Quote:
Originally Posted by Rose76
WHAT A RELIEF TO FIND OUT I'M NOT ON THE VERGE OF HAVING A STROKE! Everyone at the Emergence Dept. said I made a wise decision to go in there, and the concern shown to me was just wonderful. The ER staff conferred with an ear specialist, the chief of vascular surgery(who was in the middle of doing surgery when they called him, but he still gave them feedback), and a neuro-radiologist (who recommended and read the CT scans.)
Everyone at the ER agreed that the idea of me waiting until December for a test was not an appropriate plan. So, it can be a good idea to "push the envelope," if you feel like your're getting blown off. No one at the ER thought I was being an alarmist. They commended my pro-active self-advocacy.
With my regular doctor, I'll explore other causes for this problem. Most importantly, I'm not scared anymore. Oh, they said it could be some fluid in the middle ear, which I'll discuss with my PCP. I appreciate all the feedback from on this thread.
To: Open Eyes, Every adult over the age of 40 should get blood work to test thyroid function. That should be re-checked every few years. The main test they do is called a TSH. If your thyroid glad feels enlarged, when the doctor feels for it while pressing your neck, then they are apt to order a thyroid scan, which produces a picture of it. That's not commonly needed. I may try to see an ENT about my problem, like you did.
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It's so good to hear you're getting some answers OR at least getting pointed in the direction of those who'll find answers. In this day and age, if we don't advocate for our health concerns, nobody will. Several months ago I lost a friend to pancreatic cancer. Her doctor told her she had diabetes, then she got so weak she couldn't stand up and different tests were ordered - she died 16 days later!
Thyroid blood tests are strange. Numbers-wise, my hyperthyroidism was barely detectable - symptom-wise, I was classic Hashimoto's Disease. To this day my blood test numbers are barely out of the normal range but I have several large nodules and everytime I have a new ultrasound more nodules are found.
With medication to slow my excessive thyroid hormone production my blood test results ARE NORMAL - but my thyroid continues to cause heart symptoms that nothing seems to help...and surgery has been suggested.
I once asked my endocrinologist if anything causes hyperthyroidism and she said it's often related to one of two situations - severe illness/pregnancy OR chronic stress.
I have always enjoyed good physical health, my last pregnancy was 43 years ago but I'm convinced "Stress" is my middle name!!
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