Yesterday I went to the doctor, and my head almost exploded.
Let's backtrack a little. First, you should know that I went to a different doctor (my regular doctor--we'll call him Doc1, and it's important to note that I like him very much) a few months ago and insisted that he find out, once and for all, what in the heck is wrong with me. I was tired of having to lay down and rest every time I finished loading the washing machine or sweeping the floor, or walking to the mailbox. I had a list of about twenty significant symptoms that I decided it was time to get to the bottom of. Doc1 always asks me what I think, so I was armed with a pre-diagnosis of candidiasis (systemic yeast infection, where the delicate balance of intestinal flora is upset, and yeast takes over the entire body). Doc1 agreed that the list of symptoms was impressive, and that they could certainly all be related, but that candidiasis was not a possibility. He explained why, citing some blah blah studies, and said there just wasn't any basis to do any testing on that front. He did, however, suggest several other tests. I gave him my blood. I gave him a lot of blood. All the tests came back normal. In fact, I am the most normal person on the planet, and there's nothing wrong with me.
Ahem.
Doc1 decided that it might be a good idea to do a sleep study, to find out why I don't sleep adequately or well. I went along. This required the services of a specialist. Enter Doc2.
The sleep study was interesting. I went back yesterday for a follow-up, to find out what the 1000-page report had to say about my sleep disorder, and why that was making me feel like crap. Doc2 produced the report. My sleep is normal. There is absolutely nothing wrong with me (in case you weren't aware, it's perfectly normal to wake up ten times per hour--as long as you get right back to sleep). Uh-huh. I expected that. Here's where it gets good:
Doc2 (looks around and lowers his voice): Uh, I have something to say, but you have to promise not to tell Doc1.
Oooh, a conspiracy!
Me: Sure, I won't say a word. It can be our little secret.
Doc2: Well, I'm just thinking . . . since we can't find anything else wrong . . . have you ever heard of candidiasis?
Me (jaw drops): Yes!
Doc2: You have?
Me: Yes, I have. I told Doc1 that's what I thought I had, and he said it wasn't possible. He said there was no way I could possibly have candidiasis.
Doc2: Well, that's the party line.
Me: WHAT?!?!
Doc2: That's the party line. Look, I went to school with Doc2. We were taught the same things, but we weren't taught everything. Sometimes, when you can't get answers from an M.D., you just have to look elsewhere. I think it might be valuable for you to go see a naturopath, or whatever those doctors are called, and get tested for candidiasis.
Me: Uh . . .
Doc2: But PLEASE don't tell Doc1 I told you this. There are some things that M.D.s just aren't good at treating. This is one of them.
Me: Yeah, I won't say a word.
Until I get better from the treatment by the naturopath, and then I go back and throw it in Doc1's face. What the heck?
Doc2: Just don't start any treatment until you have a positive diagnosis, okay?
Me: Fair enough.
Doc2: And don't tell Doc1.
Me: Got it.
And then we had a lovely little conversation about herbal medicine and natural treatments, and how his son is autistic and no doctors can treat him, and that got Doc2 thinking that there might be something besides what he learned in med school. I like Doc2 very much. A bit of a close talker, but that's okay. Too bad his practice is so far from my house, and he is a sleep specialist and doesn't really see patients for other stuff. But I'm going to come to terms with that, and continue to see Doc1 for some stuff, and eventually I'm going to set him straight. He really is a lovely doctor. He takes me seriously, which is more than my last doctor did, who told me I had depression and acted like I was a big hypochondriac all the time. That's why I fired him. Doc1 doesn't need to be fired. Just taught a serious lesson.
18 comments:
I know I don't know you (at all) to ask you this question--but I'm going to give it a shot anyways. When you gave them your blood, did they do a thyroid test? If they did (I know you said they said all was normal) did you get a copy of your labs? If so, it would be very interesting to find out what your TSH is -- because so many times people are a bit hypothyroid; and even though their results come back "normal"--that still can be debated. Normal ranges vary from lab to lab--and even if you're in the normal range, but HIGH, you still might feel better with a small dose of levoxyl or synthroid.
