Happiness and Hypothyroidism Survey

[Guest guest]

As

Elspeth received many responses from members regarding the hypothyroidism and

happiness survey, she has asked me to send a copy of her response to Pat

(nambucca) to the forum - which will hopefully help you understand the

difficulties she has in asking certain questions as she is governed by strict

rules.

Luv

- Sheila

_______________________________

To

whom it concerns,

Firstly

im really sorry to hear of the health problems and difficulties you and your

family are suffering. Furthermore, I apologise for the, what seems like, a lack

of sensitivity of the questionnaire.

But

there is a couple of things I would like to reasure you on.

I

think that what you have asked me- what happiness do they expect to have, is

exactly what i am searching for. Thyroid diseases are so ranging and dramatic

on the effects they cause that each and everyone suffering, suffers in a

different way.

Furthermore

I do understand that there are also a range in 'treatment' for the illness and

I did provide a comment box for you to discribe other medications. However, Im

sorry that I had not made it clear.

I

think what needs to be understood is- this is my first research project for and

my first degree, i am trying my best to shed light on a illness which is not

being recognised in its fullest possible affects. unfortunatly I did

mainly target it at people with hypothyroidism, and I wanted to establish to

what extent people suffer across these domians-

1)-

affects with happiness

2)-

how the amount of medication effects this also

3)-

the physical and emotional effects of the illness

4)- lastly whether resiliance

plays a role- whether coping is brought by seeing how the illness may have

brought around things like- more support from others- so more social systems,

how your coping has made other people able to cope with their life stresses.

Please rest assured This study was

past by the ethics committee, and might potentially help to further more

specific research into the interaction of such a debilitating illness on the

person's life. In addtion, Im beginning to find better ways already for my next

reserch project on ways where improvements can be made, which i will implement

in the future, and this is due to honest people like you, so thankyou again.

I also want to reasure you that I

do undertand the effects of Hypothyroidism, and this study, wasnt just made up

by an uncaring person. But you have to undertand that we ( Psychology

students) are governed by set strict rules whereby we cannot ask what we really

want to ask, so each questionnaire goes through a process of years of

mathematical analysis, which if I wanted to do my own I would only be able

to do this when I am fully graduated and doing maybe a masters- so again my

apologies for what seems like lack of caring with some questions. I

am very very passionate about this, because i see the lack of support by

officials who are supposed to know better. Also I do believe that this illness

should be labelled as a disability and more support should be given.

And lastly I would like to share

this with everyone- so perhaps they can undertand just how much this research

means to me.

I myself suffer with severe

Hypothyroidism Im on a daily dose of 300mcgs a day. It has changd my whole

life, I was a dancer trainiing believe it or not for competitions around

the world. I firslt started noticing symptoms around 12 years old, but it went

undiagnosed for years to the point i ended up slipping in and out of

consciousness. Even now after so called treatment- I can sometimes

slip in and out of consciousness, and it scares me. I have a young daughter and

im a single mother, so i worry alot about losing consciousness when she is

around, as she is only 4 years old. so there are days i need full time support.

I have been through the stigmatisim of weight gain, and how people

look at you, then the pain and the resulting low self esteem. I know the pain

in the joints and the change of mood which leave you wondering if you are actually

sane. and lastly I lost my new born baby she died in my arms, due to my

illness, whcih haunts me every single day. I dont say this to belittle or to

challnege any of what any of you have said in your email, we all suffer and Im

very sorry for your sufferng and im angry at the lack of support you are

receiving from those people who should be helping you. I just wanted to share

my story to enable people to understand that i do understand what you are going

through, I do care. And i promise when i do my masters the questionnaire will

not be so dependent on other set questions, but I will be able to do my own

tests and to establish a questionnaire which really answers those questions.

Again im sorry for any

stress, or pain you have gone through answering this questionanire. The only

thing i can do is report your concerns to my supervisor who will contact you

and ask what you would like to do- and if you would like to take your

complaints further to the head of univsersity. In addtion you could give

me your ID code which you used for the questionnaire and I will remove your

data, if you feel this is best for you.

Kindest regards to all of you ,

and I hope I can do a better job in my masters.

and with upmost respect for your

honesty and emails,

Elspeth Cordell