Sticking Out Our Necks, April 2007, Thyroid Disease News Report, From Mary Shomon -- Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism, Cancer, Nodules, Weight Loss, Metabolism

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STICKING OUT OUR NECKS -- APRIL 2007
Thyroid News for People Who Want to Live Well
"We're Patients...Not Lab Values!"~ Patient Advocate Mary Shomon

MAJOR NEWS: TAKING THYROID MEDICATION AT BEDTIME

We've all heard the recommendation to take thyroid medication on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. But now, new research is saying that it may be better to take your levothyroxine (i.e., Synthroid) at bedtime, for greater effectiveness and better absorption. Find out whether you should change the way you take your thyroid medication now.

DEAR DOCTORS: A LETTER FROM YOUR FORMER PATIENT

Dear Doctors:

Once upon a time I was in your office. For some of you, it was during my childhood. And although I understand the clues were too subtle then, I just wanted to remind you that I was there. Some of you saw me for just a single visit as many as three decades ago. And others saw me multiple times over the years. You are family general practitioners and internal medicine specialists and highly regarded specialists in your field. Each one of you failed to correctly diagnosis me. You need to hear my story so that you do not negatively impact another individual's life the way you did mine...

That is just the beginning of the letter thyroid patient Cindi S. wrote to help resolve the frustration she had after years of being misdiagnosed. Looking back, Cindi shares her powerful, unforgettable letter -- a must read for thyroid patients -- AND our doctors. Read it now.

WHICH THYROID DRUG COSTS THE MOST?

If you are taking a thyroid hormone replacement drug (i.e., Synthroid, Levoxyl, Armour, etc.), which one costs the most? Check out the price comparison now.

STUDY FINDS HIGH ARSENIC LEVELS IN HERBAL KELP SUPPLEMENTS

A study of herbal kelp supplements led by University of California/Davis public health expert Marc Schenker concludes that its medicinal use may cause inadvertent arsenic poisoning and health dangers for consumers, especially when overused. Schenker and two researchers evaluated nine over-the-counter herbal kelp products and found higher than acceptable arsenic levels in eight of them. Find out more now.

FREE ONE-HOUR THYROID SEMINAR BY PHONE

I have a very special opportunity available for Weight Off My Mind Subscribers. If you are one of the first 25 email newsletter recipients who subscribes to the print/mail edition of "Sticking Out Our Necks," my bimonthly thyroid newsletter, you'll get a private invitation to a free one-hour thyroid seminar with me, Mary Shomon. During this free 60-minute teleconference, I'll be taking your thyroid and health questions, and sharing some of my own favorite ways to live well with a thyroid condition.

But remember, to get an invitation to this free, private teleconference, you need to be one of the next 25 people in the U.S. to subscribe to the print newsletter. Subscriptions are only $25 per year -- you'll get an issue every other month for a year, and each issue one is packed with 12-pages of thyroid news and information -- including stories you will not find online! You can order online or by fax/mail or call toll-free 1-888-810-9471. Make sure you let us know you're an email subscriber who wants to attend the private phone seminar!

FIFTEEN MILLION AMERICANS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FREE OR LOW-COST HEALTH COVERAGE BUT HAVE NOT SIGNED UP YET

You could be eligible for government health insurance and not even know it. The Foundation for Health Coverage Education (FHCE), a nonprofit organization that works to reduce the numbers of uninsured, has a number of incredible services set up to help you find out if you are eligible for government-sponsored health insurance program and don't know it. Learn more now.

GET ANY BOOK BY MARY SHOMON FOR $8

My favorite online store Iherb.com is now carrying all six of my books, and you can get them at the wonderful discount price of $8 (versus the bookstore price of $14.95!) AND, Iherb.com is running a special deal right now, with free shipping for all orders over $40. So, you can pick up some books, supplements or vitamins you need, AND get it all at a great price, with free shipping.

Books available for $8 include:

The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss
The Thyroid Hormone Breakthrough: Overcoming Sexual and Hormonal Problems at Every Age
Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You That You Need to Know
Living Well With Graves' Disease and Hyperthyroidism
Living Well With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
Living Well With Autoimmune Disease

Get a book for $8 now!

FIFTEEN WAYS TO FIGHT HEEL PAIN

I think I may be a tad bit hypothyroid and needing some adjustment, because a familiar symptom has shown up again: heel pain. My heels are just killing me these days, and for me, that's always a sign to get my thyroid rechecked. Many people don't realize that heel pain -- also known as plantar fasciitis -- is more common in people with thyroid conditions.

If you have plantar fasciitis -- and you'll know because you will likely have a sharp pain in your heel when you first step down in the morning, or after you've been sitting for a while -- podiatrist Christine Dobrowolski has 15 ideas to help.

