[healthwork] MYSTERY ILLNESS SAGA UPDATE.

[kaberett]

My bloods a few weeks ago had T4 at ~10% lower than the test in November, both right down at the bottom end of the "normal" range. A previous screen (~4 years ago) had much more middle-to-average numbers.

Given my cluster of autoimmune conditions, I'm going in for follow-up bloods to screen for thyroid antibodies on Tuesday. If they show up, we'll start treating me with thyroxine; if they don't, we'll keep monitoring. (I actually specifically asked if the thyroid antibodies screen was one it was worth doing, and my excellent GP's response was "good idea".)

This is me doing a relieved flump.

Comments

[rydra_wong]

Yay for informative test results and potentially-reduced mystery!

[kaberett]

(IN the event that you would like a recommendation for a Thorough And Competent GP at the Imperial College Health Centre, and you're in catchment, let me know...)

[hilarita]

Good. Well, not *exactly* good, but definitely useful info.

[kaberett]

It means it's not a mystery! It's highly likely that this is in fact thyroid-related! This means it's STRAIGHTFORWARDLY TREATABLE and I get to START FEELING BETTER SOON. I am very excited! (Also having to process a bunch of Emotions, but hey.)

[ewt]

Yay for excellent GP. Boo to yet another autoimmune thing, if that's what it is, though at least this one is a lot more trivial to treat than some.

[kaberett]

Yep! Straightforward to treat, will rapidly resolve a whole bunch of tedious malaise I've been labouring with for the last six months, relatively minor long-term implications. Of everything it could have been (the initial list included diabetes, leukemia, coeliac disease, and a host of other unpleasantnesses...) this is right up there with Things I'll Take.

[sebenikela]

hooray for excellent GPs and good medical sleuthing!

[kaberett]

I am SO PLEASED about this GP in particular. I am dreading having to train another one.

[jenett]

Oh, yay. I'm glad your GP is being sensible.

[kaberett]

This is the well-trained one I am very fond of, who is currently a slog across town!

[wohali]

Hm, maybe it's time for me to bug my doctor about checking my TSH/T3/T4 levels. My hands/feet are constantly cold, I'm slowly gaining abdominal weight that I can't seem to shake, even keeping calories <2k a day, and I can't shake this headcold/flu I seemingly have had for a month now. I also am losing some sensation in my fingers/toes with no apparent explanation.

My doc brushed all of this off in my appointment last week. Harumph.

[kaberett]

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaah no.

eta I found this hypothyroidism symptom checklist illuminating. Also of interest: from a VERY brief skim of the literature, it seems like each individual has their own "normal" set-point for thyroid numbers, with relatively restricted variation around that. The vast majority of people with properly functioning thyroids have their own personal set-point fall within the "normal" range; a small minority do not. Conversely, the vast majority of people outside the reference range have a malfunctioning thyroid, and a small minority do not, but this means that your numbers can be "normal" for the population but abnormal for you.

This is why my number-from-four-years-ago is an interesting baseline for me.

[wohali]

"Yeah no" meaning you agree or disagree? I'm bad at these things :/

Goodness, that checklist is huge.

I should ask for a copy of my chart, I guess, I think they've done T3/T4 before from a while back.

[kaberett]

I agree with you that it merits investigation, not your doctor that it doesn't. :-)