Dr. Recommendations???

[MrHcaphill]

Having read MANY posts on this forum, I am going to jump the gun entirely and ask if anyone can recommend a Doctor that will take my symptoms, my history, and my results SERIOUSLY and help me.

I like my endocrinologist so far but I am realistically (or cynically) NOT expecting her to help me. The thought of "starting over" - again- does not thrill me. I want help NOW.

While in Denver, my wife met a woman at the hotel pool who had flown there specifically to see a particular Doctor who understood thyroid and was willing to treat her. She had been suffering for years. When I hear stories like this I get depressed at the thought of "suffering for years."

Is there a place I can go (on the Internet or otherwise) to locate a GOOD doctor who will help me if this one doesn't?

I live in Saint Paul, Minnesota but I'm willing to travel if it gets absolutely necessary.

[midwest1]

I chose my first endo from the Top Docs list because of a couple of good reviews she had gotten there. To her credit, she gave me the diagnosis I was seeking, but her method of treatment didn't work at all for me. I then chose a doc from my insurer provider list from whom I got optimal treatment. He was right there under my nose, only 7 miles from my house. I've read the experiences of a couple of other members here who paid lots of hard-earned cash to best-selling thyroid authors who didn't practice the philosophy they espoused in their books. My point is ... There are no guarantees that any particular doctor will be good for any certain individual, so there's no point in throwing unlimited amounts of cash on medical fees and travel until you've exhausted all your options in your locale.

I also think it's a bad idea to assume you can't get good care where you live just because of the problems you find on message boards. You should keep in mind that very few people who are being successfully treated come here at all; it's primarily people with problems, which makes it appear that everyone has problems. That isn't true at all.

My suggestion is to give your current doctor a chance, until she proves herself unworthy of it. Just don't limit yourself to endos, who typically treat strictly according to the book and who are the least flexible in terms of diagnosis and optimal treatment. Yours may be an exception. Don't give up on her quite yet.