ORDERING YOUR OWN THYROID, ADRENAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HORMONE TESTS

Many readers write to me asking about saliva and blood spot testing for thyroid and other hormones, and why it may be of interest to some patients and practitioners. Recently, ZRT Laboratories launched its Comprehensive Hormone Profile home test kit, which combines saliva and blood spot testing in a home collection kit. The kit allows for same-day testing of the three major hormonal symptom areas - reproductive, thyroid and adrenal. This is a terrific test, and an extraordinary opportunity for us as patients to get a fix on these three important health areas, so I�ve delved into it more deeply in a Q & A on saliva and blood spot self-testing for hormone levels, with information from Dr. Richard Shames, a holistic physician with expertise in thyroid and hormonal treatment, and Dr. David Zava, founder of ZRT Laboratory, a leading hormone testing company. Read it now.

OUTPATIENT THYROID SURGERY IS SAFE, LESS EXPENSIVE, SAY RESEARCHERS

New research says that same-day outpatient thyroid surgery is preferable to an overnight stay, because it is less expensive. Find out why you probably won�t stay overnight anymore for most thyroid surgery. Read more.

A LOOK AT THYROID SURGERY WITH LOCAL ANESTHESIA

Most thyroid surgery is typically done using general anesthesia. But there is increasing interest in -- and use of -- local anesthesia for removing all or part of the thyroid -- known as thyroidectomy. Whether you have thyroid cancer, goiter, nodules, or hyperthyroidism, if you are facing thyroid surgery, should you have local anesthesia?

NOTES FROM MARY

Dear Readers,

I wanted to close this issue with a special note about a book you'll want to consider adding to your bookshelf. The book is called "UltraMetabolism -- The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss" and was written by bestselling author, Mark Hyman, MD. I've mentioned UltraMetabolism in the past, but it's worth mentioning again, because so many readers who ordered the book have since written to tell me how much they were helped by Dr. Hyman's information. This is the same book that's currently being featured in a public television special that's airing nationwide, has been featured on Good Morning America, The Early Show and The View. You can find out more about the book online.

I found UltraMetabolism a helpful addition to my weight loss arsenal. Dr. Hyman is also one of the only doctors who is out there openly talking about the thyroid disease/weight connection -- which, as you know, is something most doctors quickly dismiss. So he's fighting the good fight on behalf of thyroid patients, and anyone who is trying to lose weight.

Dr. Hyman has agreed to make a special sneak preview of the book available to my newsletter readers at no cost -- PLUS a metabolism-boosting 7-step online course and a 60-minute video (more on that below). You can get this sneak preview by clicking here.

UltraMetabolism will definitely get you thinking about weight loss in a different way, and if you're a thyroid patient who wants to lose weight -- and the majority of us do -- you'll find some particularly helpful information.

Why your body is designed to gain weight and what you can do to reprogram it to burn fat. (Page 3)
Why eating less and exercising more can actually make you fat. (Page 12)
How to control your appetite and feel full without counting carbs, fat, or calories. (Page 84)
How to turbo charge your metabolic furnace to burn extra fat while you sleep. (And find out the one thing wrong you can do that will actually force your body to pile on extra fat instead.) (Page 54)

Dr. Hyman takes a medical approach to weight loss using the latest science from an exciting field called Nutrigenomics -- the science of how we can use food to control our genes. He's put together a short video that tells you all about this powerful new science, which you can see online. (Check out what he says after the first minute about not having to count calories...)

Good news! Dr. Hyman says we are definitely not doomed by bad genes passed to us from our parents. By eating the RIGHT way, we can learn to work WITH our genes and not against them, to automatically boost our metabolism (something we thyroid patients definitely need!) There's no reason not to at least check out the free sneak preview of UltraMetabolism -- I think you'll find it helpful!

Live well,

Mary

"Sticking Out Our Necks" email edition is published regularly by Mary Shomon, patient advocate and New York Times best-selling author books on health, as well web sites, newsletters and other health advocacy communications.

Mary Shomon is the author of: The Thyroid Hormone Breakthrough: Overcoming Sexual and Hormonal Problems at Every Age * Living Well With Hypothyroidism * The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss * Living Well With Graves' Disease & Hyperthyroidism * Living Well With Autoimmune Disease * Living Well with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
Bookstore online: http://www.thyroid-info.com/bookstore.htm

Key websites: http://www.thyroid-info.com and http://thyroid.about.com

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Sticking Out Our Necks and the contents of this website are � Copyright Mary Shomon, 2007. All rights reserved.
Mary Shomon, Editor/Webmaster, P.O. Box 565, Kensington, MD 20895-0565.

All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician or health practitioner before starting or changing any aspect of your medical treatment, diet or fitness regimen. Please see our full disclaimer.