new GP thought he had the answer for me. Do I exercise? I farm. Do I eat a good diet? I grow most of my food and cook from scratch. He gave up and admitted he did not know what else to suggest. I gently suggested replacement hormones. I dont think he realised T4 and T3 were hormones....
Exactly, GP decided I was sort of person - in my 40s heading for menopause, suddenly eating too much and not exercising so my fault.
If he’d stepped back and thought about it more objectively he may have done blood tests inc thyroid test and I may be in better health now.
I am terrible at quotes. Even good ones that I ‘remember’, I can’t quote them specifically. Recently, in the Guardian, I homed in on an article about stoicism. I have to say I found it very enlightening and did a bit more research. I think hypothyroids are classic stoics, which of course our GPs etc would probably think no chance and laugh themselves silly. Apparently one of the first issues of stoicism is that we have the bodies we have. It’s nothing to do with us. It does not stop us having an awareness of what might or might not help us, food wise, exercise, medication etc but there are no guarantees if we act one way or another, we will be fine. However I still think it’s good to work with what more clearly works for us.
I found it quite freeing rather than thinking all the time “It’s my fault”. I realised that I have never accepted that there were things which were out of my control. That is a very common modern concept. We hear it all the time.
serenfach
mstp
greygoose
FoggyThinker
Look around, look around, what do you see?
I bet you don’t see many ten stone three.
Made that up.
But, my point is this, tick the only thing you can control, which is Lifestyle, and you’ve done your bit, to keep away from lifestyle caused disease.
Persevere
Well, sorry, but I don't think that's much of a point. Where does it get you? OK, so you've done 'your bit', but you still end up with a diseased thyroid and all that that entails. So, when you look back you think why didn't I just eat that cream cake, drink that bottle of champagne, go to that all-night party instead of going to the gym? At least I would have enjoyed myself whilst I was still able. At least I wouldn't now be living with regrets as well as pain and disability.
Anyway, Autoimmune Thyroitis is not a 'Life-style Disease'. And it has nothing to do with 'ten stone three'. And William Osler is lucky he didn't have me for a patient! I would have got really, really cross if he'd said that to me.
And I made that up!
PS do you even have a thyroid problem?
Q1: do you think hypothyroidism is a lifestyle caused disease? Do you still think this after reading out responses to this post?
Q2: do you think you might be putting the cart before the horse i. e. in the UK anyway we aren't seeing many 10st3's BECAUSE THE NHS DOESN'T TREAT HYPOTHYROIDISM AND DOESN'T UNDERSTAND IT SO PEOPLE PUT ON WEIGHT BECAUSE THEY HAVE RAMPANT UNTREATED HYPOTHYROIDISM?
Q3: how many so-called lifestyle diseases are actually side-effects of hypothyroidism?
Q4: why am I feeding the troll???
I do feel better for the ranty capitals though 
I'm fascinated by the different philosophy movements and have several books that describe them; maybe 2024 will be the year I get chance to read them - I've read most of my thyroid health books now, my energy's feeling a lot better, so maybe it will happen 
(I have to confess I had to look up the Mark Twain quote, btw, thought it was Oscar Wilde - but he's usually a good bet!)
I can look in the mirror and see 10st 1, at 5ft 7. Today, in a howling gale and torrential rain, I helped pregnancy scan 65 sheep. A wet sheep weights a lot.
So I had a slice of Christmas cake and a dollop of brandy butter. And a nap. Cos I am old.
I am a woman with a thyroid problem. I dont need any more problems with mansplaining so called experts.
How does your theory work when all "life-style" factors remain exactly the same, and yet during the course of one week....7 days.....over 1 stone is added to your body weight?
Me too, suddenly no longer 8 stone, so embarrassed when they actually weighed me in public at 10 stone for skis one year, now would love to be 10 stone! I would be on those scales happy. But after more increases, I start levo and go up yet another stone ….. odd my FT3 decreased too …. So is it lifestyle or hormones… ?
I've been hypo since I was about 8 years old. I don't think I had much of a 'lifestyle' back then. But whatever it was, it was out of my control. I went to school, I came home, I ate what was put in front of me - some of it, anyway, I didn't have much appetite. And yet I put on weight rapidly. No sweets or fizzy drinks except at Christmas. No TV to lounge in front of. Food was rationed for most of my childhood because I was born in 1945. And yet, for no reason, I suddenly started putting on weight, rapidly. My fault? I hardly think so. But probably the fault of all the ignorant doctors I saw who ignored all my symptoms and didn't even do a blood test until I was 55. Just branded me as lazy, greedy and a bit slow. And my story is not unique. I think you posted your 'gifted practitioner' quote on the wrong forum.
GG I don't know if I should laugh or cry. Same story . I must have had thyroid issues in my youth. Dr's never connected the dots. Even as an adult Dr's wouldn't believe me even when I told them my symptoms that where clearly pointing to thyroid issues. For years this went on. Till one day my throat hurt me and thought I was having strep throat. Instead my Dr found a nodule. Had biopsy the next thing I found myself having TT. I can't stress enough that if you feel that something is wrong be your best advocate.
Totally agree! I do not believe in hypochondria. If your body is telling you there's something wrong, you body knows best. Hypochondria is just a doctors way of getting rid of patients when he has no idea what's wrong with them.
GG you are so right. I learned in my thyroid journey to trust myself and not the Dr's. In truth when we go to Dr's and present them symptoms that ails us it "should" make the Dr's diagnosis and treatments so much easier. Half the problem solved. There solutions and treatments should be that much easier. Wouldn't you say so????GG Thank you for being so sensible and understanding and validating what many of us have and are still going through with Dr's not grasping the core of our thyroid issues and treatments.
Are RT3 and DI02 test really necessary for me, as the practitioner suggests? 
i'm sure i'm not alone with this
Muscle pain...not sure why.
Glandulars and practitioners
Not sure what to do Hypothyroidism