Now, I'm not saying that a pill cures all--but being a thyroid cancer survivor I've gone through all the ropes with getting a correct dx., etc.
Just something I wanted to share--hope it didn't come across as offensive to you or anyone.
Wow. So who do you go to to get tested for sure for candiadiswhateverit'scalled? And it's crazy that Doc1 just dismissed it up front. I hope you find out what's up because the symptoms sound miserable. Hey, I looked at that trailer of that movie they shot at/in front of your house and I want to see it (the movie and your house in it). So you are famous to me.
I am going to start telling everyone that you suffer from candyassitis. It sounds bad.
noelle: not offensive at all! my TSH is 2.6, which appears to me to be right smack in the middle of the normal range (for this lab). I'll ask about it, though--thanks!
desmama: apparently you go to someone who practices natural medicine. A naturopath? Doc2 didn't seem to really know what they do, but he did give me a couple of names. And it's not unusual for a doc to blow something off, I'm finding. At least Doc1 listens to my symptoms and tries to help. My fired doc did just blew me off completely all the time. Now I'm realizing it was just because he didn't know what to do with me. My sister-in-law (mamaj) has it happen all the time too. So frustrating.
natgo: do that and I'll tell the whole world how dumb your weather troll is.
2.6? HOLY FREAKING CRUD!
That is SO VERY HIGH.
I know that many doctors say that it's NORMAL; but my goodness. That is quite hypothyroid--in my humble opinion. There are some fantastic books out there (one is called: Living well with hypothyroidism. What your doctor doesn't tell you that you need to know). It sounds like you are having quite a lot of symptoms that can FOR SURE be related to low thyroid function. (A way to remember it is that the higher your TSH, the more CRAPPY you will feel).
You FOR SURE could benefit from even a low dosage thyroid pill. I can tell you from first hand experience--that even if you still have your thyroid (which I did; at the time. My thyroid was producing "normal", but I was still having so many symptoms and it was interfering with my life)--you could still benefit from thyroid replacement.
I'm sorry to go on my soapbox here on YOUR blog (it's not even MY blog) but I just want to share what I know. If you are anti-pill, then this is a mute point, but if you really just want to feel better (which I DID!) then I truly believe you will feel TONS BETTER if you start on thyroid replacement.
The only kicker is finding a doctor who will listen to the PATIENT with their symptoms and not just go by what the bloody range is at the lab.
I wish you very good health!
PS. My current TSH is 0.83. Granted, that is super low; but since I had thyroid cancer and surgery, they want me very surpressed (low TSH) so that the thyroid and cancer won't grow back (which, BTW, it appears that it is).
A few weeks/months ago, my TSH had spiked to over 5.0. No WONDER I felt like crap every day coming home from work! There were times before when my TSH was 2.9 and I felt like I had a ton of bricks laid on my shoulder.
Granted, my situation is a bit different, but a TSH of over 2 whether or not you have your thyroid is very HIGH.
OK, I'm off my soap box now and I'll leave your poor blog alone. :)
Gee, now I MUST respond since I've been mentioned.
It's true. I've had doctors blow me off. My GP was certain that I didn't have anything that an antidepressant couldn't cure. He insisted that an increase in serotonin would cure a certain digestive complaint. Recently I found out that increased serotonin would have actually exacerbated the problem. Luckily I never filled the prescription, which he had forced me to take.
Another doctor just shooed me out of his office and doesn't want me coming back. He need not worry; there's little chance of my going back to him, unless, like DaltonGirl, it's to rub a diagnosis in his face. His approach seemed to be to do as little lab testing as possible in order to avoid getting any abnormal results, which he'd then have to deal with.
By the way, my TSH was 3.1, so I guess that makes me as good as dead. (That was over a year ago. I've never had it retested since the aforementioned doc wouldn't have wanted to see the results.)
MAMAJ: Are you kidding me? 3.1? OH MY FREAKING CRAP. Were they telling you were "normal" too?
MAN. That's what makes me SO angry about certain doctors. That is clearly a hypothyroid TSH, when it's been tested (or figured out) that a person feels better on a LOWER TSH.
I'm glad you're not dead yet and someone knows what's wrong with you.
