Diagnosis

September 20th 2011

I anticipated this day for a month, thinking about what my test results would be, wondering what I was even tested for with 16 tubes of blood. My biggest fear was to be told that everything came back normal. I didn't want to be back a square one, I didn't want to be dismissed, I just wanted some answers so that I could be on my way to feeling better.

As I sat down in Dr. M's office I could feel my heartbeat racing. He sifted through my chart of papers and began naming off the tests that came back normal. My heart sank and I felt like crying, but unexpectedly he came out with some things that did not come back normal. YES! ANSWERS! "Your vitamin B12 level is very low, your at a 129 and you should be up over 500"... I wasn't sure exactly what those numbers meant, but it wasn't hard to see the deficiency. He explained that this had a lot to do with my fatigue, but before I could begin to ask him questions he said that there was also something else that came back in the test. He informed me that I had Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Huh? Hashi who? He explained that it was an autoimmune disease of my thyroid that was causing my antibodies to attack and destroy my thyroid. Due to the prevalence of thyroid disease on my fathers side of my family, I was not entirely surprised. He explained that there is no cure for Hashimoto's and informed me that it will 100% lead to hypoactive thyroid disease. I listened carefully to what he was saying to me, I wanted to remember everything so I could go home and do research. Dr. M then told me I would have to come to the office once a week for a B12 injection in order to bring my levels up quickly. He said that I should start feeling much less fatigued once my levels are brought up and once they are leveled out I would be able to be put on a tablet that goes under my tongue so I would not have to continue to receive the injections. As for the Hashimoto's there wasn't a whole lot to be done. I would have to go back in a month to have my thyroid tested again and it will have to be continuously checked. He explained that it was still testing normal because it is still functioning and the Hashimoto's had not destroyed it to an extent that would cause it to present itself in my blood work. Once your thyroid is destroyed you will be required to take medication daily in order to regulate the hormones that your thyroid once provided.

Dr. M also informed me that he received the information regarding my opthamologist appointment, however the eye doctor did not perform the requested test on my eyes. There was some misunderstanding in why I was being sent there. Despite my specific request regarding sicca syndrome, the opthamologist had given me a full eye exam as he would for autoimmune patients who are going to start medications and never tested for sicca syndrome. Dr. M asked that I call and reschedule another appointment with the eye doctor and reiterate the need for a specific test for dry eyes. 

I had never heard of Hashimoto's and knew very minimal about the thyroid gland so I couldn't really formulate any questions regarding that diagnosis. However, I did ask where vitamin B12 is found. Dr. M said that it could be found in leafy greens and I said "OK well I definitely don't have a problem eating that, I just wanted to ask because I don't eat a lot of meats". He gave me a lab form to go back for more blood work on my thyroid in a month and I scheduled another appointment to see him again on November 11.

I left the office feeling very happy that I had answers. Though it wasn't good news, I was glad to hear it. I'm not crazy... I have felt crappy for reasons. Now I could be on the road to feeling better. Things felt like they were looking up and I took a big sigh of relief.