Finding The Right Doctor

[Booghead]

So we found a decent enough looking Endocrinologist and we got a referral. We called to schedule the appointment and were told that I am too young to be treated by her. I wasn't excited to see this doctor because her reviews weren't great but,i'm assuming the woman would know enough about TSH to tell my I'm hypo and to test for Hashi's.

Well now we have to go to a pediatric Endocrinologist all the way in Salt Lake City. That is about an hour and a half drive, but that isn't the worse part. The worse part is they don't want to give me an appointment until April. APRIL! I feel like trash and I'm not getting any better, for heaven's sake they should be able to get me in before April.

They are reviewing my test results today to find out whether or not I should undergo the radio active iodine uptake test this week. They are also reviewing in case I am seriously ill and then they will get me in sooner. I have read things about people with severe hypo thyroidism and I thank god I'm not one of them. I am not half as healthy as the normal teenager, but I don't have severe fatigue to the point of being too exhausted to get out of bed. I'm not in constant agonizing pain. I'm not that sick, but I do think it will get worse and there isn't a reason to drag it out like this.

I guess I am a more of a get-er-done kind of person, and a lot of the people around me are really more of a "we can handle it later" kind of people.

Do you think 17 years old is too young for an adult doctor? What have your experiences been with doctors?

[pricklypear1971]

It isn't a matter of what anyone thinks, it may be about how/who the doctor is licensed or able to see.

It does suck that you have to go so far, and there are always fewer pediatric specialists.

Keep looking and good luck.

[Booghead]

Well the doctors told us that I am not hyperthyroid. That the last 2 tests that were off the scale in the hypo direction could be "flukes" which pisses me off a lot but my mom was the one to talk to them so I don't know the context.

I would really hate to be back at square one with zero results. They did want to order the TPOab test for hashimotos, but now they have me really nervous that it is going to be fine and I'm just going to have to go back to not sleeping, being tired, dry skin so bad it hurts, constipation no matter how much fiber I eat. It really makes me mad, mostly because I hadn't thought about what I would do if I didn't get diagnosed.

Well at least I don't have to do the scans.

[Adalaide]

No matter who I end up referred to or talking to over the years I've found that I am happiest with the care I receive up at University if Utah in SLC. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with the Intermountain Healthcare system or the doctors I see, I just have always felt better cared for and more confident with U of U. If you've been referred to a doctor at their hospital I would say it is probably worth the drive. (Then again I'm not as far away as you are, it's only about 45 minutes or an hour for me.)

If you feel up to it that day, maybe plan on going to the Hogle Zoo or seeing something that interests you. At least you may feel like it is more worth it.

Also, with the dry skin I've found that using Eucerin Calming Body wash helps a lot, followed immediately by one of their lotions or creams when I'm out of the shower. I have not looked into whether or not their products are gluten free, but if I didn't use that body wash I'd crawl out of my own skin by the time I could get near a bottle of lotion.