Terrified that I won’t find a new doctor

March 17, 2023

I’ve written about this before, but then, that’s part of chronic illness, isn’t it? So many things recur because, after all, our health problems are chronic. Still, this is by far the biggest problem in my life at the moment, so it’s what I’m going to write about today.

The back story starts years ago, when I did my own research to learn why my thyroid treatment wasn’t working. It took a while to find a doctor who really knew how to treat me in a way that would actually improve my symptoms. When I finally found that doctor, I stuck with him.

Meanwhile, I was treating my adrenal insufficiency with supplements. I did my own research and worked with my naturopath. At first they helped, but then the company I used went out of business. I had to switch to a different brand and it was never as effective. After 7 years of supplements, my naturopath finally convinced me to do what my doctor had already been encouraging: hydrocortisone. I had resisted this course of action for a long time, but I finally gave in.

With the right thyroid treatment and the right adrenal treatment, I felt better than I had in years. It felt miraculous. For a short time, that is.

Fast forward to a year and a half ago, when my doctor urged me to go off the hydrocortisone for six weeks in order to run some tests. It was hell. In theory, after the tests I should have gone back on the same dose and felt fine again. For some reason, though, that didn’t work. We raised the dose. And then my doctor retired.

I found a new doctor, and I thought he might be ok, but at our last visit I changed my mind. First he said I’m hyperthyroid based on just the TSH, without considering the Free T4. Also, he doesn’t even run a Free T3! But even worse, when I described some adrenal hormone-related issues I have, he said they’re signs of being hyperthyroid. Which makes no sense. I’ve had these episodes for years, even when I was hypothyroid. Even though I only get these episodes once every week or two at most. Even though they stopped when I got on the right dose of hydrocortisone. They recently returned, which is why I’ve questioned whether I need to change my dose. But he insists they’re proof that I’m hyperthyroid. What?!?

Ok, so maybe I need a new doctor. But I could have lived with that. Then he announced changes to his medical practice that would end up costing me thousands of dollars a year. Literally. And I’m already not happy with him. So now I feel that I need someone else. But…. what if I can’t find anyone else?

I’ve been looking. So far, I’m not finding a lot of options, and the ones I do find don’t take my insurance. I don’t even know yet if they are taking on new patients. Or if they have the knowledge necessary for my kind of complicated case. Or if I’d like them.

My PCP won’t prescribe hydrocortisone at all, and her way of managing thyroid conditions would send me back to where I was at more than a dozen years ago. I’m terrified. It took so many years for me to get to a level of health where I felt that I could more or less function, and I worry that could be snatched away from me. Not only do I need these medications to live, I need them to enjoy life. Even with these meds I can’t do a lot of things I want to do: go dancing, hike, spend all day doing fun activities, keep up with my nieces and nephews, keep up with my own 70-something mother, attend a wedding without needing days afterwards to rest. Still, they allow me to do a lot more than I otherwise could. And I could lose them.

I’m terrified. There simply aren’t many doctors around, regardless of insurance coverage, who do the types of treatment I need. What happened? I feel like there were more options a dozen years ago, but the numbers have been shrinking and patients are left in the lurch.

I don’t know what to do. Every time I think about calling more pharmacies to ask for names of doctors, checking more doctors’ websites, calling more medical offices, I freeze up. Avoiding the issue won’t fix it, and only causes the entire situation to weigh on me and add to my stress levels – and added stress is especially bad for someone with adrenal issues that aren’t being properly treated!

Right now I’m going to take a few deep breaths and make some more calls. It only takes one, right? Just that one special doctor. Still, I’m scared. Because I know it’s possible I won’t find them. And then what?

6 Comments | Fatigue, Frustration, Healthcare, Medication, Rants, Symptoms | Permalink
Posted by chronicrants

Facing roadblocks to treating my thyroid disease

November 17, 2022

When I had my thyroid tested over the summer, the numbers were…. weird. Typically you want your TSH to be at the low end of the range, your Free T3 to be high in the range, and your Free T4 to be in the middle (or a bit higher) part of the range. I have hypothyroidism so sometimes my TSH is high and my Free T3 and Free T4 are low. That means I need to increase my medication. Every year or two I become hyperthyroid (TSH is super low and Free T3 and Free T4 are way too high) and I reduce my medication. Then a year or two later I become hypothyroid again and I increase my medication. I’ve switched back and forth between 3 and 4 pills for years. So what went wrong?

