Good news/bad news - some advice please?

[Guest guest]

Hi AllFirstly very many thanks to all of you but particularly Bob, Sheila and Dawn for the really helpful advice and support recently. Well at LAST I have a letter from Addenbrooks saying they will be happy to see me at the Endocrine Clinic!! Its only taken nearly a year of constant almost harrassment of my beleagured GP!! I don't have an appointment as such yet as they (quite rightly) would like to see up to date thyroid function tests. It would really be helpful to have some of your opinions on some of the contents of the letter:-" You have been referred to our clinic to determine whether or not your ongoing symptoms are due to your thyroxine treatment not being optimal" - any views on this appreciated. The cynic in me is

hoping this doesn't mean they'll only look at thyroxine levels and if I'm on the max not take it any further. In which case travelling all the way to Cambridge (about 75 mile round trip) could be a costly waste of time as this is tantamount to all the current endo has done.Ditto the blood tests - interestingly the letter contradicts itself by saying in the first paragraph "the BLOOD SAMPLES have to be analysed at OUR laboratories in Addenbrookes". The second paragraph however says if I choose to have the blood tests done at my local hospital " bring the RESULTS with you to your appointment". (my capitals) but perhaps I'm being picky - sorry.The blood tests requested are:U & ELiver ProfileBone ProfileGlucoseThyroid function test - tick in the box for this and underneath is written:-TSH, Free T4, Free T3Other Endocrine - tick in the box for this and underneath is written:-LH, FSH, EstradiolMy

'ongoing symptoms" are (to name but a few, but not all of these all of the time) :-Numbness & pins and needles in arms and hands at night no matter which way I lie.Brain fog - unable to concentrate, keep making mistakes and double checking stuff at work making me slowConfusion and poor short term memory - occasionally 'lose track of where I am' when driving home on a route I use every day.Tiredness, particularly by mid afternoon and early evening when I get inPain/niggle in left rear flank near kidney area, feeling of needing the loo frequentlyExcessive weight gain and inability to lose weightThinning hair particularly at front and parting.Are the blood tests above sufficient or should they also be testing other possibilities - Sheila recently said I urgently needed to get my adrenals checked.I guess I'm sounding very sceptical and pessiimistic but have been so fed up with the previous lack of help from the

NHS endo I've (mainly not) been seeing for the past 20 months I really don't want to waste any more time. Regards to everyone