update on trip to Lubbock

[Guest guest]

Friday both my teenagers and I made the trip to Lubbock to see Dr . It was VERY productive!

I'll start with me. It has been 3 month plus since starting treatment with Dr R. He started me on Metanx, Armour, HC and Iron supplementation. All of my labs had greatly improved! He was very happy with my cholesterol panel and even happier when I told him that I had not fasted. My TSH has dropped to about 0.1. But even when I was feeling my very worse my TSH was around 1, so obviously for me the TSH is completely useless.

Anyway, I can not even begin to express to y'all how much better I feel then a year ago when all my symptoms came to a head. This really hit home with the injury of my 17 y.o. daughter the Saturday after Thanksgiving. For any of you that missed all of those posts, she had a terrible injury to her knee/leg requiring 16 days hospitalization and two surgeries in Dallas, about 1 1/2 hours from our home. I have no idea how I would have managed the situation if I had happened last year.

The biggest improvements have been in my energy level, anxiety levels, PMS, low immunity, GERD which had been so bad that I was essentially sleeping sitting up and still waking up with vomit in my mouth at night, IBS (it was to the point where I felt like I could not leave the house unless I knew where the facilities were),water retention, pretibial myxedema, foot pain. I'm know there was much more but these are the highlights.

The girls had gone for their initial visit and blood draws in October. I was just able to get them back for their treatment planning now. My 15 y.o. is the most symptomatic and her TSH is now over 3. She still has not had a menstrual cycle, is ALWAYS tired, IBS and has very low immunity so she is sick ALL of the time. Of course when she get sick during all of the high points of her life too...our trip to England (she slept through most of the trip), summer camp (made it through but was miserable), equestrian camp (she slept almost the entire camp while others had the joy of riding her horse that she worked so hard to train). You name it..she gets sick. Anyway she is now starting on Armour. Dr R also found that she is very low on B12 and folic acid, so she starts on a prescription for that as well. Somewhat low ferritin so will take Iron and a multivitamin.

My 17 y.o. is not as symptomatic but still has definitely suffering...especially with PMS accompanied with depression. Her thyroid labs were like mine...very normal. Her basal temps are a full degree lower then normal. She also has the low ferritin, folic acid & B12. So same treatment plan but on a bit lower dose of Armour to start. Dr R said he will adjust it if she does not see any results in a month or so.

Sorry such a long e-mail. I just have to say that this was a major commitment for me...going to Lubbock, hotel rooms. He is out-of-network for my insurance, etc. But I have to say that I absolutely have no regrets. Dr R has gotten the root causes of my symptoms and probably my girls where every other doctor was just treating my symptoms and not looking at the big pictures and only looking at lab values instead of listening to me. I have not doubt that I have been hypothyroid since I was a teenager when I started going from doctor to doctor only to be sent to a psychiatrist because it was all in my head. And also started on antidepressants to which I had negative side effects to which I was told that the reactions were all in my head...amazing that the side-effects stopped once I stopped the antidepressants.

My daughters were started down the same exact path! I cannot tell you how exciting it is for me to know that my daughters are being spared the years of poor health and the years of searching to find out what was wrong with me.

Also I have to say that the commitment to travel to see Dr R was huge at first because I felt so sick and there are quite a few trips at first. But now I don't have to go back again for 6 months! Considering how much good health and peace of mind I have achieved, that initial commitment pales in comparison to what my family has gained.

Kim in Aubrey

Just a side note, for those that are not familiar with my posts...I am not against antidepressants. What I oppose is the way they are so easily prescribed rather then looking for the actual cause of the "symptoms" of depression.

[Guest guest]

So great, Kim! Glad to hear it!

Carol

>> Friday both my teenagers and I made the trip to Lubbock to see Dr .> It was VERY productive!> > I'll start with me. It has been 3 month plus since starting treatment with> Dr R. He started me on Metanx, Armour, HC and Iron supplementation. All of> my labs had greatly improved! He was very happy with my cholesterol panel> and even happier when I told him that I had not fasted. My TSH has dropped> to about 0.1. But even when I was feeling my very worse my TSH was around> 1, so obviously for me the TSH is completely useless. > > Anyway, I can not even begin to express to y'all how much better I feel then> a year ago when all my symptoms came to a head. This really hit home with> the injury of my 17 y.o. daughter the Saturday after Thanksgiving. For any> of you that missed all of those posts, she had a terrible injury to her> knee/leg requiring 16 days hospitalization and two surgeries in Dallas,> about 1 1/2 hours from our home. I have no idea how I would have managed> the situation if I had happened last year.> > The biggest improvements have been in my energy level, anxiety levels, PMS,> low immunity, GERD which had been so bad that I was essentially sleeping> sitting up and still waking up with vomit in my mouth at night, IBS (it was> to the point where I felt like I could not leave the house unless I knew> where the facilities were),water retention, pretibial myxedema, foot pain.> I'm know there was much more but these are the highlights.> > The girls had gone for their initial visit and blood draws in October. I> was just able to get them back for their treatment planning now. My 15 y.o.> is the most symptomatic and her TSH is now over 3. She still has not had a> menstrual cycle, is ALWAYS tired, IBS and has very low immunity so she is> sick ALL of the time. Of course when she get sick during all of the high> points of her life too...our trip to England (she slept through most of the> trip), summer camp (made it through but was miserable), equestrian camp (she> slept almost the entire camp while others had the joy of riding her horse> that she worked so hard to train). You name it..she gets sick. Anyway she> is now starting on Armour. Dr R also found that she is very low on B12 and> folic acid, so she starts on a prescription for that as well. Somewhat low> ferritin so will take Iron and a multivitamin.> > My 17 y.o. is not as symptomatic but still has definitely> suffering...especially with PMS accompanied with depression. Her thyroid> labs were like mine...very normal. Her basal temps are a full degree lower> then normal. She also has the low ferritin, folic acid & B12. So same> treatment plan but on a bit lower dose of Armour to start. Dr R said he> will adjust it if she does not see any results in a month or so.> > Sorry such a long e-mail. I just have to say that this was a major> commitment for me...going to Lubbock, hotel rooms. He is out-of-network for> my insurance, etc. But I have to say that I absolutely have no regrets. Dr> R has gotten the root causes of my symptoms and probably my girls where> every other doctor was just treating my symptoms and not looking at the big> pictures and only looking at lab values instead of listening to me. I have> not doubt that I have been hypothyroid since I was a teenager when I started> going from doctor to doctor only to be sent to a psychiatrist because it was> all in my head. And also started on antidepressants to which I had negative> side effects to which I was told that the reactions were all in my> head...amazing that the side-effects stopped once I stopped the> antidepressants.> > My daughters were started down the same exact path! I cannot tell you how> exciting it is for me to know that my daughters are being spared the years> of poor health and the years of searching to find out what was wrong with> me.> > Also I have to say that the commitment to travel to see Dr R was huge at> first because I felt so sick and there are quite a few trips at first. But> now I don't have to go back again for 6 months! Considering how much good> health and peace of mind I have achieved, that initial commitment pales in> comparison to what my family has gained.> > Kim in Aubrey> > Just a side note, for those that are not familiar with my posts...I am not> against antidepressants. What I oppose is the way they are so easily> prescribed rather then looking for the actual cause of the "symptoms" of> depression.>