A few weeks ago Samantha and I went to Lucille Packard for her annual endocrine checkup. We already knew her levels were off--TSH was too high. Instead of working out medicine changes ahead of time, we thought we'd wait until we got there to talk it over with her doctor. She's a year or so from puberty so things could begin to change a lot. Knowing her history that is a worrisome prospect for us.

Our visit, however, didn't go as planned. We met a new doctor (which could have been my fault if I didn't specify when I called). He was unfamiliar to us, but marched in with her blood results. He listened to my concerns but dismissed every one. He didn't believe me when I said she wasn't normal (TSH resistant). He simply said that the labs were wrong and that he wouldn't change her dose. He knew nothing of her, her thyroid history, her medical history, none of it.

Samantha didn't say a whole lot. She was probably sensing my disbelief. I was so dumbfounded that I didn't speak up, which was the worst thing I could have done. He examined her said "Thanks for coming" and just walked out the door, addressing none of my concerns.

We left and I didn't know whether to be angry or cry.

When Samantha's levels are off it takes very little time before she becomes ill and she spirals out of control. Our regular endocrinologist would have never dismissed us and Samantha loves/trusts her.

So I called our pediatrician and got us in the next day. I explained what happened at LPCH and he was dumbfounded. I told him that I needed him to help me. We both know my child well and he knows that she can't go without a dose change if she's off. For crying out loud she went from normal to a TSH of 33 in two months when she was younger. It was serious and scary.

The pediatrician asked Samantha how she'd been feeling. She opened up to him and said that she's been sad and very angry. Even she knows what her body feels! My poor girl.

Our pediatrician agreed that it was dangerous to wait and so he changed her meds slightly. We started that day, tested this week, and guess what?! Samantha is now "normal."

Folks, fight for your child and don't let the doctor walk out the door like I did. Demand they address your concerns and make them read the damn chart. Samantha has been a patient there for 8.5 years. There is a decent-sized file on her!