 |
 | |||||
|
| |||||
While everyone typically talks about making our own New Year's resolutions, it occurred to me that the doctors who take care of our thyroid conditions are also making their resolutions for the new year. And since I'm never shy about offering my opinions, as a thyroid patient advocate, I have a few suggestions in case any doctors out there are looking for some ideas when making their resolutions! (Patients: If you're especially brave, print these resolutions out and send them to your doctor....)
One of my resolutions in 2007 is to provide more information, advice and coverage for you men out there with thyroid conditions. But to make sure that I focus on the topics of greatest interest, I need your help. Please take a moment to share your questions, issues, concerns, and stories with me, as relate to men's thyroid issues. Your input will help me choose the practitioners to interview, the subjects to research more comprehensively, and the articles, features and services to provide in the coming year. You can use an easy online form to send in your thoughts.
2006 was another busy year when it comes to thyroid news. If you're new to thyroid disease, or you haven't had as much time to stay up on all the news, here's a quick look back at the year's hottest thyroid-related stories, covering everything from TSH levels, to the doctor who thinks some thyroid patients are we're mental cases, to fears about generic thyroid medication, to Chernobyl's 20th anniversary, to the highly advertised supplement Alvidar, to ways to keep hypothyroid mothers and their babies safe. 
January marks Thyroid Awareness Month, and with as many as 36 million or more Americans suffering from undiagnosed, untreated thyroid disease, increased awareness on the part of the public -- and doctors -- is long overdue. I'm concerned about the lack of knowledge on the part of patients and our doctors. Symptoms are frequently being ignored, overlooked, misdiagnosed, mistreated, overmedicated, or blamed on lifestyle -- instead of being taken seriously.
As part of my campaign, I polled thyroid patients, and asked them their thoughts about the best themes for Thyroid Awareness Month. In the survey, which received more than 3,100 responses, almost a third of the responses said the theme should be that "doctors need to be more knowledgeable about thyroid disease." Working with that theme, I put together these "Ten Tips to Help Take Charge of your Thyroid." Any one of these ten tips might be the key to transform your health. 
As I do every year, I've taken a look at what the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has come up with for their awareness campaign effort. Their Thyroid Awareness Month campaign this year -- called "How's Your Thyroid? Who Needs to Know?" -- is geared towards those who may not know they have a thyroid problem. AACE is sponsoring the campaign, along with the American Thyroid Association (ATA), and with funding from Synthroid drugmaker Abbott Labs. In past years, I've found the campaigns lacking -- they've been self-serving, or not much more than thinly veiled drug company advertising. But I have to say, this year's theme is an improvement, and does have more of a patient orientation. 
Thyroid patient, advocate and writer Kim Carmichael-Cox talks about drawing inspiration from one of her favorite stories: J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring."
Given that it's January, and many of us are turning our thoughts to weight loss for the new year, I thought I'd share some information on the weight loss and diet supplements I recommend -- because I use them myself. (My personal rule is that I never recommend anything that I don't personally believe in, read, take, use or love! 
Over the holidays, I spent some time doing a major update on the Thyroid Top Doctors Directory. I added hundreds of new doctor listings, and while I was at it, cleaned out some doctors that had to go. If you haven't been to the directory, it's a state and country-specific listing of doctors -- recommended by patients -- for thyroid treatment around the world. 
Dear Readers, | Thyroid Hormone Breakthrough: Overcoming Sexual and Hormonal Problems at Every Age -- specialized help for women who suffer from (but may not even realize it ) thyroid-related menstrual problems, low sex drive, infertility, pregnancy problems, postpartum depression, breastfeeding problems, and perimenopause/menopause symptoms. Order from Amazon |
| The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss -- the only book focused on helping thyroid patients determine the unique combination of diet, supplements and other factors that will help them finally start losing weight. Order from Iherb for $8 Order from Amazon for $10.17 |
 | Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know -- Comprehensive guide to getting an underactive thyroid condition diagnosed,
properly treated, and dealing with related or persistent symptoms, including alternative
and holistic approaches. Order from Iherb for $8 Order from Amazon |
 |
Living Well With Graves' Disease and Hyperthyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell
You...That You Need to Know -- A detailed guide to help get Graves' disease and an overactive thyroid diagnosis, determine the best treatments (and radioactive iodine is NOT the only treatment!), and deal with the after-effects of treatment. Includes holistic, alternative and integrative approaches. Order from Amazon |
| Living Well With Autoimmune Disease: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know -- Did you know that having one autoimmune disease -- like Hashimoto's or Graves' -- puts you and family members at risk of others? Are you struggling with autoimmune symptoms like dry eyes, joint pain, and fatigue, but having trouble getting a diagnosis? Living Well With Autoimmune Disease is a comprehensive approach to getting an autoimmune diagnosis (without help or knowledge, the typical patient sees 5 doctors over 5 years before getting diagnosed!), and then working with your practitioner for effective treatment. Order from Iherb for $8 Order from Amazon |
 | Living Well With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know -- Life-altering fatigue, chronic fever, debilitating joint and muscle aches, and exhausting sleep disturbances -- all can be signs of chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. These difficult-to-diagnose, often-overlooked conditions are more common in thyroid patients as well. This guide helps you fast-forward through the volumes of approaches -- conventional and alternative -- to get to a multidisciplinary treatment that can help. Order from Iherb for $8 Order from Amazon |