My yoga teacher asked me to get medical tests before he could start with any therapies or treatments. I was skeptical, because I don't like doctors as a general rule, seeing as they are not really so much in the business of healing one as making you well enough for a little while so you'll quit complaining but still believe they helped - which means you'll go back to them next time and voila - congratulations on being a medical cash cow!
Anyway, I have a lot of faith in my wonjangnim, as I've experienced his amazing healing energy and attended two of his multi-day workshops, so I made an appointment at the hospital in Daegu where I needed to be tested. This meant sleeping over at a friend's house, missing half a day of school and traveling for 2 1/2 hours to get back home. It was stupidly expensive, but the doctor was very friendly and listened as I explained my symptoms and why I thought I might have a thyroid problem. He said that he would do several different tests, including blood sugar, cholesterol and lipids, as well as TSH, TPO, T4 and T3 thyroid tests. My blood was drawn without too much hassle and nary a tear on my part and I made my way back to my town. I was scheduled to go back a week later for the results, so I took another half day off from school and made the 2 1/2 hour journey to the hospital. Got there, thank goodness didn't have to pay anymore bloodtestmoney and went to see the doctor. "Everything is normal", he said. Why he couldn't have told me that in a simple phone call blows my mind. I asked him why he thought I had all these thyroid symptoms then, if my thyroid tests are normal. He shrugged. In his opinion, because I didn't have three of the common thyroid symptoms (being cold all the time, being constipated and having dry skin), I clearly didn't have thyroid issues. The fatigue, the hair loss, the dry scalp, the muscle pains, inflammation that has no apparent cause and lasts for 6 months sometimes? Nope, no idea. His advice was that I should exercise every day. Gee, thanks for that enlightening bit of info, doc. I then asked him what he thought the link was between nutrition and thyroid disorders. He got very flustered and initially said there is no link, then started, very unsure of himself, to blab on about how in countries who eat a lot of seaweed and seafood, people have thyroid problems. Really? Wow. Anyway, he as a nice man, so I thanked him, got a print-out of my tests and went on my way.
This didn't change anything for me. I know what I know, and I am experiencing the change I feel on a daily basis, only due to changing my diet and taking a few supplements. The exercise bit I haven't quite gotten to yet - it's the next step. :)
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