Carol Gray, Thyroid Thrivers
Thyroid Nation
44 years old
Indiana, USA
Hypothyroid
Diagnosed in 2005
Carol Gray, also known as the Crazy Thyroid Lady discusses her hypothyroid diagnosis.
Relief came to me, back in 2005, when I finally received the diagnosis that I had been waiting for, an autoimmune disease that was attacking my thyroid – hypothyroidism. Alarmingly though, I had no idea the challenges that would soon follow, which were:
• An Endocrinologist who would only address my malfunctioning thyroid, hypothyroid
• An Endocrinologist who didn’t know beans about autoimmune diseases and how to address them
• An Endocrinologist who refused to test or prescribe a necessary T3 drug
After my diagnosis and from the advice of my then endocrinologist, I unnecessarily underwent radioactive iodine (RAI) “treatment” which encompasses the no-turning-back destruction of that all-too-important, butterfly-shaped endocrine gland, the thyroid. After RAI, I continued to endure the agonies associated with my untreated autoimmune disease; not only that, I spent the next four years with an endocrinologist who refused to test and prescribe T3. T3 is the free, non-binding hormone needed for every cell in the body to function properly. A T4 only drug was staunchly prescribed by my Endo, because it is primarily believed within the medical community, that in a good, cooperating body, T4 is supposed to perform the function of converting T4 into T3. My body was bad and very uncooperative, however; so there ain’t no converting going on around here. It is interesting how some medical schools seem to teach doctors, that every human’s body, functions exactly the same way. (snark)
I am now convinced that, after four years of not getting the proper hormones, to the cells of my body, that were needed, it brought about severe health issues. In some instances, irreversible damage, to my body.
That craziness is exactly why I became an advocate.
I wanted to help others, to not have to go through, what I went through. I wasted so much time with a doctor, who kept me sick, because of ignorance on my part (I will admit) and hers.
So please, if you currently have an unyielding doctor, as part of YOUR medical care – think outside the ‘doc in the box’ – you do not have to go to an Endo, for your thyroid-related autoimmune disease care. Look for an MD, who practices treating the entire body, a whole-body approach. A doctor who incorporates both modern and alternative approaches and principals is the best kind of doctor to treat your autoimmune disease. (hypothyroid)
Look for these keywords when searching for a doctor:
- Complimentary
- Integrative
- Wellness
- Internist/Internal Medicine
- Osteopathic
- Naturopath
- Alternative
- Functional
- Homeopathic
These words will usually be somewhere in their practice name, for example:
“Complementary Family Medicine, Dr. Jane Doe, MD.”
Unfortunately, the practice of firing bad doctors continued after getting rid of my first Endocrinologist. I realized that even though I had less than a mere, 20+ years of formal education (snark), I was unequivocally an expert of my own, hypothyroid body. Subsequently, if you refuse to deny my test requests, then you will join the other MD’s on the NEXT bus, doc!
When I finally found the right health care provider (which is sometimes half of our battle), with the two of us working together collaboratively, I went from a recluse, to being ready for anything!
Do not settle. Feel better. Overcoming being hypothyroid and/or any thyroid disease is doable. We are in this fight together, Thyroid Thrivers!
Carol Gray, a.k.a. the Crazy Thyroid Lady suffered from autoimmune thyroid disease, being hypothyroid, for more than twenty years. After realizing that society does not accommodate individuals with invisible illnesses, she armed herself with ways of coping and decided to share her managing methods in her first book Wow Your Mom Really is Crazy. Carol also writes a humorous blog about her hypothyroid disease and it can be found at her blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter
This article is offered under a Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.
Questions or anything to ask Carol, the Crazy Thyroid Lady about being hypothyroid? We want your thoughts in the comments section–Please!
