Let's Talk About Women's Health: Thyroid Dysfunction

Welcome back to our blog series, "Let's Talk About Women's Health." This series is dedicated to sharing powerful patient impact stories, highlighting the real-life experiences of women navigating various health challenges. Our goal is to raise awareness, foster meaningful dialogue, and shine a light on the key challenges and opportunities in MedTech for women's health.

In this second installment, Victoria Chester Rose, Vice President, Marketing & Communications at RQM+, shares her personal journey with hypothyroidism. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and insights in our ongoing series. Together, we can make women's health happen.

When ‘Normal’ Isn’t Normal: Advocating for My Health. This is my personal journey.

For as long as I can remember, I took pride in taking care of myself by staying active, eating well, and ensuring my overall health was a priority. But somewhere along the way, I started noticing that the little things that once came easily became increasingly difficult. The exhaustion was more than just tiredness after a long day - it was fatigue that persisted even after a full night of sleep. As I continued to struggle with my energy levels, I found myself unable to keep up with my active life. My mind felt foggy, my joints ached, and the weight gain felt unexplained and unstoppable. I knew something wasn’t right. It’s almost as if a light switch had been flipped off and the old me suddenly changed.

A Two-Year Journey to Take Back My Health

With a family history of thyroid disease, I knew I needed to have my thyroid tested. Each time, my TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) levels were at the high end of the “normal” range, but still within what was considered acceptable. This went on for two years—two years of feeling unlike myself, two years of advocating for my health while being told that I was still within normal limits. It wasn’t until my TSH spiked well into the high range that my doctor finally prescribed medication.
But why did it have to get to that point? Why did I have to wait until my numbers were “bad enough” for treatment, despite experiencing all the hallmark symptoms of hypothyroidism?

The Mental and Physical Toll

Physically, I felt like I was trapped in someone else’s body. It slowed me down in ways I never expected, and the simplest tasks required an immense amount of energy. Perhaps the most challenging part was the mental toll. The frustration of knowing something was wrong yet not having it validated was exhausting. The constant battle of trying to push through my symptoms while hearing advice like, “eat more protein, move more, maybe you’re taking on too much,” was beyond defeating.

Too often, women’s health symptoms are dismissed as stress-related, hormonal, or just part of aging. We are told to get more sleep, to exercise more, or to simply “manage our stress better.” What happens when we do all of that and still don’t feel right? The answer shouldn’t be to suffer in silence or wait for our condition to become severe enough to warrant intervention.

The Importance of Advocacy in Women’s Health

My entire career has been spent in healthcare and I know firsthand the gaps in women’s health. I have seen how often we are overlooked, our symptoms minimized, and our concerns dismissed. I also know I’m not alone in this experience. It’s why I will continue to shine a light on women’s health.

Being your own advocate in healthcare can be frustrating and exhausting, yet very necessary. Remember, you are not just a number on a lab report, a symptom or a statistic. If something feels off, push for answers. Challenge your doctors, ask for further testing, and don’t settle for “it’s probably just stress.” You know your body better than anyone!

The Role of MedTech in Advancing Thyroid Health

Thankfully, advancements in MedTech are changing the way we diagnose and manage thyroid disease and RQM+ is at the forefront of laboratory-developed tests (LDTs), providing expert guidance to ensure these innovative diagnostic tools meet regulatory requirements while delivering precise and personalized results. LDTs are enabling earlier and more accurate detection of thyroid dysfunction, allowing patients to receive the right treatment before their symptoms become debilitating. I’m proud to be part of an organization that leads in this space.

Why Believing in Yourself Matters

I believe being a patient first makes me better at my job! I am proud to work for a company that prioritizes women’s health and embraces the latest innovations to improve care and outcomes. If you’re experiencing symptoms that don’t feel right, don’t let them be dismissed. Keep asking questions, keep pushing for answers, and most importantly, advocate for yourself. Your health is worth fighting for.

Join us on Thursday the 20th of March, 2025  for our women's health panel, "Built for Her: Funding, fixing, and fueling the next era of MedTech." In this RQM+ Live! panel discussion, industry leaders and regulatory experts will share real-world strategies MedTech companies can use to navigate these barriers and bring life-changing innovations to market. Click here to register for free.