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The Top Ten Thyroid Stories of the Decade

iwellbc — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:39:37 +0000

Things have changed significantly in the past ten years for thyroid patients. But what are the biggest thyroid stories or developments that specifically affect thyroid patients? Is oprah’s on-again/off-again thyroid problem on the list? What about the ongoing fracas over the “normal” TSH test range? How about the rise of natural thyroid — and the more recent shortages? I’ve taken a look back at the years 2000 to 2009, and identified The Top Ten Thyroid Stories of the Decade, the developments I personally believe had the biggest impact on us as people with thyroid disease.

What Do You Think?

I want to hear from you as well. As thyroid patients and practitioner, do you agree with my choices? Do you disagree? Do you have other developments or stories you feel should be included on the list? Share your thoughts and input now, and see what other thyroid patients and practitioners have to say.

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The Top Ten Thyroid Stories of the Decade originally appeared on About.com Thyroid Disease on Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 at 15:39:37.

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Thyroid Disease in the News: Web, Blogs and More

iwellbc — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:28:40 +0000

Here are some of the notable and recent thyroid-related stories, blog posts and articles of interest.

One thyroid cancer patient’s experience makes it clear that getting radioactive iodine treatment through a feeding tube is not a good idea.

Three cheers to cardiologist Dr. William Davis, who writes the following in a blog post titled T3: The forgotten thyroid hormone at MyHeartCentral.com:

This is a contentious issue among thyroid experts: Some say that T4-to-T3 conversion can be impaired and that T3 supplementation is necessary to fully correct thyroid status. Others argue that T3 is unnecessary. There are studies supporting both sides of the argument, with some studies showing improved mood and energy with T3 added to T4, while others fail to show any improvement.

My experience has been most consistent with the first side of the argument: When someone responds “No” to my question about whether they feel normal, I will ask them to consider adding T3 thyroid hormone to their T4. (This is done by either adding a T3 preparation, liothyronine or Cytomel, or by switching to combination preparations like Armour thyroid or Naturethroid.) With rare exceptions, within a week they feel energized, mood improves, excess weight starts to drop

Thyroid cancer survivor and author Kairol Rosenthal talks about how her thyroid cancer has muddled her mind, in her guest column at the New York Times’ “Well” Blog. Says Rosenthal:

The cognitive side effects of my cancer, however, make me feel old before my time and have tanked my self-esteem….I’ve turned to my doctors for validation. But, like dozens of thyroid cancer patients I’ve spoken with about memory loss, my doctors do not acknowledge my symptoms, much less explain the causes.

Lisa Knobel, writing a guest column in the Summit Daily News titled “Health care: A cautionary tale” wonders whether thyroid care in a nationalized U.S. health care system might look like the worsening thyroid situation for UK patients under the National Health Service.

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Thyroid Disease in the News: Web, Blogs and More originally appeared on About.com Thyroid Disease on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 10:28:40.

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Chicken Soup by Special Delivery

iwellbc — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:43:47 +0000

If you have family or friends who have come down with the H1N1 “Swine” flu, or the regular seasonal flu, or just a plain old bad cold, and you want to do something more than just offer your sympathies by telephone, several companies are now doing mail order delivery of homemade chicken soup.

One company, Spoonful of Comfort, sends preservative-free, freshly made chicken soup, and it’s delicious…almost as good as my Grandmother used to make! Spoonful of Comfort also has homemade rolls and cookies that you can send along with the soup. The soup comes beautifully packaged, and the glass jar of soup itself is protected in foil backed insulated bubble wrap. More information is available at their website, www.spoonfulofcomfort.com.

Another company that has a similar service — and they also have the option of matzoh balls instead of noodles in their chicken soup — is Grandma’s Chicken Soup. (By the way, their H1N1 Swine Flu Gift Package, which includes soup, plus things like hand sanitizer and tissues, totally cracks me up!) More information on their products is available at www.grandmaschickensoup.com.

_{(Disclosure — I have no connection to either company, but Spoonful of Comfort did send me a free sample of their soup, rolls and cookies so I could try them and see if I liked them, and their soup and baked goods were delicious. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.)}

About Mary Shomon | Thyroid Forum | Twitter | Facebook

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Chicken Soup by Special Delivery originally appeared on About.com Thyroid Disease on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 20:43:47.

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