Re: I'm New (long....sorry)

August 20, 2004

Thanks . Because I haven't gotten much information from the doctor, it leaves me too much to wonder about (I'm a worrier from a long line of worriers).

Is it standard procedure for them to go directly to this type of test? My husband wants me to get other opinions from other doctors, especially because I wasn't so crazy about this one. But on the other hand, she did seem proactive to me by immediately ordering the ultrasound (my last doctor didn't). I'm afraid to even ask what "hot" and "cold nodules are...doctor said nothing about this.

Thanks again for answering.

Beth

Beth, Please don't worry hon! Many of us have been through all that youdescribe even the tests! I had a total of 3 ultrasounds and one thryoiduptake scan. They only give you two small pills and run a small scanner overyour thyroid. Then you come back in a few hours and they run the scanneragain. And you lay on a table while a machine goes around you. This willtell them if you have any "hot" or "cold" nodules. Also it gives them abetter picture of your thryoid. My thyroid was very large and I had tons ofnodules especially a prominant one on my left lobe. The ones on my rightlobe are all small. So three weeks ago I have my left lobe along with agolfball size nodule removed. I still have my right lobe but they willcontinue to monitor it. If you have any further questions or concerns feelfree to email me! Plus there are so many knowledgeable people on this groupthat would be happy to help you~!"Dreams are the touchstones of our character." Henry Thoreau----- Original Message -----

) Beth

August 20, 2004

Hi Debbie,

I live in Lake , Florida which is in the Orlando area. I think Boca Raton is about 3 hours away from here. Do you know of anyone in my area? Thanks so much for the warm welcome.

Beth

Beth, don't worry about the long post. Welcome on board. Now, would you happen to live in driving distance of Boca Raton? There is a great doc there ... Dr. Wolinger or something like that. If you are willing to drive to him, we'll find the info on him.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----

August 20, 2004

Hi Debbie,

I live in Lake , Florida which is in the Orlando area. I think Boca Raton is about 3 hours away from here. Do you know of anyone in my area? Thanks so much for the warm welcome.

Beth

Beth, don't worry about the long post. Welcome on board. Now, would you happen to live in driving distance of Boca Raton? There is a great doc there ... Dr. Wolinger or something like that. If you are willing to drive to him, we'll find the info on him.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----

August 20, 2004

Hi Debbie,

I live in Lake , Florida which is in the Orlando area. I think Boca Raton is about 3 hours away from here. Do you know of anyone in my area? Thanks so much for the warm welcome.

Beth

Beth, don't worry about the long post. Welcome on board. Now, would you happen to live in driving distance of Boca Raton? There is a great doc there ... Dr. Wolinger or something like that. If you are willing to drive to him, we'll find the info on him.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----

August 20, 2004

I live in Heathrow!

Beth

I lived in Heathrow and drove down

----- Original Message -----

August 20, 2004

I live in Heathrow!

Beth

I lived in Heathrow and drove down

----- Original Message -----

August 20, 2004

I live in Heathrow!

Beth

I lived in Heathrow and drove down

----- Original Message -----

August 20, 2004

I'm not sure if I should contact another doctor before or after this test.

Beth

I would head down to Orlando to DR on Orange Ave if you are a tough case. I lived in Heathrow and drove down

-----

August 20, 2004

I'm not sure if I should contact another doctor before or after this test.

Beth

I would head down to Orlando to DR on Orange Ave if you are a tough case. I lived in Heathrow and drove down

-----

August 20, 2004

I'm not sure if I should contact another doctor before or after this test.

Beth

I would head down to Orlando to DR on Orange Ave if you are a tough case. I lived in Heathrow and drove down

-----

August 20, 2004

I just looked him up online and see that he is at the same address as another doctor who I saw recommended on a thyroid info website; Crockett. I'm not sure if I should try to see another doctor before having this test.

Beth

I would head down to Orlando to DR on Orange Ave if you are a tough case. I lived in Heathrow and drove down

-----

August 20, 2004

I just looked him up online and see that he is at the same address as another doctor who I saw recommended on a thyroid info website; Crockett. I'm not sure if I should try to see another doctor before having this test.

