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393685 tn?1425812522

LONG LONG POST HERE - In Oprah's words on her hypothyroid condition.

OK I am very upset after reading this and no wonder why a "real " thyroid patient has no backing from her.   If anyone is interested in this article I copied - great! -

I particulary love the part where she states she retreated back to her Hawaii palace and rested - dined and walked her dog to relieve her thyroid stress.

Now I know why so many found this thyroid patient off a bit.  Here is the article from O magizine.

What I Know for Sure

My body was turning on me. First hyperthyroidism, which sped up my metabolism and left me unable to sleep for days. (Most people lose weight. I didn't.) Then hypothyroidism, which slowed down my metabolism and made me want to sleep all the time. (Most people gain weight. I did! Twenty pounds!)

The thyroid, one of many body parts I'd never given a thought to, is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck, just below your Adam's apple. It influences everything from digestion to metabolism to reproduction. When the thyroid is out of balance, so are you.

I craved balance. I was desperate to be somewhere in the middle of hyper and hypo—where, obviously, I'd been my whole life, taking it for granted because I didn't know any better. We often need a malfunction to appreciate all the things that function.

I decided to give myself July. Yes, the whole month—dedicated to myself, for myself. To regroup. Rejuvenate. Restore my soul.

By the end of my show season, in May, I was so exhausted, I was numb. But I still had commitments I needed and wanted to fulfill, like being in South Africa to take my girls to see their first stage play, The Lion King. That was a treat worth traveling for. One of the girls—Thando, whom you may remember if you watched our special—wants to be an actress. After seeing The Lion King, she told me, "It was so spectacular, my eyes didn't know where to land."

So I spent June with my 150 daughters, who are happy and thriving. But in July, I actively worked at doing nothing. I had no schedule. I told my office, "Call me only if someone or something is dying or burning."

I flew from Africa to Hawaii, which involves a 12-hour time difference that takes some adjustment even when you're well-rested. I made the transition by sleeping and waking when my body wanted to and not a moment before. It took a week for my internal clock to reset itself. I took vitamins. Drank soy milk. Munched on golden flaxseed. I ate only fresh foods: grilled fish, corn, tomatoes, spinach, artichokes, broccoli from the farmers' market, mangoes from my neighbor's tree. I hiked with my dogs (who daily rolled in cow poop along the grassy trails), then came home and bathed them. I actually read the stack of books I'd chosen to read by summer's end. I dozed. And drifted into the afternoons waiting for the sun to set. I watched 28 consecutive sunsets. Took pictures and marveled at how each one was so different.

After 14 days, I started to feel my self returning. Not fully—just an awareness that I wasn't as tired and rote as I had been. By the end of the month I'd given myself, I was better in myriad ways. Not only was my physical health improved but I'd also become mentally stronger.

I won't tell you how many people challenged my decision to give time to myself. I have never gotten more requests to do something or be somewhere than I did the moment I declared that I was going out of circulation. And these were from people I normally would have said yes to. But I was steadfast in my commitment to finding balance and reordering my life's priorities. So I said, "No, I can't come to Italy." And, "No, I can't be in Boston no matter how important you think it is." And, "No, I won't have you fly to Hawaii for a meeting here."

I may have lost a few friends, but I know for sure I saved myself. And learned that making the decision to look after yourself is the ultimate in healthcare.

As I write this, I'm wrapped in a blanket on the back of a friend's boat off Vancouver Island sipping a glass of nice red wine…watching the whales swim by. The earth has rotated to yet another sunset, and my balancing act continues.

Cheers!


Ok - what do you all think - Maybe my trip to Hawaii in Jan 09 will cure me!  LOL
29 Responses
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87651 tn?1259602403
ABSOLUTELY!!! And she would be the person to do just that!!!
Helpful - 0
492307 tn?1214186739
Oh yes, money does talk. Can you imagine if a Dr. blew her off? Didn't listen to what she was complaining about? She's on air everyday, she could say what she wanted an ruin someone's career like that (snap).
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87651 tn?1259602403
I have to disagree... not trying to be rude, but Oprah has Dr OZ, who is a reknown Cardio Dr at her side at all times. He is on her show like every other epsiode!! And I am sure in her case with the Thyroid issues, he could get someone to listen to her. When you have money... it helps. He also travels with her alot...

Also, I was reading an article on Patrick Dempseys mom. She is a 2x Ovarian Cancer Survivor. He admittedly said, that his money/fame got her the treatment she has received. The best Drs, treatment etc.. He said it was very unfortunate, but its true. This makes me very bitter, because I lost my mother to Ovarian Cancer and she was only 37!!!! Drs kept telling her and my father that is was ulcers or depression... Until he finally got her into a Mayo clinic and it was too late for her. It had spread everywhere and she was gone that year.  She had found her symptoms very early on as well which can help to save your life. My father told me she had her symptoms for almost 2 years before they realized it was OC! So so very disturbing to me.

