I have been seeing my endocrinologist for several years now. She has decided to retire, and I am happy for her, but- that brings up the unpleasant task of finding a new doctor to monitor my thyroid cancer,order blood work as needed, order yearly ultrasounds,etc And my doctor has set the bar very, very high as far as providing excellent care. She listened to me and made her decisions on my care based on not only my lab results but how I was feeling. She respected my thoughts on my health care and I appreciated her expertise. She also was the one who did the biopsy that diagnosed my thyroid cancer. A previous doctor had said that the reason I was feeling so badly and the fact that my labs were a bit off was due to " stress". I know that stress is certainly bad for one's health, but sometimes I think a diagnosis of " stress" is just a stand in for a diagnosis of " I do not know what is wrong". My thyroid cancer was stage three when it was diagnosed. My thyroglobulins ( a marker for thyroid cancer after surgery) stayed elevated for over three years. My doctor held off on ordering a second round of the Radioactive I -131, knowing that I had gotten a high dose the first time, and that there can be serious side effects and consequences when using higher doses. Turns out she was right on waiting. The day my thyroglobulins became " undetectable" we both got a little teary eyed. She was my physician and I was her patient, but we also had mutual respect and admiration for each other.
So now, I have had to find a new doctor. I have an appointment with another endocrinologist for a new patient visit along with blood work and an ultrasound. Like so many people, the Covid pandemic has put me behind on my checkup and tests. I have been a little nervous waiting longer than I should, even though the tests are stressful. I always advise people to be their own best patient advocate, and I will try my best to do that. I have researched endocrinologists within a reasonable driving distance from where I live. I will say here that some people prefer another kind of doctor, other than an endocrinologist, for their thyroid care. That is fine- we are all different. Just make sure that the doctor that you choose has had a lot of experience treating thyroid cancer patients. I think another very important thing is that one's doctor LISTENS TO WHAT YOU SAY. Of course labs are important, but how a patient feels is extremely important. As an example, several times my lab work sort of "put me on the fence" as far as going up or down on my thyroid replacement medication. That is when my old doctor would ask me how I was feeling and would make the dosage change(or not) based on how I felt, not just the lab results. The wait time to see my old doctor was usually fairly long. But I never minded this because she was never in a hurry to rush me through my appointment.
My new endocrinologist is closer to where I live- two and a half hours away versus five hours. That is a plus, I guess. He treats all thyroid patients, as did my old physician, and he does treat a lot of thyroid cancer patients, as well. His patient reviews were good, which is another thing that I research. One can go online and look for patient reviews, as well as see if a particular physician has had problems with the medical board. ( My new doctor has not). Knowing a physician's educational background is helpful, too. I do not mind if those reading this think that I am picky. Yes, I am picky. This is my health and I need to do my part to take care of myself, which involves seeking out the best physician that I can.
I am also taking in a list of questions to ask my new doctor. It is a good idea to make a written list of questions. It is easy to get distracted when one is in the doctor's office- especially a new one. I hate getting home and thinking of all of the questions that I wished I had asked at my appointment. A good doctor will take her/his time in answering a patient's questions. I do not mind waiting at my appointment providing I receive the same time and consideration that the previous patients have gotten.I want to feel like a person and not just patient number ( insert number here).
It is so difficult to switch doctors when you love the doctor that you already have/had. If I do not like my new doctor, then I will begin my search again. The surgeon who removed my cancerous thyroid, eleven lymph nodes and two cancerous parathyroid glands said that I had had thyroid cancer for quite a long time. It was not stress after all. I will continue to be my own best patient advocate and speak up when I am not feeling well or when things seem off.
I hope that if anyone reading this is having to choose a new doctor, you may have gotten a few good tips. I wish us both good luck...