Beth

I would head down to Orlando to DR on Orange Ave if you are a tough case. I lived in Heathrow and drove down

-----

August 20, 2004

I just looked him up online and see that he is at the same address as another doctor who I saw recommended on a thyroid info website; Crockett. I'm not sure if I should try to see another doctor before having this test.

Beth

I would head down to Orlando to DR on Orange Ave if you are a tough case. I lived in Heathrow and drove down

-----

August 20, 2004

Beth,

Please don't worry hon! Many of us have been through all that you

describe even the tests! I had a total of 3 ultrasounds and one thryoid

uptake scan. They only give you two small pills and run a small scanner over

your thyroid. Then you come back in a few hours and they run the scanner

again. And you lay on a table while a machine goes around you. This will

tell them if you have any " hot " or " cold " nodules. Also it gives them a

better picture of your thryoid. My thyroid was very large and I had tons of

nodules especially a prominant one on my left lobe. The ones on my right

lobe are all small. So three weeks ago I have my left lobe along with a

golfball size nodule removed. I still have my right lobe but they will

continue to monitor it. If you have any further questions or concerns feel

free to email me! Plus there are so many knowledgeable people on this group

that would be happy to help you~!

" Dreams are the touchstones of our character. " Henry Thoreau

I'm New (long....sorry)

> Hi everyone,

> I'm new here and new to all of the language and concerns of thyroid

> related issues.

>

> To give you a bit of background to my situation, I am 39 (will be 40

> in October) the mother of two and very happily married for 11 years.

> Over the past 7 years I have been through multiple stressful

> situations. We have moved 6 times, (4 of which out of state).When I

> was pregnant with my 5 year old, my father was critically ill at the

> end of my pregnancy and I was induced due to all the stress. In June

> 2001, my husband's company was taken over and we moved back north to

> the NY area, my husband was working in Manhattan on 9/11 while I was

> back in FL trying to sell our home. 6 months after we were all

> settled in our new home, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and 6

> months later she died. For the following 14 months, my father's

> health deteriorated and this past March he died (Dad was living with

> us). We were due to move back to Florida and had the closing on our

> house here April 5th! My husband had to start work here, and so my

> kids and I worked hard with the help of others to pack up our house,

> while doing my best to mourn my father and to continue mourning my

> mother.Now we are here.

>

> Sorry about the long winded intro, but I felt the background info

> would be quite meaningful in my situation.

>

> About two and a half years ago, when I went to my gynocologist for an

> annual exam, he mentioned that my thyroid seemed enlarged, he ordered

> bloodwork and suggested that I have it checked out by my internist.

> The bloodwork came back " normal " .

>

> With everything else going on in my life, I didn't have another

> checkup until this past February. In the meantime I noticed that I

> would have a feeling of swollen glands at times and within the last

> year two and a half years I noticed some other changes in myself. For

> many years I've had difficulty sleeping. I fall asleep but then awake

> for several hours at night. I always attributed that to my 'need' to

> have some form of junk food late at night before I went to sleep. I

> have never had a weight problem in my life and have most definitely

> gone overboard in the comfort food department with the loss of my

> parents, but I have found in recent years, that when I take more

> control over this impulsive eating , my size doesn't drop down they

> way that it used to. This I've attributed to stress and getting

> older. When I haven't slept well or have over done the junk food, I

> can get what I have thought to be 'migraine' headaches, that last

> about two days and are usually accompanied by some constipation and

> allergy like symptoms and are almost always on the left side of my

> head with stiffness in that side of my neck. I experience heart

> palpitations and have had my feelings of fatigue and depression.This

> again, i attributed to stress and poor self care habits. I haven't

> been exercising much in recent years, before all this, I exercised

> all the time, this too I would take into account.

>

> I have also noticed a thickening at the base of my neck, I had always

> had a very slender neck before and I noticed in recent photos that my

> overall physique has changed, from long and lanky to tall and a bit

> more broad in appearance.

