Her symptoms ranged from those of hypothyroidism (dull, foggy, gaining weight, apathetic) to hyperthyroidism (jumpy, heart racing, hungry, anxious, paranoid). Her fluctuation in moods caused behavioral issues and even threatened her sanity at times.
Thyroid disease is common and not life threatening. That being said, it shouldn’t be dismissed as something that is not serious and life altering. Although the disease and its symptoms are manageable, it is difficult to find a treatment that works well for every individual and there are issues that arise along the way. To better understand the implications of the disease, let’s look at a woman named Lyn Hacker and her struggles with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
She says that if your insurance won’t pay for them, you should find a way to front the costs yourself. It’s worth it!
Lyn’s battle with her thyroid issues began when she was in her early 40’s and developed Graves Disease. She had a racing heart and couldn’t sleep. Her most noticeable symptoms were in the shaking of her hands which got so bad that co-workers suspected her of drinking heavily. One sympathetic peer who knew that wasn’t the case told her she should seek medical attention.
The doctor Lyn went to see did diagnosed her with Graves Disease, but, unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Instead of educating Lyn on the disease or offering her any options, he recommended radiation ablation which ended up killing her thyroid gland. He then prescribed her a medication called Synthroid which did little to help her symptoms. Her next appointment wasn’t to be for another year.
In the meantime, Lyn sought help from different specialists, none of which seemed to have an easy answer for her. Some even thought she was crazy. Her symptoms ranged from those of hypothyroidism (dull, foggy, gaining weight, apathetic) to hyperthyroidism (jumpy, heart racing, hungry, anxious, paranoid). Her fluctuation in moods caused behavioral issues and even threatened her sanity at times.
Fortunately, Lyn’s story has a happy ending. She is now with a doctor who has helped her to become as close to euthyroid or normal as possible. She recommends thyroid panels which can help in the diagnosing of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism because of a thyroid disorder. She emphasizes the importance of these panels saying that if they doctor you are seeing won’t use them, you should see another doctor. She says that if your insurance won’t pay for them, you should find a way to front the costs yourself. It’s worth it!
Ask a lot of questions and research your options in the treatment of thyroid disease.
Lyn also encourages those suffering to ask a lot of questions and research your options in the treatment of thyroid disease. Don’t simply take a doctor’s recommendation blindly. Not every thyroid treatment works for every person which is why it’s important to do your homework so that you and your physician can find something that is right for you.
Lyn writes about her experience with thyroid disease so that others will learn from her experience and not go down the same path she went down. If you have thyroid disease, it is treatable and manageable. It’s just a matter of finding the best treatment for your condition. Don’t lose hope. Lyn is a great example of those who have fought their thyroid issues and won.
Like what you read?
Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.
Thank you for subscribing on Thyroid Central.
Something went wrong.
