Today is the start of a 3-day course, which I’ve signed up at work. It has nothing to do with my job and I’m starting to question of what I was thinking when I signed up. Have I lost my mind? Taking such a course in the midst of the busyness of training the new guy and other job training as I’m transitioning into other roles within the department.
The class I’m taking is an emergency medical dispatch course. If you’re new here and don’t know what I do, I’m an accounting specialist for a company that sells the emergency dispatch software to agencies all around the world. If you ever make an emergency call, it is possible the dispatcher is using my company’s software to guide you to saving someone’s life.
Like I mentioned, this class has absolutely nothing to do with my job. I am simply taking it for the sake of curiosity, which from some people’s point-of-view might be the dumbest reason but I guess, just like a place waiting to be discovered, I want to discover. That, and a few individuals from the department recently completed the course and I want to see if I still have it in me to learn.
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I went to see the doctor on Monday for a follow-up on my thyroid problem. I told him I am still feeling fatigue though my fatigue is not a regular occurrence. It only sometimes happens, very sporadically but still strange despite getting the same amount of sleep per night.
The doctor decided to order a few extra tests.
I had no idea what kind of tests he had ordered until the results came out and I’m not sure whether that’s an appropriate thing to ask a doctor. The laboratory sent a notification to my email the next day letting me know the results are ready.
I opened the results and gasped. I’ve had low white blood count for the last 8 years, ever since I was diagnosed with lupus and began taking medication for it but never have I encountered such a low number. Should I be concerned? I am now waiting on the doctor’s phone call for his analysis. I feel like I know what he would say, that there’s nothing I need to worry about, that the number is not low enough to be concerned.
And my blood platelets? It’s also at its lowest. I’d bet he would say the same thing – nothing to be concerned about. The hematologist once told me the time to worry is when blood platelets drop below 100,000. It was at 117,000 and normal is around 150,000. It’s never been this low. I don’t know why the doctors aren’t more concerned than the patient.
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We are once again under excessive heat warning from now until Sunday morning. I hope the garden will survive, especially with the humidity at an average of less than 15%. I have seen the leaves of plants burn and char beneath the sun. I don’t think there’s anything that can be done since everybody is under shade cloth, which should protect against the sun’s rays.
I hate it when the humidity gets this low because no matter how many bottles and cups of water I drink, my throat will always be parched. I think I drink almost a gallon of water the other day. Just glug, glug, glug like a car’s gas tank.
This is Another Story 
Stay hydrated dear friend and do take a second opinion if your doctor blows it off
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Thank you.
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You’re welcome
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Yinglan, you mentioned a having thyroid problems along with being diagnosed with lupus eight ago.
Years ago, I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease that involves overproduction of thyroid hormones, resulting in symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Similar to lupus, Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease.
I wonder if you have an over active thyroid hyperthyroidism or is it under active hypothyroidism?
Yes, it is appropriate to ask your doctor what tests will be administered, along with getting a paper copy of the tests results for your records, and having the doctor review the results with you so you can comprehend what is going on with your own body, then make a plan with the doctor as to how you want to proceed with treatments or not. The doctor works for you.
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I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease until the doctors switched the diagnosis to Hashimoto’s earlier this year. It seems my thyroid likes to play games. It was up and down earlier this year and according to the doctor, it’s almost stablized as of July, “almost” being the keyword. The doctor didn’t want a follow-up though. He just told me to continue the medication.
I analyze my test results as they come into my email but somehow, the doctor just asks the nurse to call and give me a vague analysis. It certainly does not feel like my doctor work for me.
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How did the doctors switch the diagnosis? Did you have your thyroid removed or have radiation treatment to kill your thyroid?
Either way, it sounds to me that you are taking medication for thyroid hormone replacement which you will need to take the rest of your life. The doctor is trying to establish the correct dosage your body needs to stablelize. It is common practice for doctors to communicate through nurses and physician practitioners. Direct any questions you have to them and request that person follow up with you directly.
If you would like for me to be a resource for you, I will do my best to share what I have learned from my own experience.
I do wish wellness.
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I can never understand these diagnoses because my thyroid had been up and down for years and the doctors don’t do anything about it other than having me take pills. For some reason, they seem to think killing off the thyroid isn’t an option for me but they are currently treating it like it’s gone.
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I believe the reason the doctors think that killing off your thyroid by radiation or by surgery removal is because your thyroid is either hypothyroidism (under producing) or hyperthyroidism (over producing). Both can be treated with medication.
The goal is to get the TSH within normal range that means for TSH to be between 0.4 mU/L and 4.5 mU/L. Once TSH is in this range sometimes it takes medicine to keep it in that range. Sometimes the disease goes into remission and that’s when medicine is not needed. But TSH still has to be monitored because it can go back and forth in and out of remission.
I hope this helps you understand your diagnosis.
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Yeah, it helps. Thank you.
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