Hi everyone,

Didn't know whether to post this here or in doctor forum down below.......I posted it here because women have been really struggling with stupid people so I thought you might like this little piece of critique.........it is sad and hilariously funny.......I still laugh when I read it, this doctor was so bad and I am positive that most of the women on here have had similar experiences........Since writing this, I have found a good enough Endo for my thyroid and a surgeon that rocks! My bipolar dx has also been retracted as it was all hormones..... I also got rid of my old GP and found a great new one.......just wanted to share with my peri sisters on this common ground.....

Enjoy......


"I have always had this issue with mental health making the trans-tasmin trip to the dx of physical illness. I have been chronically physically ill for the last 4 years and often my colourful and rich mental health history has gotten in the way of thorough physical investigation. Unless you have a second head growing out of your ear, or you are glowing green from radiation poisoning the doctor is often able to put all physical discomfort down to "mental degredation".

I am not saying that mental illness cannot effect physical health, on the contrary. It can, with missile capability. But if we stick to the notion of gravity(good on you Newton, you are arguing my case!), what goes up, must come down.....what about the remote possibility that physical illness can effect mental health? As it is in my case, with a misdx of Bipolar disorder due to the devestating effects of perimenopause and thyroid complications.....finally! It only took 4 years to work that out with me screaming constantly into the black, vacumous hole at doctors made of stupid putty.

I don't have a problem with me being dx bipolar......I have always taken the labels with a grain of salt.....and I would not trade one with the other. I feel like an angry ferret on crystal meth most of the time anyway.

Example and you guys are going to laugh at this one, it is so funny it is terrible......

Went to see FIRST Endocrinologist by advice of my surgeon( who by the way is not on my hit list. He is wonderful!). This is what wonder britches had to say......

Endo: So, are you on any medication?

me: yes, lithium and occasionally diazepam.

Endo: You have a mental health history?(ears perk, blood stirring)

Me: yes, I was originally dx borderline personality disorder with schizoeffective 15 years ago and now bipolar(here we go!!!0)

Endo: Oooohhh....(eyes go blank, mouth in perfectly formed "O", leans back, arms cross across chest...yep...defensive, smug, got all the answers. I have seen this reaction so many times before, I can play it in slow motion in my mind. I immediately know what I am in for.) Have you shown this list of physical symptoms to your psychiatrist?

me: yes, he encouraged me to come and see you. He believes that there is a physical issue. We have explored the criteria for much psychosomatic and not fitting all of it. Inconsistencies.(no, you moron!! I am completely oblivious to the fact it might be a mental health issue! Sarcasm. I don't pay my shrinks to sit on their hands. You idiot!! Keep smiling michah, don't show your fangs.....)

Endo: Did you know that lithium effects the thyroid?(as she goes to her computer to tell me how it does. She is a consultant endo. she should know this off the top of her head)

me: (very calmly as my partner goes nuclear in the chair next to me) It is not necessary to consult your computer god, I will explain to you how lithium effects the thyroid(and so I do......hhhmmmm). I have done first year biology at uni and chemistry. I have also worked in a hospital. I do much research. I am quite learned(aaahhh here come the fangs......smile like a rictus without reaching my eyes. I am ready to launch attack. Sensing my "rage switch" my partner calmly puts his hand on mine. "Careful honey")

Endo: well I think you should get a job, you know, 4 hours a week. Just to get some ROUTINE IN YOUR LIFE!!"( What the?.....I am on a disability pension. I had to leave my job, defer my degree because of my psych hospital admission and the terrible physical symptoms. She knew this and she tells me to get a bloody job!!! I ALREADY HAD ONE!!)

me: I am going to leave now. I have never been so insulted in my life you stupid, nasty, insensitive woman. I am mentally ill, not a moron and I came here asking for your help with my endocrine system, not my seemingly misplaced responsibility to ROUTINE!! I want my freaking life back!!! ( I get up off the chair and she instinctively leans back as far as she can. I still have my rictus smile except my eyes have gone to slits and i have gone deathly pale. My partner knows whats coming and gets me out of that room quick smart.


That is a exerpt of all that is wrong with people. No wonder I am misanthropic. No wonder we are all terrified of our own shadow sometimes........ I wonder what has caused me more trauma, the illness or the gross negligence of supposed healers.

My God it makes me angry.......I have written a letter to the head consultant of that clinic......she isn't getting away with it."


YEAH!!! Take that, and that!!!!

I have a good laugh now........
__________________

Sounds like she was trying to be a therapist/psychologist instead of an endo dr. Glad you found drs that you like and are helpful.

I wish you could hear me applauding right now. You rock girl!!! xx

WTG Micah!!! I applaud you.

I had the same experience a few years back with a rheumatologist. Man some of these doctors are unbelieveable!