>

> Last week I went to a family practicioner. I don't know much about

> this doctor or for that matter any doctor in my area (being so new

> here). The practice was recommended by a neighbor. The office was way

> overcrowded and they were behind schedule. The doctor saw me, she was

> about my age and didn't have the best bedside manner. She seemed more

> concerned with exuding 'professionalism' than developing rapport with

> warmth and understanding. She felt my neck said it was enlarged

> ordered bloodwork an ultrasound and wrote up a prescription for

> Ambien.

> I went for the ultrasound and and they found multiple nodules. I got

> a call from her office the other day (while I was at a hotel for

> hurricane Charley) and an awkward nurse told me " You need to schedule

> an appointment for a _______ test " , I was very confused and upet

> because I hadn't been told that I might need any other type of test

> and I really became alarmed. When I started asking questions, she

> seemed uncomfortable and put the doctor on, who spoke to my in her

> most condescending attempt to sound reassuring. She said that my

> thyroid is 'slightly' enlarged, but the bloodwork doesn't show if it

> is underactive or overactive (as an aside, she never asked me

> anything about any symptoms I might be having). The radiologist who

> reviewed my sonogram said I should go in for a thyroid uptake test.

> Something with radioactive iodine. I was really shaken up. The more

> questions I asked, the more neurotic they made me feel. I don't

> really understand what this is all about. The doctor said this should

> help them see if my thyroid is under or over active, and from this

> she might " bump " me to an endocrinologist.

>

> I would appreciate any and all advice that you might have to share.

> Thanks so much for taking the time to read this.

>

> Beth

>

August 20, 2004

Beth, don't worry about the long post. Welcome on board. Now, would you happen to live in driving distance of Boca Raton? There is a great doc there ... Dr. Wolinger or something like that. If you are willing to drive to him, we'll find the info on him.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----From: bclevine Sent: Friday, August 20, 2004 10:28 AM (while I was at a hotel for hurricane Charley)

August 20, 2004

Beth, don't worry about the long post. Welcome on board. Now, would you happen to live in driving distance of Boca Raton? There is a great doc there ... Dr. Wolinger or something like that. If you are willing to drive to him, we'll find the info on him.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----From: bclevine Sent: Friday, August 20, 2004 10:28 AM (while I was at a hotel for hurricane Charley)

August 20, 2004

Beth, don't worry about the long post. Welcome on board. Now, would you happen to live in driving distance of Boca Raton? There is a great doc there ... Dr. Wolinger or something like that. If you are willing to drive to him, we'll find the info on him.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----From: bclevine Sent: Friday, August 20, 2004 10:28 AM (while I was at a hotel for hurricane Charley)

August 20, 2004

I would head down to Orlando to DR on Orange Ave if you are a tough case. I lived in Heathrow and drove down

Re: I'm New (long....sorry)

Hi Debbie,

I live in Lake , Florida which is in the Orlando area. I think Boca Raton is about 3 hours away from here. Do you know of anyone in my area? Thanks so much for the warm welcome.

Beth

Beth, don't worry about the long post. Welcome on board. Now, would you happen to live in driving distance of Boca Raton? There is a great doc there ... Dr. Wolinger or something like that. If you are willing to drive to him, we'll find the info on him.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----

August 20, 2004

I would head down to Orlando to DR on Orange Ave if you are a tough case. I lived in Heathrow and drove down

Re: I'm New (long....sorry)

Hi Debbie,

I live in Lake , Florida which is in the Orlando area. I think Boca Raton is about 3 hours away from here. Do you know of anyone in my area? Thanks so much for the warm welcome.

Beth

Beth, don't worry about the long post. Welcome on board. Now, would you happen to live in driving distance of Boca Raton? There is a great doc there ... Dr. Wolinger or something like that. If you are willing to drive to him, we'll find the info on him.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----

August 20, 2004

I would head down to Orlando to DR on Orange Ave if you are a tough case. I lived in Heathrow and drove down

Re: I'm New (long....sorry)

Hi Debbie,

I live in Lake , Florida which is in the Orlando area. I think Boca Raton is about 3 hours away from here. Do you know of anyone in my area? Thanks so much for the warm welcome.