The first thing that went wrong was that my amazing primary care practitioner (PCP) retired. He managed my thyroid and adrenal care, and I’ve been feeling lost without him. And not too long before that, a Facebook group where I used to get advice changed, and now they no longer accept member questions, so I can’t get advice there from knowledgeable patients. I feel like I’m on my own.

Next, over the summer I got my iron tested before getting an iron infusion and I asked to get my thyroid tested at the same time since it had been a while (I shouldn’t have to ask!) Oddly, my TSH was really low, but the Free T4 was low, too. And the nurse practitioner (NP) didn’t run the Free T3 at all. (Argh! That would have been helpful!) This made no sense. They shouldn’t both be low. Always, one should be high while the other is low. My only thought was that anemia can affect thyroid levels, so maybe things would even out after my iron infusion. Too bad I couldn’t ask my former PCP for his ideas.

Meanwhile, I had gained a lot of weight in a way that made no sense. My activity level had increased, if anything. My diet was really good. Sure, I have some chocolate here and potato chips there, but not a lot of either, and no more than I’d been eating before. I eat a lot of meat, eggs, and vegetables. I eat very few processed foods. Maybe I could cut back on quantities? I suppose I could, but again, nothing had changed, so I shouldn’t have gained any weight, never mind 10 pounds in a short time. Usually when I gain weight for no reason it’s because I’m hypothyroid. I’ve had a few other symptoms that could point to that, too. But I’m at 4 pills, so what’s going on? Again, asking my former PCP would have been nice.

Finally it was time to check my iron levels again, and I asked the NP to run the thyroid tests again, too, this time including the Free T3. Here’s where it gets especially weird. I’m no longer anemic, so I expected my thyroid levels to be better. When I saw the results, I immediately knew I was in a hypothyroid state. The TSH was within the “normal” range but not the “functional” range. For someone with hypothyroidism, you generally want your TSH under 1, and for me, it’s better under 0.5. It was over 1.6. The Free T4 was well below the middle of the range. And the Free T3, the most important number for me, was below the “normal” range altogether, when it should be near the top of the range!

I told a friend that I had good news and I had bad news. The bad news was that I’m in a hypothyroid state again, but the good news is that I now have a fix for my weight gain and other symptoms. But the more bad news is that I have no easy way to handle this. Before, I could have emailed with my PCP and he’d have told me to increase my dose. I could have asked some basic questions. Or I could have made an appointment to ask the myriad more complicated questions I have: Could the end of daylight savings time that week have impacted my results in any way? I’ve been lowering my adrenal medication (per doctor’s orders) and that could have impacted this, but in what way? If I’m at my historically maximum dose, this must mean that my thyroid is deteriorating. That’s expected with Hashimoto’s Disease (it’s an autoimmune disease, where my immune system attacks my thyroid) but after so many years of stability, this is surprising. What could be causing this sudden increase in deterioration?

But alas, I can not ask him these questions. I considered my options. There’s the doctor I saw once as a potential replacement for treating my thyroid and adrenal issues. He seems good, but he doesn’t take my secondary insurance, so he’s going to be expensive. Plus, he’s older (I’d guess early 60s) and I worry about him retiring soon. But last week, to my shock and delight, I got a call from my NP’s office (which is also my former PCP’s office) that they just hired a new doctor that they’d like me to see. She’s an integrative medical practitioner and yes, she has experience with thyroid and adrenal issues. And that practice takes all of my insurance. I could hardly believe it! But the soonest appointment wasn’t until the end of the month. Until I meet her, there’s no way to be sure she has the experience that I need.

Meanwhile, I’m overweight, losing my hair, getting zits, and exhausted. Yesterday I had my first migraine in several years. I want to just take that extra thyroid pill! I have no doubt it’s the right move. What to do? With my old PCP, I might have just taken it while I waited to hear back. I do have plenty of pills for that. But I don’t want to make a bad impression on the new doctor. Isn’t that absurd? But it’s the way the “game” works. And while I know it’s the right move, I also know that taking too much of this medication can be dangerous, so I do want to be careful. Plus, I want to know her thoughts about the impact with my adrenal meds. Should I lower those more first? Or take the higher dose of thyroid med first and then lower the adrenal med some more? I would guess the latter, but I’ve only been on the adrenal meds for a few years and don’t have as much experience with them, so I’m not completely sure. The thing is, I think I’ve been hypothyroid for months, so I guess I can wait a few more weeks. But just in case, I did make an appointment with that other doctor for the following week. That way if the new one isn’t helpful, I have a backup plan.

