Daughter and Graves

This is a good one. Not sure whether to laugh or not.

Holli had her thyroid removed on May 16th. Her Endo was on maternity leave so her surgeon has been monitoring her. He is a top Endo specialist in Pittsburgh so she was comfortable with that. She got her first TSH level done last week and it was 10, so she is obviously hypo. His plan was to give it more time to level our before adjusting Synthroid, but did put her on Cytomel to regulate her T3 which was off too.

Holli has been really tired (obviously) and has been late for work several times, so HR suggested that she get on FMLA so she would not be written up and lose her job. The paperwork requires that she get a doctor's signature. She still intends to work, just wants her lates to be explained in her employee records. Her Endo is back from leave so Holli called her.

She told Holli that she is not comfortable signing the form and will not do it. She also told Holli that since she had her thyroid removed, she doesn't have Graves any more. This is a doctor in Pittsburgh at a large, well-known hospital. Did the woman even study thyroid disorders? Graves doesn't go away if the thyroid is removed! Holli almost laughed at her. This doctor also wants to raise her Synthroid and told her to stop taking Cytomel. Conflicting advice.

How is it any skin off of her nose if she signs the FMLA form? Hol is confused and I don't blame her. She does know that she is going to look for a new Endo - #7. So far, every single one has been out there. The best was the woman who wouldn't fill her script for Tapazole years ago when Holli refused to get an implanted contraceptive device. What is up with doctors? Most are so uninformed it's ridiculous.

Sorry to hear that, horrible!! Will the surgeon maybe sign it for her? I don't know anything about Graves, to be honest first time I ever heard of it was once when you mentioned your daughter having it, but is that something like saying...You no longer have ITP, You had your spleen removed??

Dr's can be such a great thing, but often they need a huge wake up

Yes, Crystal, it's sort of the same thing. People with Graves can have problems with eyes, skin, miscarriages, etc. due to antibodies. Those antibodies don't go away if the thyroid is removed. Holli has always had high antibody levels and those didn't just go away. Not to mention that she still has to deal with getting her thyroid levels in normal range. Grrrr.