The old saying “like attracts like” may apply to my patient population, but…I think I am on to something! Hear me out…
I have been working with thyroid patients for 10+ years. In the last 3-4 years, I have been doing a lot more in-depth testing (my “older” patients probably think I did a lot of testing back in the day).
I am finding several common denominators in my patient population
1) Hashimoto’s patients tend to have a history of Epstein Barr Virus. Patients may not know this, and think their thyroid symptoms are due to their thyroid condition. Many times, the symptoms are being driven by the underlying EBV. What are symptoms of EBV you ask? Tiredness, brain fog, weakness, sinus pressure, and the inability to recover (especially, if you are an athlete).
2) Mold Toxicity!!! Most of you know what we have been through with mold in our last couple of homes. Recently, I began working with a World Champion/Olympic athlete that reached out to me because she was diagnosed with EBV. After learning more about her history, we decided to test her body for mold. BAM!!! Mold was one trigger that was weakening her immune system. I am finding this in a lot of chronically sick patients, especially thyroid patients.
3) Lyme Disease…oh boy!!! This morning one of the first emails I opened was from a gal that wants to be a patient. She sent me a laundry list of symptoms and medications she is on. As I read her symptoms, red flags were waving…Lyme Disease, Lyme Disease!Many with chronic health symptoms, and autoimmune conditions, have Lyme Disease as the driving force. Lyme can mimic many autoimmune conditions, but it should not be treated the same way.
4) Genetic mutations! I am slowly collecting genetic data on hundreds of patients. I am seeing ONE common gene that is mutated in every EBV patient. It is NOT MTHFR, which most have, but another one that I have been able to pinpoint in every single EBV case. Go back to #1 above, EBV and Hashimoto’s Disease run hand and hand in a lot of cases. This means, if we can see this mutation in someone BEFOREthey develop EBV or Hashimoto’s, I may be able to save them from years of suffering.
TEST, TEST, and TEST some more. Get more pieces of your puzzle figured out to help you manage your health condition better!
But, Dr. King, testing is expensive! My insurance should cover these tests!
I hear this from time to time. Heck, I have said it myself. Natasha and I have a great PPO insurance plan, but we still have to pay for specialized testing out of pocket. You MUST EXCEPT that insurance will not cover your medical expenses unless you are dying in the hospital, need surgery, or you want to live on medication for the rest of your life.
My rationale for paying out of pocket for in-depth testing is simple: Would I rather rely on a health care system that wants me on medication for life, or would I rather find answers and help my body heal?
Do you want to spend the next 5, 10, or 15-years going BACKto your Kaiser doctor only to be left frustrated with what they test for and how they manage your health condition?
I routinely post videos called ‘Weekly Rounds’ on YouTube and my social media platforms. In these educational videos I take a current patient and review their health history, discuss the lab tests I ordered, and review their lab results. Click the image below and watch the latest episode of ‘Weekly Rounds’ where a patient was misdiagnosed based on limited testing the Kaiser doctors ran.
If I didn’t run extensive testing on this young patient, she would have been given a medication and told to go on her way. Wrong diagnosis = Mis-management!
She would have suffered for YEARS, thinking she had one health condition when in reality the doctors did a horrible job of diagnosing her.
Is this story common? Absolutely!!!
Is this happening to you? Maybe!
If you are concerned that you don’t enough pieces to your health puzzle, schedule a complimentary phone consultation, and let’s begin digging deeper.
