How to get the most from  your thyroid appointment

Here are some suggestions for making the most of your thyroid appointment.  

Bring with you any potentially relevant healthcare information.  If you have seen anyone else for this or a related condition, the reports and images from prior work may well not be readily available to Dr. Lansford during your visit, unless they are from Christie Clinic, Carle, or OSF.

Unless they are coming from Christie Clinic, Bromenn, or the OSF system, please hand-carry to your appointment the following items:

• Any prior operative or clinic notes relevant to this condition.  You can get these from the medical records department of the hospital or clinic where you were seen previously.

• Any bloodwork results relating to your thyroid (especially TSH, Free T4, Free T3).  If you are not sure which results relate to the thyroid, you may bring a copy of all of your bloodwork from the past year or two.

• Any prior pathology testing from a biopsy or operation for this problem.

• Any recent imaging or x-rays.  Dr. Lansford needs two parts: the images themselves, burned onto a CD, and the radiologist’s interpretation (which is usually provided on paper, but sometimes included electronically with the CD).  To obtain these, you may need to go to the radiology department where the images were taken and say “I need the actual images and the radiologist’s report.”

It will be helpful for Dr. Lansford to know:

• When did any problem with the thyroid gland first become apparent?

• If there is a lump in the thyroid gland, have you noticed an increase in size?  Over what time frame?

• Have you had persistent hoarseness?

• Have you had difficulty swallowing?

• Do you have blood relatives who have had thyroid cancer, or any tumors of the endocrine glands (such as the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands)?

• Do you have a history of radiation exposure to the neck (beyond the occasional x-ray)?

Bring a list of your current medications (prescription and non-prescription) and their doses.  If it is easier, you could bring in your current medications.

Bring your photo I.D., your medical insurance card and be prepared for your copay.

Also, in case you have to wait, it is a good idea to bring with you something to do, such as your phone or a book.  Bring a notepad and paper if you might wish to take notes.  Bring a family member or friend if you wish to have another “set of ears.”