"Failure of medics to diagnose and treat my long-standing hypothyroidism"

I had been lacking in stamina & energy , plus most of all the other symptoms of being hypo, for many years since my now grown adult sons were just school chidren.

I consulted my GP many times. I was told my symptoms were due to stress and I was prescribed anti depressents, Next diagnosis that came along was ME and/or allergies. Saw an immunologist but no joy there. Then I went down the psychiatric route as I reckoned that if these symptoms were not real then I must be at least slightly potty.

This course of action brought about a series of traumatic events that cause emotional pain even to this day when I allow myself to think of them. Next stop was to see an astute locum doctor at my GP practice who suggested I had my thyroid tested so I did. As I didn't hear anything from the surgery (silly me!) after this I assumed that this test had been normal.

A year went by and I once again I dragged my seriously energy depleted body to see my usual G.P He listened and said he would do a thyroid test and I said I'd already had that twelve months previously. He then looked the results up on computer and I watched his jaw visibly drop. It had been low the year before and, with no treatment, it was probably nearing a hundred by now. He prescribed Levo straight away - thereby hangs another tale to be told another time!

I lost years and years of optimal health because of the inadequate system in this country. I am sad as I wasn't like other mums who could take their chidren to the park or the beach, play with them, go on woodland walks and camping trips -the list is endless.

I had a wonderful husband who accepted the situation and was a great support to me. Sadly I lost him in 1994 but he is still in my heart and I still think of him as my rock.