Money talks.... unfortuantely

MK
Helpful - 0
501126 tn?1214443083
Million dollar medical care would do me some fine healing too, but really think about that. Most doctors listen even less to the complaints of a celeberty.  My mom reads Gilda Radnor's book again and again (my mom's a cancer survivor) and she told me that. and it's most likely true, who listens to celeb's complain of mood swings and body aches, etc. Oprah probably had more difficulty getting a diagnosis. Afterwards, her money and fame was more helpful to her, granted, I'm sure. Still, it's annoying when any celeb speaks on anything. Grin.
Helpful - 0
492307 tn?1214186739
Yeah, I can't add more about the thyroid issue... but I quit watching, reading or anything by her probably last year or so. She made some stupid comment about spending money on a worthless war, when there are so many starving people all over the world. Well... use your millions and help them. It's not the governments duty. Ok I'm off my soap box now.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
What can I add?  Nothing really, except to say that I do not worship at the altar of Oprah.
(Sorry if I have offened anyone.)  It's this kind of misinformed nonsense (that's the niceest thing I can say), that had me tuning her out years ago.  (The other thing that bugs me is how she does those exploitive interviews - right at ratings sweeps time - of kids that have been molested or others who have been victimized.  Yeah, someone else will interview them but funny she does this stuff at sweeps time.)

Anyway,  she is so disconected.  (Didn't she take some heat years ago about her "miracle diet" or something?)  It's really a shame.  She had a GREAT opportunity to educate not just the public, but perhaps the medical community.  We have enough trouble getting docs to actually acknowledge thyroid disorders, let alone get treatment, and yes, get some respect.

I saw an article in Shape or Self a few months back, and thought "hey maybe this will be good".  Nope.  Just the "I was feeling tired.  I went to the doc, he gave me a test, now I'm on meds and felt like me old self in a couple of months" stuff.

It's a shame that none of these people look at boards like this to see what we have to deal with.

I'll shut up now :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Oprah is full of it. First of all if she had my pain she could not walk her dogs and then bathe them. Second, soy products is she kidding for thyroid problems. Third, how could she be healed of thyroid problems in three weeks. Did she really even have a serious problem?  I guess that is why I never watch, listen or ead anything by her!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I would bet you a million dollars if Oprah had any of our problems she would have done a show about it.  Low iodine diet?  She'd have some diet guru telling us how to eat.  Weight gain from thryroid?  A "thyroid exercise guru."  Hyper/Hypo?  Well, there will be someone on there telling us how to "deal" with the pain by "relaxation and meditation" or maybe make a chart and put it out there for the universe to fix. Or better yet...she'd teach us how to ask the universe to heal us because according to her...if you want it all you gotta do is ask the universe!
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87651 tn?1259602403
I think we should write or call into her office and ask her to do a show on the "REAL THYROID MADNESS" and have people like ourselves go on the show and show her the other side to thyroid disease.

We can gripe on how hard it is to get a good Dr...
How hard it is to get them to listen...
Get an appt or get a return call....
Not draw the right labs to begin with...
Tell us we are just depressed and start exercising more etc....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Wow!  I don't even know what to say, other than the same thing everyone else has already stated.  When someone like that has so much power (tv show and major magazine) and then using those medias to say THIS....well...I just wish they would use it for something better.  I am self employed and work 50 hrs a week...and only get one day off...Sundays.  I'm actually thinking of closing my business cause I need more time off, but don't have the money to hire help to run this place full time for a month! LOL  It'll be good to get a major stress out of my life, but I'll still need thyroid meds for the rest of my life.  I know rest can really help but...not everyone can go to Hawaii for a month!  I'm hoping to take a few weeks off...then go back to working for someone else...too much stress in this economy for me to run my own shop.  I already burnt my adrenals out.  But hey, according to Oprah...I ought to be cured when I close my shop up!!  
Helpful - 0
87651 tn?1259602403
AMEN!!!
Helpful - 0
201897 tn?1245842334
She's in such deep denial.  

I don't particularly care for Dr Northrup either.  This is the same woman who blames women's lack of self attention solely for their physical illnesses.   She says that women are suppressing their true feelings and therefore develop thyroid and other diseases.  While I do feel that mindset does play a large role in how we feel, it isn't the only cause of physical illness and certainly doesn't take genetics, bateria, viruses, metabolic disorders or ANY real cause for illness into account.

Her advise is If they only spoke their minds, took a bubble bath and mastubated, they'd get better.  She's full of ****!  She also advocates large uses of soy products.  That's dangerous!

Mary Shomon has her number.  The full rebuttle article is here:  
http://thyroid.about.com/b/2007/10/16/an-open-letter-to-oprahs-viewers-about-thyroid-disease-your-thyroid-condition-is-not-your-own-fault.htm

or here (easier to cut and paste):  http://tinyurl.com/yusw8g
Helpful - 0
87651 tn?1259602403
GARBAGE!!!!!!!! Thats all I have to say about THAT and HER!!!!!!!!!!!! If we had millions, almost billions in her case... Hawaii, the boat off of Vancouver and whale watching might heal me slightly too!!! What a joke and not even a comparison to what REAL people with this disorder are going through!! So that it huh?? What... she had JULY and now she is healed and cured?? I dont think so Oprah!!

