Recently, I went to the doctor because I was abnormally fatigued. The ensuing fiasco made me so angry that I have redoubled my efforts to avoid going to the doctor if at all possible. The sad truth is that many primary care doctors have little understanding of chronic illness and chronic pain.
I had qualms about sharing this video with you all. I strive to limit my complaining and focus on what IS working in my life. I have a lot of wonderful people and opportunities around me. But the emotional and psychological impact of being treated so poorly was so significant, I decided to share this.
As I've mentioned before, I have symptoms (that I call Hurricane Ivan) that are not related to my Fibromyalgia. These include: swollen, red, painful joints that are hot to the touch, heat intolerance, and joint stiffness that persists much of the day. In an effort to find out what this business is about, I've been working with my Rheumatologist to see if she can identify the source of these symptoms. Unfortunately, all of my tests return "normal"…equally unfortunate is that doctors who see "normal" tests results tend to think that 1) there's nothing wrong with you and 2) you are likely exaggerating your problems. Undoubtedly, many of you have had this same experience. Unfortuntely, this can lead to some frightening treatment decisions…like the one a primary care doc made about my pain medications. See the video for more on that story…
And this, my friends, is the greatest challenge of it all. If a doctor receives a negative or normal test result on a battery of tests, they tend to just stop the diagnostic process. I can't tell you the number of times I've had to remind my doctor that I USED to be employed full time as a CEO of a 7 million dollar non profit. I do not PREFER to be at home, in my bed, eeking out a living online. I'd PREFER to have the 6 figure salary I once had. But I digress…
This video is a rant, so if you are not one who likes to listen to frustration, a bit of cursing and general complaining about the system, this may not be the video for you. I did include a tiny bit of humor…just to keep it real.