And just as I figured all of this out, I got an email from my NP: “Good news, all of the test results are normal!” Um, what?

There’s always something with chronic illness, isn’t there? This is this month’s problem (well, one of them.) Next month I’m sure there will be something else. But I’m grateful, because at least this is a known problem with a known solution, and that’s all too rare. Now if I can just find a knowledgeable practitioner to help me address and treat it. Wouldn’t that be a novel approach?

2 Comments | Decisions, Frustration, Healthcare, Medication, Rants, Symptoms | Permalink
Posted by chronicrants

Where have all the integrative doctors gone?

October 13, 2022

It started out bad. Then it got worse.

It took me years to get the right doctors. Through hard work, luck, determination, and some more luck, I finally managed it. My primary care physician (PCP) was kind, thoughtful, and smart. He knew a lot about how to treat thyroid conditions beyond the most common conventional approach. He knew how to treat adrenal insufficiency. He was fantastic. And then he announced his upcoming retirement.

It was 6 months away, and I was immediately worried. He promised that he would help me find someone, but we kept hitting dead ends. This doctor didn’t take my insurance. That doctor didn’t know much about thyroid treatments. That other doctor also didn’t take my insurance. Another doctor didn’t recognize adrenal insufficiency as a medical condition (WTF?!?) We hoped that his replacement could treat me, but they were having trouble finding someone to take his place.

Then my women’s health doctor left very suddenly. At my last appointment, we’d been talking about how she’d been at that practice for 25 years and planned to stay until retirement. Two months later, I got a letter that she’d had to leave due to a family emergency. She hoped to one day return to practicing medicine, but wasn’t sure when, or even if, that might happen.

Like my PCP, my women’s health doctor was fantastic. She always asked me questions about my entire body. She wanted to know all about what was going on with me. She was kind, caring, insightful, and smart. She knew how to properly treat with bioidentical hormones, and she also understood why those could be problematic for me, even though I still needed them at times. And she was gone.

Her letter included a list of doctors and practices to try. I called the first one on the list. They didn’t use bioidentical hormones at all. I called the next one. They didn’t take my insurance. And on it went.

My PCP officially retired. His replacement was a nurse practitioner (NP) fresh out of residency. She had no knowledge of thyroid or adrenal treatments. She agreed to keep writing my prescriptions, but was clear that she didn’t want that to be long term. And if I had questions, she wouldn’t be able to help me. Fuck. These are tricky conditions and the medications often need to be adjusted in ways that can be hard to determine. I’ll definitely have questions.

The hospital won’t let an NP be a PCP (insurances in the U.S. require everyone to have a PCP).) She’d suggested I speak to the administrative assistant about being assigned an official PCP in the office. The admin, who I’d spoken with more times than I can count, remembered me, and we had a chat. Another doctor had also left the practice. They had wanted to hire 2 or 3 new doctors and I asked how that search was going. She told me they were having trouble finding people, and that few were even applying. Then I asked if she knew how things were going to replace the women’s health practitioner I’d been seeing. She told me they weren’t even trying. They had wanted to replace her at first, but there are few in the country who do what she did, with her specialized knowledge, and they couldn’t even get applicants. So they stopped trying, and instead were focusing on the search for new doctors, which was also not getting very far. What’s going on here?

This isn’t any old office, you see. It’s an integrative medicine practice. Integrative medicine is even in the name. That’s why I wanted to go there to begin with, and it’s why I had liked these two practitioners so much. It’s also, without a doubt, why my health improved so much. I’ll let you read back over old posts for those details, but suffice it to say, I need an integrative approach. Alternative medicine helps, but only to some extent. Conventional medicine helps, but only to some extent. I need both, and they need to be combined, not separate.

For now I’ve found a doctor who, while not as great as my PCP, can help with my thyroid and adrenal stuff. He takes my primary insurance but not my secondary insurance, so I still need to get the new NP to order tests so I don’t have to pay a small fortune. I’m not exactly confident in how well that will work. And he appears to be in his 60s, so I’m not sure how long I can see him before he retires. And without these medications, I’m totally and completely screwed.

So my question is, what happened to all of the integrative practitioners? Are there any left? Are doctors no longer taking that approach, or maybe they are but they aren’t in Massachusetts? What are the patients who need them supposed to do? I’m scared, and I don’t know what to try next.