MK
Helpful - 0
393685 tn?1425812522
Now the doctor she had on her show in Oct 07 brought up some very valuable things we all should read

If you google Oprah's Thyroid Club you will be brought to the actual show she had with this doctor. I read some last night - Alot to read but it does give key points in how to balance normal women's lives and help heal us.

Give that a look.
Helpful - 0
185634 tn?1257071139
Wow.  Yes, Liz DID make a good point!  I didn't realize until after I read it, that I too had a "retreat".  Instead of being off work for the typical two weeks after surgery, I got to bask in the summer sun for two MORE weeks, while I prayed that my vocal cords would move again.  While on this retreat, I frequently lost my voice, couldn't swallow liquids without choking and had a hard time breathing.  It was great.  Got lots of beautiful pics.  Ever seen your vocal cords on a TV screen??  That was one of the perks from the "resort" I stayed at.

All this while the sick time, that I had build up to almost 300 hours, was draining away.  And so was my energy, because I hadn't been put on meds yet.  They wanted me good and hypo for the RAI.

I went back to work for a week (God only knows how I did it...I was SO hypo!), then got yet another "vacation", by traveling 2 hours away and having a week-long thyroid party (aka: RAI treatment).  My TSH was 145 the day they started the RAI.  Real fun.

Then back to work for me, because my "vacation" was over and I needed to start building up my sick time again.  Because you know.....I get a guaranteed week long "vacation" every year now!!  It's called RAI, and it's at this wonderful University Hospital 2 hours away.  Beautiful location, nice view, meet lots of new people.

Oprah doesn't have a clue.  I'm quite sure she wasn't worried about depleting her sick time and wondering what she was going to do if she couldn't work!  Must be nice.  We all chose the wrong profession, I guess.  

Thanks for sharing that, Stella.  Boy......that sure stirred up a hornet's nest, didn't it?  Grrrrrrr..........
Helpful - 0
398849 tn?1210135972
There's Oprah and then there is us...absolute no comparison therefor no use her writing about thryriod sufferers I am sure everyone one would feel a wee bit better with 1 billion dollars of resources behind us....
Helpful - 0
158939 tn?1274915197
Liz has such a good point.

Between my "retreats" (i.e., stays in the hospital for both surgeries), steam room treatments (hot flashes), "spa treatments" (radiation treatment/scans), "vacations" hypohell, "diet counselors" (LID for RAI), all of the blood tests (guess that could be considered a form of weight loss), not to mention all of the new people I've been able to meet (nuclear medicine department, surgical staff, nursing staff, imaging specialists, pharmacists, rheumatologist, endocrinologists, genetic researchers, and other thyroid patients) - I should feel like a pampered, multimillionaire media-mogul too.

Silly me - why should I complain?


Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I'm going to lay down - I'm feeling like cr@p today thanks to my GI pain- oops, I should say "abdominal workout"     Double-grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I had my 6 week "vacation" in hypohe//!  I read (when I could focus), slept (when I didn't hurt so much), relaxed (in the form of being sprawled on my bed whining), and basically got the rest I needed to continue on with this battle that will seemingly go on for the rest of my life. Stupid Oprah.
Helpful - 0
185634 tn?1257071139
Where's the petition, because I'm IN!!!  Mmmm.......I can just picture it now.  Being fanned by cabana boys while they feed you grapes, watching the sunset for 30 consecutive nights, waking whenever I feel like it, oh....and the best part - telling my boss that "sorry, don't contact me.  I'm on a thyroid hiatus.  Don't call me, I'll call you".  Ooohhh, try that and not get fired!

Yep, I'm definitely in.
Helpful - 0
455126 tn?1212432198
I looked on her web site for somewhere to post or email but could not find anything.  I think its shameful that she talks about her thyroid condition as if its a vacation.  She absolutely should discuss her treatment plan (meds, tests, etc.) or not discuss it at all.

D
Helpful - 0
158939 tn?1274915197
And you could tend bar in her multi-million dollar digs too.  What a deal!
Helpful - 0
213044 tn?1236527460
I'll sign that petition!
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158939 tn?1274915197
How about we start a petition that she dedicates her medical resources, Hawaii home, private plane, personal trainers and chefs, masseuses, and media attention for *REAL* thyroid patients.

I could see all of us holding *real* Friday night pubs at her house (which we would rename the "Oprah-thyroid retreat for REAL thyroid patients") and spending an all-expense-paid month at her home (while all of our bills back home were paid by her, of course).  I know that would make ME feel a lot better.

Grrr! to Oprah  (that's my grrr usually reserved for clueless doctors, BTW.)

Helpful - 0
212753 tn?1275073111
Gaaaa If had O's money and were my own boss I would do the same thing. but at the same time she discousnt the need for meds anc care.  she makes it sound like if you are hypo hell take a month off and that will cure you.  that what I got out of the article. I am going to try to email her and let her know she needs let people know that hypo or hyper left untreated can KILL you.
Nuff said.
Love Venora
Helpful - 0
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