1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Thyroid Disease

Thyroid Disease on Facebook & Twitter

twitter facebook thyroid

Learn about all the thyroid news, information, support, connections, and social networking taking place on Facebook and Twitter.

More on Facebook & Twitter

Thyroid Disease Spotlight10

Thyroid Surgery and Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy: What You Need to Know

Wednesday May 11, 2011
What should a thyroid patient expect before, during and after the thyroid biopsy procedure known as fine needle aspiration, or FNA? What about a thyroid surgery? What is it like, first-hand from thyroid patients who've been through it? Share your story about FNA and/or thyroid surgery, and read other thyroid patients' accounts of their own experiences with thyroid biopsy or thyroidectomy.

Key Information

About Mary Shomon | Thyroid Forum | Twitter | Facebook

Photo: clipart.com

Thyroid Surgery Scars -- Your Photos and Stories

Wednesday May 11, 2011
Have you ever wondered what a thyroid surgery scar looked like just a few days after surgery? A month later? Or more? Here is an opportunity to share your own photos and stories about your thyroidectomy scar, and see post-surgery photos and read stories from other thyroid patients.

About Mary Shomon | Thyroid Forum | Twitter | Facebook

Photo: Samantha, About.com Show and Tell

Singer Anna McGarrigle Reveals Thyroid Condition

Wednesday May 11, 2011
I heard an interesting "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross today, featuring singer-songwriter Anna McGarrigle. Anna mentioned that after her sister and singing partner Kate McGarrigle died last year, she ended up "holing up" for a while, and at that time she was also diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. (It's not uncommon to hear stories from people who developed hyperthyroidism during or after a period of major life stress.) Eventually, Anna was treated, and that says that her treatment helped in her overall healing after the loss of her sister. You can listen to the whole interview online.

(The interview was apparently to mark a new album featuring Anna and Kate McGarrigle just released.)

About Mary Shomon | Thyroid Forum | Twitter | Facebook

Doctors Debate Definition of Low Thyroid While Millions of Hypothyroid Americans Go Undiagnosed

Tuesday May 10, 2011
For years, I've been trying to get the message out to as many people as possible that being told "your thyroid tests were normal" does not mean that you don't have a thyroid problem.

So I'd really like to say kudos and congratulations to writer Marni Jameson for covering such a crucial issue for the thyroid patient community, in an syndicated article that has been picked up by the Los Angeles Times, the Sun Sentinel, and other media outlets!

As Dr. Wartofsky accurately points out in the piece, the controversy over how to diagnose low thyroid / hypothyroidism is not seen as "very serious" by the medical community. But as we thyroid patients are well aware, it has been a hot topic for years, because OUR health and wellbeing are at stake!

As Ms. Jameson points out, the current "standards" for what is considered normal for the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test establish a cut-off of around 4.5 -- and if you are told your thyroid test results are "normal" it will usually be because the results of this particular test came back under that number.

However, many experts agree that levels about 2.5 - 3.0 are indicative of low thyroid or hypothyroidism / an underactive thyroid condition. Still, many people in the debated range are never told of the controversy, even though mild or borderline hypothyroidism can cause weight gain, infertility, fatigue, depression, hair loss, high cholesterol, and a host of other symptoms and health concerns.

More Information

For more information about this controversy, read:

And share your own story in The 0.3 to 3.0 Range or Outdated .5 to 5.0 Range: What's Your Doctor/Lab Using?

About Mary Shomon | Thyroid Forum | Twitter | Facebook

Photo: clipart.com

Discuss in the forum

  1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Thyroid Disease

©2011 About.com. All rights reserved. 

A part of The New York Times Company.

We comply with the HONcode standard
for trustworthy health
information: verify here.