Pikapolonica
Pridružen/-a: 24.06. 2006, 12:56
Prispevkov: 658
Kraj: Domžale
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 Objavljeno: 22 Okt 2007 09:44 Naslov sporočila: |
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No, tole je napisala tudi Mary Shomon na thyroid.com
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Why Thyroid Patients Should be Grateful to Oprah Winfrey
Thyroid patients should be grateful to Oprah Winfrey. As a thyroid patient myself, as well as an advocate for other patients, I am personally and professionally grateful.
I know that this sounds strange, coming after a week during which I've publicly criticized Oprah, and the focus of her show last week, which talked about thyroid disease and women's health with guest Christiane Northrup. Oprah and Dr. Northrup took a metaphysical, New Age approach to health, and suggested that thyroid problems and hormonal imbalances result when women fail to take time to properly care for mind, body and spirit. During the one hour show, seeing a doctor, getting the thyroid evaluated, thyroid testing, and medical treatment for thyroid disease were never mentioned. The serious health implications for women who aren't treated for thyroid conditions were also never discussed.
But still, we should be grateful to Oprah for going public with her thyroid condition, and dedicating a show to women's health issues. Consider the alternatives. Oprah could have kept her health challenges private -- and no one would never have known that she had a thyroid condition. Or, after mentioning it in her magazine column, we might never have heard another word about it. This might have implied that thyroid disease is something to be ashamed of...that thyroid disease was something to dismiss.
If Oprah had not done the show talking about her thyroid problems, we wouldn't have hundreds of articles, news stories, entertainment shows -- not to mention our friends, family and colleagues -- talking about thyroid disease right now. Maybe they don't get the facts right, and sure, they skim over the important details and gloss over the treatments -- sometimes, they get it all totally wrong -- but you know what? They're saying the word THYROID.
We should be grateful because in more than a decade of patient advocacy, I've never seen a week like this -- where the word "thyroid" is
We should be grateful because in more than a decade of patient advocacy, I've never seen a week like this -- where the word "thyroid" is on everyone's lips. Frankly, I don't think there has ever been a week in history when thyroid disease has been in the news to this extent.
We should be grateful because there are millions of undiagnosed thyroid patients out there who watched Oprah's show, read her magazine column, or have seen news coverage of her thyroid condition. And some of those millions will hear the words "exhaustion, weight gain, thyroid, etc..." and they will make that critical, life-changing connection. And they'll seek help.
And for most, it won't be "blowing kisses at yourself, eat well, go on vacation" kind of help, it will be medical help -- they'll go to their doctors for tests and treatment. Oprah's announcement has put them on the path toward feeling and living well again.
We should be grateful because even if their doctors don't recognize thyroid symptoms, some of those millions will feel empowered enough to say, "Hey, doctor, I have the same symptoms as Oprah, so maybe I have a thyroid problem. I want to be tested!"
We should be grateful because some of the many thyroid patients who still don't feel their best, despite treatment, will think about doing other good things for ourselves in addition to medical treatment. Because eating well, getting rest, and caring for our minds, bodies and spirits can only help -- and in the end, being healed is the goal, even if we can't be cured.
We should be grateful to Oprah because the next time a thyroid patient tells someone else, "I have a thyroid condition," maybe that person won't look at us like we have two heads. Maybe they won't quickly assume, "Here's a whiny, overweight, middle-aged woman looking for an excuse for being fat."
Maybe they'll think, "Hey, that's the disease that Oprah has, and thyroid problems even made HER tired and gain weight, and it took her many visits to different doctor visits to get diagnosed."
Let's face it. A strong, empowered, wealthy celebrity like Oprah had to gain 20 pounds, be exhausted for months, and go to multiple doctors before she could get a proper diagnosis of thyroid disease.
This fact might encourage those who are still struggling to get properly diagnosed to stay in the game, and keep fighting for diagnosis. And it might make others a bit more sympathetic to the difficulty so many go through as thyroid patients, suffering with symptoms, and trying to get diagnosed.
And that's more -- much more -- than we had before.
I may wish that Oprah had done it differently...but she did it. And I'm grateful. |
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