Just seen my GP, who was lovely! The nasty consultant beat me to it and had already spoken to her earlier, but she has also spoken to the blood laboratory, who are reporting that there definitely is a problem with my thyroid and that it is probably due to my bipolar medication. Anyway, it looks like I will be seeing a specialist in a different city to try and get things sorted out. Meanwhile, I am just drafting my letter of complaint....thanks guys, I was so upset yesterday and you made me feel so much better! KB

Hey Eska, I've had all that checked! Ages ago, I've been on this medication for a few years now! That's why I'm so confused- the GPs say the results are consistently abnormal and now this consultant has said there's no abnormality!! Luckily my GP is lovely (it's the consultant thst was horrible sneaks, not the GP!!) so i'll try sort it out with her tomorrow! Thanks, KB

Awww, thanks guys, your support means loads to me. I am really angry still and have made a formal complaint by phone, but will put it in writing tomorrow, when I have calmed down. I am worried that the doc will just show them my bipolar history and just say, 'oh look, she's an unstable mental case' or something, but I know for a fact that other people have already complained about him, so I will add mine to the list.

Eska, I am on 200mg per day as well- and I've never felt better. I know when my thyroid is wrong because it makes me so poorly, and I know when it's okay because that's when I feel fine, and all of my symptoms correlate with the level of my thyroxine. I fought to get on the thyroxine and it is so frustrating, because I KNOW that's what's wrong and the GPs have been confirming it for years! So now I am so puzzled as to what's going on with me....am seeing my GP tomorrow to talk about it, thank god she's nice :) I keep thinking maybe it's not that....but I'm not imagining my symptoms! I've been sent home from work when I've been poorly because I look so ill!

Hopefully will have calmed down by tomorrow. Thanks guys xx

Rant. I have just been to see an NHS consultant about a thyroid problem I have been on medication for (for the last 2 or 3 years). First (without introducing himself or greeting me) he told me I didn't have a thyroid problem and when I questioned all the dozens of abnormal blood test results (showing underactive thyroid according to my GP), he told me that the results were actually normal. I was mighty confused because I have had really severe symptoms at some points, and the GPs have upped my dosage 7 times as the thyroxine level kept getting so low. So I questioned why I had been put on meds in the first place he ranted on about how crap GPs are. Then I pointed out that my symptoms correlate very strongly with my thyroxine level at which point he dismissed everything I said somewhat rudely. As I continued to ask questions I got really upset because this problem has made me so ill and I was hoping to get it sorted, and I was crying. Then, in the middle of a question from me, he announced that he was terminating the appointment, and said he would thank me very kindly not to laugh at him. I was certainly not laughing at him- I was in a flood of tears and had accidentally made a bit of a hiccupy noise that he had interpreted as laughter. I said that I was absolutely not laughing at him, and he repeated 'yes you were, now I am terminating this appointment, so leave'.

I am absolutely astounded by how rude these people can get away with being. I was so upset afterwards that a nurse pulled me into a side room to see if I was okay. I stayed there for a few minutes cos I was crying my eyes out by then, and she said his attitude was not unusual for him and others had complained. He then burst in (presumably one of the nurses had gone to tell him I was upset), saying that he was not responsible for me being upset and would I kindly not take up the time of his nursing staff because they were very busy.

Is it just me?!! I have never ever been treated like that in my life. I now have no idea as to what the issue is with my thyroid, and I am so infuriated and upset that I wish I had never been. I certainly will not be going back, and am somewhat tempted to write a letter of complaint. Has anyone else ever had an experience that bad? I genuinely feel really distressed by it and have spent the last 2 hours crying. Best, KB

Hey! Well most of the time I have not found it difficult to be motivated as I'm really keen on my project anyway, and it is of personal significance to me, what with relatives having Alzheimer's (that's what I'm working on!)...so I just keep going. I'm best when I'm working on a paper or something- then I'm more likely to put the extra hours in because i'm dying to get the first draft finished or whatever, but then I do have the odd day when I just don't feel like working, so I don't! I just go with the flow really, and my work rate always fluctuates a bit. Best to set yourself some vague guidelines I think (e.g. I will work office hours mon-fri) and then if you need to up your work rate a bit you can, but at the same time, it allows you enough spare time to have a life....and don't underestimate having a life! Best, KB

Hey! I think it is possible, yes, if you work hard. Lots of people take a fourth year in my subject but it looks as though I will be reasonably on time to submit by October give or take a month or so...it's a bit early to know for sure. I have 5 papers published/submitted at the moment, and hope to have another 3-4 submitted before I finish, and I have also presented at 3 major conferences, and hope to present at another couple before submission. I suppose the only way I have done it is through hard work. I am taking it a little easier now because I don't want to crash and burn whilst writing up, but earlier in the PhD I worked many evenings and weekends. You can't account for everything though so I would try to think a little bit flexibly about your finishing time- I suffered injuries in a car crash last year that put me out of action for 3 months, that I never could have predicted, but I got through it! Good luck with it! KB

Wow, sounds like I'm not alone! I want to do well in my field and become well-known and all that, but I just don't want to become basically a manager and sit in my office all day supervising others and writing grant applications and rubbing noses with all the other famous profs. To be quite honest, if PhD pay was any good I could happily do PhDs for the rest of my life! KB