I am glad that you are not letting this alone and are taking action. Also congrats on finding some decent doctors, hang to them for dear life.
Jeaninne

Loved your piece about idiot doctors and am so glad that you have finally found practitioners who you are able to trust.
However what about those who are not so lucky?
You describe the predicament of a powerless patient who is being subjected to prejudice and abuse from a profession that has supposedly taken the hypocratic oath. Unfortunately it has become endemic in the world today. I wonder why? I am afraid that from the day any one is diagnosd with a mental problem, they suddenly become a second class citizen in the world of health.
I had first hand experience of this problem when I became ill during perimenopause. I started to suffer severe gut problems and was assured that I had simple IBS. My experience in medical research told me that there was something more going on but no one was listening. Luckily I have never suffered any kind of problem that they could label as a mental problem. (Much to their annoyance I think.) I tried to go go privately but interfaced with an arrogant idiot who told me to stop drinking, smoking and cut stress out of my life. I have never drunk nor smoked and I have a splendid life so they were already onto a loser there. When they had decided that I was asking too many questions and was therefore becoming a 'nuisance' they made the decision to try to invent a mental problem for me. Sad for them, but I am far too intelligent to let them get away with that kind of behaviour. I was politely told that they were going to adopt a 'multidiscipinary' approach to my problems. OMG beware of that one. Within a week I had been referred to a psychiatrist behind my back. I was very angry, especially as we often have to wait months and months for any kind of normal referral. It was very hard for me but I decided to attend the appointment. I got on well with the guy and after about 20 minutes he looked at me curiously and said, "What on earth are you doing here?" I replied with, " I was hoping that you could tell me that."
He became animated and angry and said quite openly. "The b*st*rds don't know what's wrong with you, do they? How utterly disgraceful" He went on to write a superb letter telling them that my mental health was excellent and copied me in. He confided in me and told me that he was actually dealing with their definsive displacement behaviour and mental dificulties, not mine. A lesson for us all I think.

Luckily I had a colleague who is one of the most senior gastroenterologists in Britain today. I hate asking colleagues for help but I had no option. At our first meeting I was diagnosed with a very serious neurological condition of the gut and I had that confirmed at operation several weeks later. My case appeared in all the medical journals.He admitted that the doctors who had handled my case should hang their heads in shame. However none of them did because they do not have to face up to what they have done unless the patient takes legal action and I decided that life was too short for that.

When we interface with doctors we must understand that there are good and downright awful ones and we must be aware of that. The hubris and arrogance that has been fostered in the medical profession today is a massive barrier to the successful care and treatment of patients. We have all lost out on this one, including the doctors but I am not sure how we are going to put things right............... They need to start by treating patients with respect and then go on from there.


XIII

Michah
Honey in the end all you can do is either laugh or cry but one thing I have really learnt is how in tune we women are with our minds and bodies
I believe too that had my early Menopause been detected earlier\early I might not have gone down the Prozac road!
Honestly,I can count on one hand the Doctors who showed empathy and interest.The rest could not care less if I ever saw them again.The trouble with handing out Prescriptions,probably just to shut 'the silly woman up' can cause very bad physical and emotional backfiring.

So yes girl,go get that job and just to add to the fun do the Night Shift too!

Thank God our sense of humour is at least functioning.
Warm Wishes
Elizabeth

Dear X111
Let us change it to the 'Hypocritical Oath"
All the Best
Elizabeth

I agree Elisabeth.

What a sad state of affairs.

I suppose that we should remember that there are a lot of good doctors out there, doing an excellent job.
However, it sure doesn't feel like it when you have a difficult diagnosis or you are unlucky enough to be menopausal.



Take care,


XIII

I am sure many of us can put ourselves in that same chair, only good for you for standing up for yourself as instead for me i seem to let my timid personalaity and emotions get the best of me and I just say "ok" and by the time I am at the car I am crying swearing I will never go back.

I have had a small history of anxiety before this all started and it has been in my way ever since. Your so right.....could it be that the physical symptoms cause the anxiety, why is that so hard to believe, I have said this over and over again. I mean if they would stop and think common sense would tell anyone that if your are daily getting bombarded with such odd feelings and everyday it is something new, but rarely does a day go by when there isn't some symptom/feeling you can't explain.....this would cause anxiety for anyone of sound mind, not to mention as your body tries to deal and adjust with it all this, it wears your ability to cope thin both physically and mentally. HUGS Mikki

Dear 'sunflowermmh'
I used to be like you but recently have tried to stop being the 'yes' person.
It is not easy but it has freed me a lot.
I still have to take the occasionally Xanax for really hightened anxiety but it is much better now
I wish the same for you,my dear
Big Hugs
Elizabeth

Laugh...about now I am a whimpering idiot...stories like this get me because I've lived it. Mental patients, second class citizens, yes you are correct!Hypocritical Oath...also correct! Sometimes I wonder how on earth I finally summoned the courage to NOT remain silent and speak up for myself after years of accepting what I was told and yes getting to the car and breaking down in tears because I knew in my gut something else was so very, very wrong! I still find it difficult to make and keep doctors appointments, mostly because I obviously don't have much faith in them any more. I, however, need them to order my tests so I go and seemingly try to enlighten them a little while I am in their Godly presence....not only about mental illness but about menopause and empathy which seems to be so sorely lacking with many physicians today!

Congrats for standing up for yourself...and for anyone else out there trying to find the courage to stand up for themselves...yes you can AND YOU MUST!!!

