Not sure why you need a specialist referral for this. Any GP can check your thyroid function, T4,T3,TSH and thyroid antibodies in a single blood test. The result only takes a few days and if you are under-active he can start treatment at once.
In the UK almost all hypothyroidism is treated at General practice level without specialist intervention.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.