Doctors and the problems I have encountered

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SolitaryConfinement
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27 May 2011, 12:19 am

Hello, I have had a lot of issues with doctors in the past. I had been misdiagnosed for a long long time. I had been given a lot of different psychological ones ( bi-polar, borderline personality disorder, impulse control, dissociative disorder), which I admit are common symptoms among Aspies, but it is not the main and only impairment we have. A lot of the medical problems we face are not the easiest for the Doctors to understand. The majority of the doctors out there are NT and the majority of their patients are NT as well. So finding a doctor that is Aspie-friendly is extremely difficult.
"Where does it hurt?"is for me is the hardest question that doctors ask that I cannot answer. being a person with an EXTREMELY high pain tolerance pain is very very subjective.. and one that I cannot answer.Trying to explain that to them is very difficult. A lot of times i have a hard time explaining anything when i feel the doctors stare at me, like I am a hypochondriac. All because I feel uncomfortable when they stare at me. That and whenever i try to tell them anything they often tell me that ist is al in my head, and pre-construct a diagnosis and will disregard anything that has nothing to do with their own hypothesis. They will even spend years giving the wrong medication as they want to not be wrong with their original diagnoses.
I have had so many different pills crammed down my throat( not literally) and whenever the doctors asked me if they are working I always reply " i don't know" as I was never able to tell the difference. Whenever doctors hear that they change the medication around on me. Thinking the problem is with the pills not working( and not the fact that they are not the type of medication that i should be on) they give me another medication for the same type... with the same results.
It is also bad when we have some things wrong with us. Especially when we suffer from symptoms that are associated with our nerves. I never know when I get injured and what damage has officially be done and it gets oh so frustrating when the doctors look at you like you have a third head when you cannot describe the symptoms and when they have started and how they affect you.
I am certain other people are going through things similar to what I have and would like some feedback.



leejosepho
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27 May 2011, 1:15 am

I have experienced everything you have described. I first find it difficult to clearly describe what is wrong, and then I find it virtually impossible to decode the doctor's jargon and process what even s/he is thinking.

The most recent doctor I have visited seems to be an exception, though, and I actually like the way she does things even thought I am still doubtful we always really understand each other. One thing I am doing differently there, however, is to be sure I am not "playing doctor" myself while talking to her ... and I never go into her examination room without first having everything on my mind in writing to hand to her during our conversation (and everything written so far has ended up added to my chart/record there).


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SolitaryConfinement
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27 May 2011, 1:31 am

for me I cannot help to try and figure things out on my own. I have just recently started oging back to the doctors after the years of not trusting. But writing everything down seems rather difficult especially when i cannot ascertain properly what is actually wrong.. and the fact that I have a couple of other issues... i cannot explain the reasonings to my doctor about these tests that I need. I just recently found out that I was diagnosed with CP as a kiid. I dunno how it affects me at all and what kind of things to actually expect.



leejosepho
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27 May 2011, 7:21 am

SolitaryConfinement wrote:
... writing everything down seems rather difficult especially when i cannot ascertain properly what is actually wrong..

Yes, and please forgive me there. Just six or seven months ago, I could not make sense of anything. So then, my writing things down now has since-then proved to be an ability developed while slowly sorting things out along the way. For example:

Back in December, I was hospitalized when my blood pressure had gone beyond all control even though I was taking even more medication than actually prescribed (but still within limits). At that time, I had no answers when doctors asked what was wrong. Since then, and by carefully "watching from the sideline" while doctors either examine, test, perform and/or prescribe one thing or another, I have become about 80% efficient at discerning the physical from the emotional, the psychological, the psychiatric and so on.

SolitaryConfinement wrote:
i cannot explain the reasonings to my doctor about these tests that I need.

There is where I have found a need to be very cautious about "playing doctor" (as perceived in the eyes of the doctor). I recently wanted and truly needed a certain test to be done, but I said nothing to the doctor about that. Rather, I only showed her the previous test result from long ago, and then talked about my current symptoms ...

... and just as soon as she realized I was not diagnosing myself and/or demanding anything from her, she very readily and quickly ordered that much-needed test.

SolitaryConfinement wrote:
I just recently found out that I was diagnosed with CP as a [child]. I dunno how it affects me at all and what kind of things to actually expect.

Just tell a doctor about that previous diagnosis and then ask what you might need to be aware of and/or watching for today. No two doctors are identical, of course, but that is what led to my recently getting the aforementioned test I needed to "win" at my SSA disability appeal hearing just a week later.


_________________
I began looking for someone like me when I was five ...
My search ended at 59 ... right here on WrongPlanet.
==================================