Hugs to all!!

TJ

This is good venting, everyone........The reason we struggle is because we do not have a medical degree. When we walk into that doctors office, we are expected to know more than they do, so we don't have a shifty pulled on us!! I have put up with discrimunation from doctors for 15 years. That is why it took 4 years to be dx peri. I was 31 when I started symptoms. I went through years of feeling powerless, insane(but not, if you know what I mean ), desperately frightened and paranoid. I had been having the most excruciating periods since I was 16(late bloomer) and told it was all in my mind. I went to my 4th gynea in that many years and in 15 minutes(with ultrasounds and blood test) he dx me with endometriosis and adenomyosis. I had suffered 17 years!!! It was with that ONE gynea that I found my chutzpah again. I KNEW something was wrong with my body, and my family had stopped listening. The only real support that I had was my shrinks........they confirmed for me that it WAS NOT IN MY MIND!

The point is that it only takes ONE doctor to fade all the others into existence........I waited 17 years to find one exceptonal gynea. The power is in the trusting of oneself.......if you know there is something wrong, do not let the ignorance of society tell you any different. I doubted myself intensely and it nearly ended me.......I was so desperate for help. I didn't care what was wrong, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW! Do not give up, you must keep fighting for your rights.......tell that doctor that they will have to call the police to remove you.....you are not leaving until you get answers. I used to leave out of pride, not wanting to lose control or show that I was upset for fear of being judged. Well, stuff that!! I am not saying that my relationship is always smooth sailing with the great team I have now.......I still fight with them, argue logic, test their boundaries........but they are prepared to either hang up on me and ask me to call back when I am not losing my mind(that hasn't actually happened yet, but I am waiting for it!!) or sit with me until I am SATISFIED. Thats all I want at the end of the day.......I can then go and do the work I need to do to get better.......

Good relationships with doctors is not always smooth sailing.......I can usually pick a sus doctor if they choose not to shake my hand and look me in the eye........I have been known to walk out in the last six months just by the way they "FEEL". I don't have time for idiots anymore. 15 years is long enough.

I went to a GP last weekend because I had a terrible head cold and I was worried about my ears. I have ototoxic bilateral vestibulopathy and any pressure from the inside is agony. I was worried that the pressure might do more damage. This doctor was not my regular GP. He says, looking at my pretty form, telling of my ailments...."You are in peri......bit young aren't you? Who dx you with that?" Ha Ha! Here we go......." I am not here to discuss that. I would like you to look at my ears" "But who dx you?" "My regular GP" "OOOhhh, right. But are you sure?" "I am not here to discuss this with you, I WANT YOU TO CHECK MY EARS!!! I am paying you $85.00 to check my bloody ears, are you going to or not?"

He checked my ears and my nose and gave me really good inhalant. "I think some anti-biotics might be in order(he was VERY flustered by this stage)." " I do not want anti-biotics, I just want you to tell me that my ears will not be more damaged by this pressure. I will get anti-biotics when and if I need them"."No the pressure will not do any more damage". "Thank you..... thats all I needed to know". Exit stage left.......

I got my answer......I was happy. I couldn't give a RATS that he was fuming by the time that I left.......if he hadn't brought it up, I would have been nice as pie.......he just HAD to question it......

Have faith babes.......BELEIVE THAT IT WILL COME!!!!!!

Here here to both you and Michah! I concur completely. My 1st gyno (I'm on #3 and last...fingers crossed) discounted my vaginal discharge issues from the beginning, blaming it on stress, a new partner, and anything else but a real diagnosis or treatment. After nine months of this, I changed Dr.'s and received worse--heaven forbid I don't just sit there with my hands in my lap and listen to HIM tell me what it's like to have a vagina!!!!! The 1st gyno discounted my problems, but this one was impatient, rude, didn't read what I'd handed him, didn't listen to me, and yes, heaven forbid I ASK any questions or show ANY knowledge of anything (my brother is a Dr. so I'm reasonably educated)...that just set him off more! I tell him I just had a pap and it was the only thing that showed anything definitive (yeast this time), but that the culture showed nothing. He does a pap and then gets angry because he hadn't listened to me say I had just had one, so he doesn't submit it for testing even when I said I'd pay for it if the insurance refused. IDIOT! then he quickly writes me a couple of prescriptions (of course, he wants to preceed the anti-fungals with a vaginal antibiotic even when that is what caused the yeast in the first place, and just loved it when I refused!), and blows his stack when I want him to explain the dosage/duration etc. since it itsn't written on the prescription. Yes, the medical profession should be ashamed of itself. It is supposed to treat the WHOLE person, not just the symptoms in as little time as possible, with any meds they can think of, with no interest in finding root causes of things. When you try to be your own advocate they treat you like you are insane even if they don't suggest it!

Hang in there girls--we'll get through this!!!!

Holly

Thanks Song.......nice to hear from you........the strength is in the faith and the times we lack faith, and the surviving.......We shall survive and LIVE because the alternative is to bury ourselves in the back yard(I have considered that many times!! ). It WILL get better, for everyone, eventually......

Take care.......