We visited the endocrinologist this week. It was a success and a failure at the same time. The doctor was very helpful and she explained that Justin's TSH level was high. (We knew that already...) But there is really no way of knowing why it's high without more testing, which isn't really warranted at this stage. It could just be that he was coming off a virus when the test was done, and that caused the level to be elevated. She ordered some repeat labs and now we wait to see how those turn out. She will continue to track his progress and we will have to continue to see her, right now we go back in 4 months, especially since he will almost definitely need thyroid treatment sometime in his life.
She did list some of the signs of hypothyroidism: being cold, constipation, low energy, trouble sleeping, dry skin, etc. As she was listing these, Justin was crawling around the floor cackling as he played with one of his toys. It's hard to convince a doctor to treat your child when he acts too healthy. Healthy is good, but we are still struggling with the being cold, constipation, and sleeping. What it comes down to is that it's not his thyroid, so it's not her area. There is a range in which thyroid levels are considered "normal" and there is no treatment if thyroid falls within that range. But there is a range because everyone is not the same. So maybe Justin needs more thyroid even though he still fits in the range? It may require more research and questioning to get more satisfactory answers.
I am glad he doesn't need intense treatment and monitoring, but I still hope we can find ways to help Justin be more comfortable. I am just thankful one more time that we live in a warm climate and we don't suffer from extreme cold temperatures. That is a huge blessing for Justin!
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