Beth

Beth, don't worry about the long post. Welcome on board. Now, would you happen to live in driving distance of Boca Raton? There is a great doc there ... Dr. Wolinger or something like that. If you are willing to drive to him, we'll find the info on him.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----

August 20, 2004

Well, I drive four hours to my doc in Atlanta. I just know Doc Woliner has been highly praised here on the board. You might check

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/florida.htm

Read the recommendations carefully some of those docs are still synthetic only, plus there could be some self promotions there. Perhaps someone else will pop in with a recommendation.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----From: bclevine@... Sent: Friday, August 20, 2004 12:33 PMTo: The_Thyroid_Support_Group Subject: Re: I'm New (long....sorry)

Hi Debbie,

I live in Lake , Florida which is in the Orlando area. I think Boca Raton is about 3 hours away from here. Do you know of anyone in my area? Thanks so much for the warm welcome.

Beth

August 20, 2004

Well, I drive four hours to my doc in Atlanta. I just know Doc Woliner has been highly praised here on the board. You might check

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/florida.htm

Read the recommendations carefully some of those docs are still synthetic only, plus there could be some self promotions there. Perhaps someone else will pop in with a recommendation.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----From: bclevine@... Sent: Friday, August 20, 2004 12:33 PMTo: The_Thyroid_Support_Group Subject: Re: I'm New (long....sorry)

Hi Debbie,

I live in Lake , Florida which is in the Orlando area. I think Boca Raton is about 3 hours away from here. Do you know of anyone in my area? Thanks so much for the warm welcome.

Beth

August 20, 2004

Well, I drive four hours to my doc in Atlanta. I just know Doc Woliner has been highly praised here on the board. You might check

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/florida.htm

Read the recommendations carefully some of those docs are still synthetic only, plus there could be some self promotions there. Perhaps someone else will pop in with a recommendation.

Blessings,

Debbie K.

-----Original Message-----From: bclevine@... Sent: Friday, August 20, 2004 12:33 PMTo: The_Thyroid_Support_Group Subject: Re: I'm New (long....sorry)

Hi Debbie,

I live in Lake , Florida which is in the Orlando area. I think Boca Raton is about 3 hours away from here. Do you know of anyone in my area? Thanks so much for the warm welcome.

Beth

August 20, 2004

This is just my opion, but I would find a good doc before having the

test. It would probably save you grief and expense in the end. Also,

I would not worry. The vast majority of nodules are caused by auto-

immune thryoid disease. I suspect you are a little hypothyroid from

your description of problems. Chronic auto-immune thyroid disease

can take years and years to damage your thyroid enough to lead to

full fledged hypothyroidism. You can probably find out now if you

are hypothyroid just by taking your temperature using the Broda

Basal Body tempurature test, which is all over the web, or

just by taking it 3 times a day about 3 hours apart starting in the

morning for about a week or two and then averaging them. They should

average 98.6. This will give you an idea about your metabolic rate,

which is controled by thyroid mostly. If it is averaging down below

97.8, suspect you are hypothyroid. Your anxiey symptoms could very

well be from low adrenal or adrenal fatigue caused by being low

thyroid. You could be having periods of hyperthyroidism, which can

cause a variety of symptoms. But, since you cannot loose weight

easily, you are probably mostly on the hypo side.

If this is what is causing the nodules, then thyroid treatment has a

good chance of shrinking them and it hopefully it will also fix the

anxiety and depression after a time. Both are associated with

hypothyroidism and the low adrenal that goes with it. Low adrenal

causes sleep problems and so does hypothryoidism. For me, low

adrenal made almost a total insomniac for many months.

If you are worried about cancer, thyroid cancer is not common and

very slow growing and when found has a 90% cure rate.

Anyway, you don't need to panic or get in a rush. A lot of doctors

are knife and proceedure happy and it's much better to keep as much

thryoid function as you can.

Tish

August 20, 2004