Healthy Me

I just had my thyroid tests done again. I got the results and the doctor's letter in the mail today saying my results were "normal" and I have been holding back tears for the last hour. I don't FEEL normal. I feel like crap.

Their lab is using the old recommendations for TSH. The old recommendations were 0.35 to 5.5 ulU/ML. The 2003 recommendations from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists is 0.3 to 3.04. My results were 3.70. I'm within "normal" for the old range but high for the newest recommended range. Why are doctors using the old range?

My thyroxine was 5.2 (recommended normal range is 4.9 to 10.9 UG/DL). My T3, Free was 2.80 (recommended normal range is 2.3 - 4.2 PG/ML). So, I am at the low end of the "normal" range.

I hate that word "NORMAL" when I don't feel NORMAL. If my doctor would use the newest recommendation for TSH, and treat accordingly, would I feel "normal" again? If I wasn't at the low end of "normal" for my thyroxine and T3, would I feel "normal" again?

I want to cry. I want to be me again. I don't want swiss cheese for memory. I don't want to be so overweight. I want a doctor who will listen to me and not just look at the lab results, which aren't even up to date, and say I am fine. I AM NOT FINE!!!

My cholesterol, which was always great before, has changed as well (gee, if they were treating my thryoid right, would that have happened?). According to my doctor, my bad cholesterol was a little high and my good a little low.

People have the misconception that people who are overweight can't or won't control their eating. They probably imagine overweight people pigging out with more than the "normal" amount of food (damn do I really hate that word "normal" right now). For some, that may be true. For others, like me, I don't eat a lot. It's medical and that makes it worse for me because I feel helpless in being able to do anything about it. Especially when my own doctor won't use up-to-date recommendations so my thyroid is being treated correctly. I hear that is a problem with a lot of thyroid patients. Why won't doctors, and the labs they use, start using the newest recommendations for TSH? People shouldn't have to go years feeling like hell. If I was pigging out and making myself fat, then it'd be my own darn fault. I just want to find a doctor who I can trust. I wish more naturopaths took insurance because I think I'd have better luck getting a doctor who cared.