What I have found out from watching this Doctor's youtube videos (and we just got her two books from the library) is that your tests and levels can appear normal for up to 5 years while your thyroid is under attack (from your own body)
DR. IZABELLA WENTZ, PHARM D - Thyroid Pharmacist
Her name is Dr. Izabella Wentz, the cool thing about her case, is that normally you have a doctor who has never had the disease telling you all about it.. or you have a layperson with the disease but no medical training telling "you all about it", but here we have a Doctor who contracted it herself and then she went on a mission to first find out what was going on in her own body so she could help others.. and contrary to her own profession (Pharmacist) she decided food and supplements can be just as important as is hormone replacement therapy.
One insteresting thing I learned from one of her youtubes is that we are usually given a T4 replacement, which has to be converted in the body to T3 to be usable-- but for some people, T4 is not enough because of a phenomenon where the body (due to stressors and other problems) transforms the T4 into Reverse T3 which is a non-usable form of T3. So if they only test your T4 and it is within range, that does us no good if our body is converting most of it to reverse T3.
She recommends when you talk to your endocrinologist or regular doctor, that you always request the following 6 lab tests (Usually they only check TSH and Free T4 and call it good.)
But request:
1. TSH
2. Free T4
3. Free T3
4 Reverse T3
5. Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies
6. Thyroglobulin Antibodies
I have an endo appointment next week and I'm going to beg for these labs (they don't seem to want to do them--they seem to want to discount patients like we are stupid and they are the smart one's--and "We can tell with just TSH and T4, you don't need all that other stuff) My last labs came back with my Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies at 221! (Normal is in the 40's I think) and they called me and said "Your labs came back fine--so unless you like driving (My appointment will be a 3 hour round trip) you can cancel your appointment" SO that's what I did-- I cancelled, but then I looked closer and saw my Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies was 221 and called and rescheduled my appointment.
Now it's possible they can come back and say "Of course that is high-- you have Hashimotos--your body is creating antibodies because it is under attack" but I want to hear for myself. I also want them to do another sonogram/ultrasound because back in 2012 I had a nodule, then 6 months later they did another one and magically there was no nodule--so which one was incompetent? The first or the second? Also the size and shape of my thyroid had changed in those 6 months.. and this was 6 years ago...if they blow me off, I will be furious. The VA/Military is all about saving money these days. So the faster they can get you to cancel and appointment or get you out of their face the better.
I will keep you all posted. And as always--pray for me as I pray for you.
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Lord Jesus, I lift up every single person on this board that is dealing with some sort of health issue, but especially this disease of Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism--it is especially insidious and affects every aspect of one's life and every cell of the body--I pray your blood covers us, and the stripes you took on Calvary will heal every one of us from our infirmities. I pray these things in the Mighty Name of Jesus.
Amen!