On the bright side, it’s autumn in Massachusetts and totally gorgeous, so here’s a picture of a tree for you. Enjoy! And if you can offer any tips for finding an integrative practitioner in Massachusetts who takes Medicare and MassHealth, and who has knowledge of Hashimoto’s and adrenal insufficiency, I would be INCREDIBLY grateful!

6 Comments | Frustration, Healthcare, Medication, Rants | Permalink
Posted by chronicrants

Not every specialist can handle every problem

March 25, 2022

Me: “Do any of your practitioners specialize in PCOS?”
Receptionist: “Any of our ob/gyns can work with that.”
Me: “Ok, but do any of them specialize in it?”
Receptionist: “No, but they’ve all seen patients with PCOS.”

I had this conversation earlier this week, but I can’t even count how many times I’ve had versions of this same interaction. Why do offices just not understand that “we’ve worked with patients with X condition” is not at all the same as specializing in it? This would be like asking, “Do you specialize in brain injuries?” and being told, “Yes, we have patients with brains.” No, not the same thing.

I am so frustrated right now. Two of my main practitioners have recently left. One retired and the other left suddenly due to a family emergency. Between the two of them, they treated my thyroid issues, my adrenal issues, and my PCOS. They treated all of my most active conditions except for the sleep apnea. And now they are both gone. They worked in the same practice, a practice that is no longer as big and robust as it once was.

When I first began there 7 or 8 years ago, there were many practitioners to choose from. I went there because of the doctor who was recommended to me by several people for his thyroid disease treatments. He referred me to the other for my PCOS issues. But now there are few practitioners remaining, the ones who are there just don’t have the approach that I need. What made this practice so special is that they focused on integrative medicine. Integrative medicine combines conventional medicine and complementary medicine. For example, look at my adrenal issues. Conventional medicine says that I don’t need any treatment. Without treatment, I can barely function. Conventional medicine says that I should treat the problem with dietary and lifestyle changes, plus supplements. I tried this approach for years and had some improvement, but not enough, and was really struggling. With an integrative medicine approach, I’m taking medication that has given me back my life. Do I have the energy and health of others my age? No, I do not. But I’m doing a hell of a lot better than I had been without the medication!

Unfortunately, I keep running into roadblocks. There are fewer and fewer integrative medicine doctors around my area who take my health insurance. Many take insurance, but only private insurance. I’m on Medicare (federal health insurance) and Medicaid (state health insurance that mostly covers the things that Medicare does not.) Many don’t take Medicare and of the ones that do, they don’t take Medicaid. I’ve thought about paying out of pocket, but that would get very expensive, and I don’t know if I should attempt that. This week someone suggested that it might be worth it for me to pay for a private secondary insurance, but the enrollment period ends next week and I’m trying to research my options, but I haven’t made much progress.

I know the local hospitals will take my insurance, but they usually stick with conventional medicine and that just won’t work for me. But you never know, right? So fine, I set up an appointment at the office I mentioned at the start. Then I Googled the person I was supposed to see. I found her online easily enough.

Her specialties: cardiovascular issues and high-risk obstetrics.

My need: I haven’t gotten my period in quite a while and need someone to order an ultrasound to check my uterine lining. If it’s too thick, then we need to figure out how to induce my period without messing up any of my other hormones.

Any doctor can (and hopefully would!) order the ultrasound, but how would they induce my period? In my experience, they would prescribe birth control pills. That has disaster written all over it. I need someone with a lot of experience in this area. Is it possible the person whose specialties are cardiovascular issues and high-risk obstetrics can help me? Sure. But is it likely? I highly doubt it.

I cancelled the appointment and will go back to making phone calls. Finding a practitioner to treat my PCOS isn’t nearly as urgent as finding one to treat my thyroid and adrenal issues, but it should be easier, and I’m hoping that whoever I find for one issue my recommend practitioners to treat the others. I just hope they take my insurance.

Note: I am writing about this fairly calmly, but in truth I’m very upset. I have spent a lot of time stressing, crying, researching, and crying some more. I’m terrified that I won’t be able to find anyway. It feels as those my options have shrunk a lot in recent years, and I’m worried about that trend continuing. Maybe another day I’ll write about the emotional side of all of this. For now, I just wanted to discuss that it’s happening in general.

4 Comments | Frustration, Healthcare, Medication, Rants | Permalink
Posted by chronicrants

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