Cathie,
Call Dr. K and ask him which indocrinologist to see. He says there are only two in Dallas he recommends and I can't remember who they are. If you like your indocrinologist, what doctor did he recommend for surgery? Anyone in Dallas?

Billye

I can't get in with an Endocrinologist until Feb 22nd. I don't like waiting this long, but have heard from others that it is hard to get an appointment quickly. I am on the waiting list for an earlier appointment, but will check with Dr. K. I need to see an Endocrinologist first.

I have one surgeon here in mind, who did my gallbladder removal. Someone on the board sent me information on a thyroid clinic in Austin, which I will also check out. It looks like this is all they do-thyroids... I read a part on their website that talks about spreading thyroid cancer with a needle biopsy, which was a little unsettling...

My Internist wants me to get this out, but I don't want to get just anyone to do this. This surgeon I mentioned is probably a fine surgeon-he certainly is experienced. I just did not feel very comfortable over some things-some mentioned, some not-and I was unsure about removing only part of the thyroid, when there are places in each side. For all I know, he may have stacks of current journals where I could not see them, but the old typewriter was funny, kind of set the mood of the visit, and made me pay more attention to things like the journals and magazines...

I took a college computer class a few years back. There were a number of kids in there young enough to be my grandkids. The teacher was talking about typewriters and one of them raised his hand and asked what that was.

Cathie

doc make a 'referral' call can speed things up heaps. You'd be surprised how fast you could be 'fit in'!

Having done the specialty surgeon route myself last year, there's a lot of good to be said about it. But access to the doc and doc's offices should any wrinkles arise after surgery is important for you as well. It's a choice only YOU can make in the end.

Typewriters? Humm, I guess I'll date myself here-that's like carbon paper, isn't it?

Hugs for now! - j

All those hinky feelings at once? Not a good sign. He is a cheapskate, with the old billing, and loves handouts/freebees, obvious from the sales reps. In my area, doctors are now excluding reps from the offices! And one major hospital as well. Do you think the typewriter was doing transcription? Right there at the entrance desk? That is not a good sign either. A busy doctor would have
that done by another employee.

I'd get another opinion. And preferably a surgeon who does alot of these
cases.

I am sorry I cannot advise you much on this problem. It seems very
specialized. Beyond getting a very good surgeon, you also need very good
after care. What I have seen there is difficulty in stablizing hormone
after the surgery. So you want assurance there from your endocrinologist that
he/she will do everything to stablize you, well.

And you will want to ask the surgeon how they save the parathyroids. They won't like that question at all, but ask it.

Good luck.

Oh, and BTW... I would NOT assume any medical training with those reps. They are mostly business majors. They get 4-6wks training on their drug only...most do not have any specialized knowledge beyond that.
If you go to www.cafepharma.com and click on boards, then company boards, you can see how "professional" they behave.
Check out the Eli Lilly board and Pfizer..both very large..and read the language etc. They are interested in money, and numbers...and NOT the patients.

That was a shot, MrsD, at the drug company reps. I know they do not have M.S. in biology. They are all over the place in the halls of the medical building. I didn't see them in his office though. When I was seeing a Rheumie in this building, I had to wait sometimes, because they were wheeling big carts of food in for the office staff and had to get things set up.

I don't know what to do here. Am I supposed to have an Endocrinolgist or an Internist who specializes in thyroid disorders first? Wouldn't it be better to see a thyroid specialist before I have the surgery, esp. if the hormone levels are hard to work out? What kind of doc? Who is supposed to do aftercare? Regular Internist, thyroid specialist, surgeon?

This guy did not seem to grasp that post surgery problems with connective tissue disease (at least for me) are terrible. I really wonder if I can even make it through this surgery. I made it OK through 5 1/2 hours of surgery for my aneurysm repair, but then they were not taking anything out, there was minimal blood loss, and it was minimally invasive. I did very well. The aftermath was hell, but it was the pain from the muscle and joints from the connective tissue problems-not the surgery itself...

Also, I have vasospams when I get an IV-twice now-w/D&C and then w/anesthesia w/Needle Biopsy. I asked the surgeon if he could give me anything to keep those from happening and he got all irritated at me and implied I was borrowing trouble before it happened. Well, they had to discontinue the IV both times-the spasms were running up my arm and hurt very much. Is this asking too much? I don't know if this is right, but I heard that this can cause a heart attack.

Maybe I should just do nothing and hope that things will be OK. Sorry for so many questions....

Cathie

Cathie,
How about the first plan you had: "I am not so sure about this. I have made an appointment to see an Endocrinologist, then I will seek a second opinion from another surgeon."

Did you tell the Endocrinologist that you think it is an emergency?

Billye

I told the girl at the drs. office about the lesions, but she said that was as soon as she could get me in. My sister-in-law, an RN, suggested contacting my Oncologist and seeing if she could get me in with someone earlier, since I am an established patient with her.

The referral service at Baylor recommends Internists who specialize in thyroid disorders. I don't get it-I thought this would fall under Endocrinology...

Just getting a little stressed out, I guess...

Cathie

I spoke with a doctor in Austin who has a thyroid clinic. He has done several thousand thyroid surgeries and just put out a newsletter to other docs with an article about all cancers having been small at one time... In short, the whole thyroid will have to come out.

Or, I can take my chances and do nothing, but I am not sure about that. The surgeon I consulted with here said I would have a 1 in 7 chance of cancer of the thyroid. I am not sure I am confident in his judgement abilities after the way the visit went...

The Austin doctor did not get the least bit huffy when I asked him how he would save the parathyroids. He said they are pushed to the side, so to speak. Then they test for calcium at 5 that afternoon... Is that what you were talking about?

Cathie

My gallbladder removal surgeon took over my case and I am relieved, to say the least. I showed him some VERY old bloodwork with anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsomal antibodies done way back in 1893. He ran extensive thyroid testing yesterday and I have to have a scan next week...

I don't know why someone else has not considered doing these... Something about hot and cold spots, but now I can't remember which one is the good kind...

He is very upbeat, easy to talk with and makes me feel a lot less stressed out.

Cathie

Oops... I believe that should be 1993, unless I have been re-incarnated....

Let me see if I have this straight. You are in a doctor's office and a secretary is using a typewriter. Dollars to donuts, she's using a selectric. God, those are over 25 years old. Remember them? They didn't use keys, they had a little ball cartridge that you popped in and replaced with a new ball cartridge. I had one in my office (when I was an administrative assistant) and that was indeed 25 years ago.

Then I was chosen to go to computer school and be the first one in my company to be given an IBM with a dot matrix printer. I learned quite a bit and never had to go back to that typerwriter again.

I must say, how on earth can a doctor's office in 2007 have a typewriter. EVERYBODY AND EVERYTHING IS COMPUTERIZED. Even my dentist does e-mail.

I hope this is a good guy who is just old fashioned but might just know his stuff. Otherwise, mosey on down to another part of town and get thee to a computerized office. NEW TECHNO STUFF IS GREAT!!!!

Saves time and money!!!

Pretty soon, we'll be like Star Trek where they'll just run a scanner up and down our bodies and go "There, there's the problem, just zap it and you'll be good to go". Oh, to wake up in the 25th century!!!!

melody