I’ve been quick to put my technical writing experience and skills to work as I try to navigate through the medical establishment post surgery and get my Synthroid dosage balanced but I am afraid it might not be working. My first big culture shock is the differences in how the IT community (where I am from) and the medical community are how they troubleshoot issues.

Having been on my fair share of leading edge to failing IT projects, I look for patterns when something wrong occurs. I call this the last plugged in/first unplugged method. Evidently, the medical profession doesn’t prescribe to this method of troubleshooting always especially when it comes to thyroid issues. When I was at a recent meeting of the THYCA, another attendee brought up the fact that endocrinologists are chemists at heart – and approach diagnoses accordingly – meaning the street cred I’ve earned getting my questions answered from the most eccentric and socially inept programmers and engineers has no bearing on my communications with endocrinologists.

read more »