Is there a Doctor in the House? A good one? & A NSV!

Let me say that there are some great doctors out there, this is not a rant about them.  Its a rant about the bad ones:

1)  9/2010-I see an endocrinologist because they found a mass on my thyroid.  She comes in and tells me that she has bad news that it might be cancerous but it might not and leaves me to go to another patient without much of an explanation.  To hear the word cancer is never easy, and without explanation or medical context its even scarier.  I talked to my WLS group and the administrator called them to get more information.  It was actually my WLS administrator that explained to me what I had and what the courses of treatment were and the endocrinologist called me back and followed up with me after her call.

2) Last 3 Years-I've been talking to my General Practioner about my inability to lose weight.  She is a stick.  She said it was menopause, my inactivity.  She lectured me that weight loss is straight forward eat less, burn more.   She is right, but she saw me for 3 years and never noticed the growths on my neck?  The RN and MD's said it was very prominent and that these tumors having been growing for several years.  She said to a trained eye it is kind of obvious that I have something growing on my neck.  I changed primary care physicians.

3) 12/29/2010-had my thryoid removed, was sent home with the wrong post op directions. 

4) 1/4/2011-went to my surgeon and he was sick and out of the office and they never called me to tell me he would not be in.  Asked me if I really needed to talk to him...Uhhh yes, I just had surgery last week, doesn't he need to check out the scar, give post op direction and clear me for additional activity?  His Physician Assistant came in with a trainee and told me I can start putting vitamin E on it or scar minimizer and to put lots of sun screen on the scar when I go out to minimize scarring.  What?  The scar is crusted with blood and my neck is swollen...The stitches are still really swollen.  I asked her about post op directions...They told me to stop taking my blood pressure medicine and to start taking synthroid...The PA said that this part of treatment is not really their area of expertise.   She said she'd call me with the biopsy results (most likely its not cancer) but she hasn't followed up since Monday.  It would be nice to get a call.

5)  Called my endo office about taking snythroid.  They said, sure, I could come in if I want???  What?  It's optional?  I no longer have a thyroid.  I need to regluate my system with medication.  The thyroid is not an optional organ like an appendix.  I have an MBA, not an MD degree.  I have no idea of how to do that.  What are the next steps?  I'm going to see my endo on Monday.

To be fair my WLS Surgeon and Office are great.  They were the one's that discovered the tumors on my thyroid.  They actually helped me navigate through the endocrinology/pathology information even though its not their job.  I think that is professionalism.

You know what I'm learning?  You have to really advocate for your health and you need to educate yourself.

The NSV
I just talked to the company nurse and got my BP checked.  She told me that now that my thyroid was out and I'm on medicine, it will be much easier to lose weight.  I told her I already lost 20 lbs in the last 3 months and her mouth dropped open.  She said it should have been impossible with my broken thyroid.  That information just made me feel so empowered like I can do this weight loss thing.
Thanks for listening.