PD&B - Just a heads up about thyroid problems - they do run in families, and mild cases can easily get overlooked. My sister went for years with symptoms being told her tests were "normal" (while she had 2 siblings with hyperthyroidism) - finally was diagnosed as low thyroid, but a few years ago, the endocrine society changed what they considered "normal" range - if they'd done that years ago, she would have been diagnosed years ago.
My advice for someone in your sitch: insist on a FULL panel - TSH, T4, T3, AND thyroid antibodies. Most thyroid disease is autoimmune, and while the presence of antibodies doesn't necessarily mean you will develop thyroid disease, it's a pretty good indicator if you are also having symptoms. TSH should be under 3, even though the "normal" range in some labs can be up to 5. For someone with symptoms and family history, though, anything above 3 would be suspect.
Shocked - your primary doctor should be able to prescribe you pills for you in the interim - most doctors would rather you didn't go off your meds. As for being so thin - you might think about asking your doctor to check you for celiac disease. A simple blood test can screen for this. It causes poor absorption of nutrients due to damage to the intestinal lining from an immune reaction to the gluten in wheat and other grains. Sometimes associated with thyroid conditions or diabetes. If you want to post or email me any more details I can try to figure out what they are doing with you. Sounds a little atypical with the goiter and all.
