I have received a triple whammy - I found out recently I have hypothryoidism (I had hyper many years ago and was treated with PTU and radioactive iodine -- at the time of my hyperthyroidism, I also had inflammation and fluid in my pericardium and lungs...they suspected an autoimmune disease, but never figured it out; that's still a mystery. I've tested negative for inflammatory diseases, rhuematoid arthritis, etc. in the past -- haven't been tested for that in about 6 years.), high cholesterol and an elevated platelet count. I've been on synthroid and Lipitor for about a month and a half now and am currently waiting on bloodwork to find out if that has improved any. My biggest worry now is the platelet count. I got tested about 2 months ago (before I started taking the Lipitor and Synthroid, so I know it's not from the meds) and it was 474,000; I just received the results today from my follow up test and now my platelet count is 522,000. I'm scared to death. I recently moved from Baltimore MD to Paonia, CO (Western slopes) and I really thought this move would be a healthy move; fresh air, clean living and I get much more exercise than I ever have; cross country skiing, hiking, etc. I have a strong family history of heart disease; my mother had a stroke (she is still living), my father died of a heart attack and my sister has PAD. My grandparents also had heart disease. I'm so scared I can't think straight. I have an appt. with a general practitioner tomorrow (she is supposed to be a wonderful doctor) and I hope she can shed some light on this. I also get a lot of bone/muscle pain, leg pain, headaches (migraines) and my skin itches a lot. I keep thinking blood clots, artery disease, heart disease, cancer, etc. One more thing I want to mention is that I had a staff infection back in May from a scrape I got when I fell hiking. It was pretty bad and the local "yokel" doctor treated it with antibiotics (he didn't culture it; I was lucky the antibiotic worked). It took about 2 months to heal and I have a scar. The tissue underneath is still kind of "lumpy" and it is still a bit sore when I press on it, even though it has been about 6 months since it healed. I will also ask the doctor to check that. And the final thing is that my periods are TERRIBLE...very bad pain (I wake up crying) and heavy clotting throughout my entire period and tons of water retention. So, with all that being said, has anyone heard of any links between any of these issues? Should I be freaked out? (I am!). What sort of tests should I expect? Any words of advice or wisdom and is there anything in particular I should mention or questions I should ask my doctor? By the way, I'm 41 years old and youthful for my age, believe it or not! Thank you very much.

Nanette