So did your DR mean go to a HOMEOPATHIC dr? I went to one in AK and loved her. I bet you'll have to drink some nasty stuff though. I sure did. I think most insurance companies cover them as well. Good luck with everything.
I feel like crap all the time, and I am really tired. I am nauseated and crampy - the whole nine yards. I actually took a pg test last week - negative. I think I feel sick because every night after I get the kids in bed, I eat 2500 calories of junk food. Cookies. Chocolate Reisen (mmmm). Peanut M&Ms. Those little orange pumkins that you can only find this time of year.
life is good.
Okay, I lied. My TSH was actually 3.06, not 3.1. The normal range was 0.45 - 4.67, so my doctors didn't give it a moment's thought. My Free T4 was 1.04 though, which is supposedly pretty normal (range 0.71 - 1.85).
And I neglected to comment on the candidiasis thing. I LAUGHED when I read that (silently, so as not to tip off my co-workers to the fact that I wasn't working). I really thought candidiasis made sense when you originally came up with the idea. Then when you reported that Doc #1 said you absolutely don't have it, I wondered how he could possibly know that since he hadn't done a single test for it.
So do naturopaths have actual tests they can do for candidiasis, or do they just assume you have it based on symptoms?
Wow MamJ. Are you still at that high of a TSH? If the doctor you are seeing doesn't give ANY OF THAT a thought--then s/he needs to have their head examined.
Granted, if you aren't suffering (tired, depression, hair falling out, tired, lower GI problmes, brain fog to just name a few) then this too is all a mute point. But, in my humble opinion (which is all that it is) you are SEVERELY hypothyroid.
Most doctors SHOULD know that you cannot treat thyroid problems just by the labs. Every single lab has a different normal range. AND, thyroid problems CAN hide behind normal blood work.
I know I'm a spazz when it comes to thyroid things--I just want to help anyone I can not go thru the HE** that I've been through.
This is all very interesting. Mamaj, I think you should have your thyroid tested again. That's what I think.
I actually found another lab result, from when they did the ANA panel (more thorough, I think), and my TSH was only 1.4. So I think I'm good. Also, most of my symptoms have improved or gone completely away since I changed my diet. But if the rest of them don't go away after a while, or if I start experiencing them again, I'll know to be more proactive about the thyroid thing.
Doc1 cited a bunch of studies when he said we didn't even need to test for candidiasis. He said there was no clinical evidence to show that it existed. So. Whatever.
My friend's mission president told her that chronic fatigue didn't exist. Some doctors are so odd.
So, how're you feeling?
How much is a lot of blood? I'm scared of doctors! Well, shots anyway. ug!
Well it turns out that I happened to have a dr. appt a couple of days ago. (It was just a follow up.) While there, I was asked whether I'd ever had my thyroid checked. Thanks to the advice I've received here, I jumped at the chance to push for testing. So they took some blood, and I'm now waiting for the results.
That evening my 3rd grader was telling me about a test she had to take at school. She asked me if I had had to take any tests that day. So I told her that yes, I had a BLOOD test. I thought it was funny; she didn't. She got upset and said, "Stop giving all your blood away or you will die!"
So, eaglecat, I guess I gave away A LOT of blood and am shortly going to die. Actually, my blood pressure was the lowest I've ever known it to be that day (105/70), and for the first time in my life, the nurse couldn't find a vein in one arm and had to then try the other. So maybe I AM low on blood!
MAMAJ: If they tell you your labs are "normal", be sure to get a COPY for your records. In my humble opinion, PLEASE be sure to know what your TSH is. If it's over 1.5 or close to 2, to me that's pretty darn hypo.
If you've got a lot of symptoms that you are dealing with (just a few: mood problems, constipation, hair falling out, brain fog, etc) then you could definitely benefit from being a little LESS hypo and a little more HYPER, which would happen if you started on a very low dose of thyroid medicine.
Again, if you're anti pill, then this is mute. But, I'm so passionate about this (as if anyone COULDN'T tell) that I want everyone to be proactive in their health. If I can help just ONE person---my struggles a few years ago will NOT be in vain.
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