D King

(from janie: it’s mostly imported)

By the way, I quit ordering dessicated thyroid meds through my insurance company. My last Armour refill was only $9/month out-of-pocket. Erfa is much more expensive due to demand. I can’t afford to wait and deal with insurance companies.

I only discovered Stop The Thyroid Madness in November 09 so I am still in the ‘eye’s bugging out of the head’ and the ‘wanting to run out into the middle of nowhere and scream and scream and scream’ stage with all of the information I am finding about this on the internet and in forums. I quite happily took my 100mcg of synthetic thyroxine a day and accepted that my lingering hypothyroid symptoms were all related to other things, mainly ‘normal daily stresses’ and depression which I never felt I had. Nevertheless, these diagnosis rattled my self esteem and this mixed with bad thyroid symptoms stopped me doing things I would have liked to have done in the last 10 years of my life (ie making good use of my Bachelor of Applied Science Majoring in Ecology which I later discovered I achieved somehow whilst withstanding debilitating symptoms of undiagnosed hypothyroidism, if not hashimoto’s disease — were BOTH antibodies ever checked? I continue to wonder – my endocrinologist told me when I was finally diagnosed that I had probably had it since high school).

The information I have discovered on STTM and in other facebook groups (many of whom don’t seem to know anything about STTM! I am trying to spread the word as best I can) and forums has resulted in my traveling across the globe to my home country, Australia, for treatment due to a major adverse reaction (including allergic symptoms in my lips, mouth and eyes) to the thyroid medication I was taking whilst living in Denmark. My doctor would not take me off this medication and change me to another or refer me to someone who could treat me with natural desiccated thyroid medication, due to the fact that my TSH was normal. I was diagnosed as a hypochondriac (yes, these were my danish doctors words) and with depression. I am currently trying to find a doctor who will support the recommendations for testing and treatment made by STTM here in Aus (it will be done!).

The point of my big spiel (I do apologize, I try to keep it short, never seems to work), without the information provided and the personal help given by of people like you, Amy, and Janie I would still be happily popping my 100mcg of synthetic thyroxine daily wondering why my symptoms were getting worse and worse over the years and being told I am normal, just depressed… a hypochondriac etc etc. NO MORE!

I am trying to spread the word as best I can (which will hopefully increase exponentially as I am treated properly and recover from this) and I agree… the more people that know, the more chance there is for change. WE can fight for our rights ok once we know this information but what about all of the elderly people suffering (possibly like my Grandmother and her sister) who don’t have the strength to go against the will of their doctor or change doctors and travel for miles to see a doctor who will take this seriously?

The way thyroid problems are diagnosed and treated NEEDS to change and I do believe this approach of spreading the word will work and that doing so can be very hard work so thank you so very much for all you do (words can not express)and for helping make this happen!