Just wondering....I really want a career in research and would love to be a prof one day, but I wonder if it's possible to get that high and still keep doing the things you love about research? I look at my supervisor and how stressed out she is most of the time and how she doesn't go out seeing participants any more because she is way above of all that- but that's one of my favourite things! And of course she has no end of other responsibilities- I sometimes wonder how she fits it all in, and then I remember- she doesn't have much of a life. Sometimes I think I would rather just reach the middle ground and stay there where the pressures aren't too horrific and I would still be doing what I enjoy. Does anyone else feel like this or is everyone all ambitious and determined to make it to the top?!! Best, KB

Hey! I've always enjoyed my PhD from the word go- In my first year I just thought, well the worst is clearly to come...in my second year I was waiting for the second year blues to hit...and now I'm in my final year I'm waiting for the panic to hit me...and none of it ever has happened! I suppose there's still time yet, and I have of course had the odd bad day (usually supervisor-related), but on the whole I've loved every minute and it's been the best experience ever! I have encouraged several friends into doing a PhD and they have all loved it too, so I think you're right- we should spread the good news too! Best, KB

Hey all! Just looking for some opinions! I'm in my final year now and am due to finish in about October. Two of my colleagues (post-docs) are also due to finish at around the same time and we have been working on a research proposal with our supervisor to keep us all on for a few years. Now basically it's got really bitchy, because even though the three of us are named researchers, our sup hasn't put us down as grantholders/principal investigators, and instead has a load of big names there who really haven't contributed an awful lot. The proposal is based on furthering work that has been carried out by the three of us, and we have had a lot of input in terms of the proposal. Now I'm not really so bothered about it, because I would just be so grateful to get a job after my PhD, and at my stage in my career I wouldn't expect to be a grant-holder on a £2million grant. But the others are further on than me and are really annoyed and it's getting extremely bitchy. I realise the idea is to win the funding, so my sup needs all the big names she can get on the grant, but what do you think about the actual researchers being put down as grant-holders too? Does anyone know how this tends to work and at what stage you would expect your name to be up there? Just wondering as I can't get any non-biased advice from our team!
Cheers all, KB

Hey Pixie! I guess it depends on how good you were at MSc level! Personally I quite enjoy the written side of the PhD, and didn't find the jump from MSc that hard in terms of writing quality and style, but I would have been in a mess if I hadn't done the MSc. I also had to write a lit review at the beginning of my PhD and my supervisor said straight away that I was working at PhD level, so this boosted my confidence- although I have still had quite a lot to learn as I didn't have experience of writing for journals etc. So I think if your sup praises your writing at MSc level then you shouldn't find it too bad to adjust to PhD level. Basically you need to be writing stuff that is publishable, and once you get your head around the technicialities involved in that you will be okay. I know some people who hate writing and have found it hard to adjust and reach the standard, but there should be writing courses to take and of course you have a year or two to practise before it needs to be spot on. So I would just hand in your lit review and see what the feedback is- perhaps explain when you hand it in that you would specifically like some feedback on your writing style. When you've got a bit of confidence it's also a good experience to write for publication, because then you get feedback from people other than your supervisor too. Enjoy and good luck! KB

Hey chick! Sorry to hear you are having a hard time of it. I think when it gets to Christmas time a lot of people are feeling tired and not especially motivated- particularly if things are bad at home too. Just try to remember you are on the last little bit now, and when you have handed it in you can take a few weeks off to really enjoy Christmas and New Year, and hopefully start your PhD feeling refreshed in January. It's normal to feel like this some of the time, during your PhD as well, but it will lift! Good luck finishing your thesis off, KB

As the others have said, it does vary from subject to subject, but generally I think if you can be productive between the hours of 9am-5pm every weekday then you'll probably be fine. Plenty of people get by on fewer hours, but sometimes you might need to put a few more in to get that extra publication or whatever. I think it's good to have a daily routine but also be prepared to be a bit flexible if needs be, and you shouldn't have too much bother! Best, KB

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Hey Emmaki! Well first off, I never realised you weren't first language English- you write really well (and I don't mean that in a patronising way!). sounds like you need a bit of a break, and try to deal with one thing at a time. First of all, sort your health out. I suffer from a really severe thyroid problem and have to see an endocrinologist, so I know just how bad these kinds of problems can make you feel- it makes everything 10 times harder. I actually think it's unfiar of your supervisor to ask you to give up so much time and spend so much money- when he says 'get into the academic community', what exactly does he mean? What are you expected to do whilst you're there? I would try to compromise- agree to go over there for a visit, but not a whole 2 months in one go, and ask if there is any way they can help with your expenses. The department I'm in have been quite helpful with expense when I've asked for support for travel etc. Don't let this get you down- sounds like you're doing really well, being in the writing up phase in your 3rd year of a part-time PhD! The most important thing is your health, so get that sorted first and you will be in a much stronger position to deal with the rest of life. Best, KB

Hey Dunni, where there is a will, there is a way! Seriously, cutting out words is my biggest nightmare, but cutting 7000 out of 47000 words should be doable, however impossible it seems! I have had papers where I have had to cut 50% of the content out- writing extremely concisely is not a talent of mine! But in a way I think you are in a better position than not having written enough- you don't have to worry about 'filling' your dissertation out with rubbish. I think to start with you are going to have to look at cutting things out at the paragraph level, then move to the sentence level, then the word level! Sometimes it's hard to see where you can cut stuff out in your own work, so perhaps have a pal or a relative read it and see of they can point out any of it that seems to be in excess. Often I find there are bits in my work that I want to mention, but that are not strictly necessary, and when I cut them out and re-read my work, I would never have known there was a bit missing or feel like more info was required. So you will manage it fine! And it is a great skill to learn if you plan to carry on in academia- one that I am still learning! Good luck with it, KB