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VickiG	Sep-28-01, 00:45 AM (CMT)
"Fear of doctors"
I thought you all might be able to give me some help for my essay for my class next week. We are to spend our week journaling about a particular problem we're facing and see if we can try to find some sort of resolution to the issue. Our essay is just our reflection back on our experience and what worked and what didn't work. Anyway, since my focus for this class is my migraines, I have decided that my essay is going to be about the way that I have actually become afraid to see a new doctor because I have been treated so poorly by so many. Just last Saturday, I took my prescription for a shot given by my headache specialist to the clinic near my house, and the PA who treated me gave me a very hard time. He lectured me on how dangerous it is to take narcotics and wouldn't really listen to my explanation that I didn't start using them until recently and that I have tried everything else. Instead, he kept offering suggestions, all of which I have tried. He finally grudgingly gave me the demerol, but then he proceeded to lecture me on allergies and how they can cause so many problems. I felt so belittled by his treatment, and even my boyfriend, who is rather afraid of narcotics himself, was very upset at the way this PA treated me for being on them. So what I thought I would do for my assignment is write letters to different types of doctors, some of which I might send, and some of which I will just keep in my journal. But I thought it would be very therapeutic for me to at least express my right to treatment through these letters. Today's letter went to my headache doctor who hasn't returned my mother's phone calls. Tomorrow's will probably be a letter to that PA in which I plan to explain to him what it is like to suffer from migraines and from the humiliation of doctors who treat me poorly. I do intend to mail that and will probably post it here for anyone else who wants to show it to someone who is unsympathetic. Another letter I thought could be directed to doctors in the ER who question me. I had one ER doctor basically try to tell me that I should get pregnant, and that would take care of my problem. Do you have any other suggestions of people to direct letters to and also other ways of re-empowering ourselves, not even necessarily through writing, from the doctors who make us feel humiliated and afraid?
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RE: Fear of doctors, hpilgrim, Sep-28-01, (1) RE: Fear of doctors, julie978, Sep-28-01, (2) RE: Fear of doctors, bobbi, Sep-28-01, (3) RE: Fear of doctors, leebones, Sep-28-01, (4) RE: Fear of doctors, Bedoroses, Sep-29-01, (5) RE: Fear of doctors, VickiG, Oct-01-01, (6)

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Messages in this topic

hpilgrim	Sep-28-01, 08:09 AM (CMT)
1. "RE: Fear of doctors"
Wow, Vicki, this could be a very long essay!! I have been blessed that I haven't been treated rudely by a doctor... yet, at least. But for me the problem is that it is so stressful and time-consuming to go through the "third-degree" life history that they all want, especially when I'm in major pain. And I have noticed that even when I go to the trouble to write it all down, and hand it to them, they still ask the same questions!!! And then there is the horrible fear that they will not take my pain seriously, and I will have wasted time, effort, and money trying to obtain help from someone who thinks I am a hypochondriac or drug addict... I now DREAD going to any doctor, even the headache doctor, who (so far) has been kind and seems to believe what I tell him. (Is there a word for "doctor-phobia"?? I think I am coming down with it!) Good luck with your essay-- Blessings, Holly
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julie978	Sep-28-01, 08:04 PM (CMT)
2. "RE: Fear of doctors"
Education, education, education! I have endometriosis and migraines and have suffered from misdiagnosis, muliple failed treatments and humiliation. Get pregnant, or the other extreme-- have a hysterectomy, pain is all in your head, and so forth. I tend to be very easy going and turn the other cheek and just don't go back to those docs, when I am really deeply offended. I do like the letter writing idea. The key must be education. Do they really understand as much as I do about my disease? (I've read tomes) How can I educate them? & What can they teach me? Right now, I have a strategy before I go to the doctors office- I make a list, I ask educated questions, I stay as focused as I can, I try not to get emotional. I see docs as these total left brainers: they want facts, and so I diary everything. Length of headache, meds, abdominal pain, etc. Chronic pain is not a way out of working, it is not a picnic, and I am not slacking, or hunting for pain meds. I hate taking meds and want my life back. I feel like I am on the defensive with most of the medical establishment because there is so much SOCIAL stigma against any illness that is as subjective and pain orientated as migraines and endo. Other than letter writing, shall we start a massive ad campaign? Television works for everything else. Or even better, why can't a sitcom character actually suffer from chronic migraines or at least some kind of reference to it or endo or anything else that smacks of reality? By the way, I hate the commericals for OTC pain meds....then everyone I know is sure to think, well, Excedrin Migraine on TV is proven to work for pain, whatever can Julie be complaining about NOW? and why is she wearing sunglasses indoors again???? Julie
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	bobbi	Sep-28-01, 08:21 PM (CMT)
	3. "RE: Fear of doctors"
	I think it is important to remember that doctor's are people too, and deserve to be treated with the respect that every individual should receive. That said, I too am often frustrated with my doctors. But I think sometimes I am angry with them because I hope and expect something they may not be able to give me--relief from this aweful way of life. They have power over us and we don't have a whole lot of power. Because they have the degree, they supposedly know more than us, but very few of them actually know what it is like to live with chronic pain. I think my fear and frustration comes out of that power differential--I want them to give me relief from pain so I need them, but their trial and error costs them nothing (actually pays them handsomely!) and I take the full ramifications of their prescription. Good luck on your paper!
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leebones	Sep-28-01, 09:23 PM (CMT)
4. "RE: Fear of doctors"
Well vicki, this topic is very close for me this week. My reg doc is on holiday and has a locum. I posted about this. So anything that can be done to empower us against these doctors could only be a good thing. I saw this doc on monday and still am feeling bad about the appointment. It angers me that this doc was able to make me feel like a lowlife. As you I have only been on narcotics recently (regularly) for my migs after trying and failing at everything else. It is damn frustrating to say the least. good luck on your assignment. wendy
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	Bedoroses	Sep-29-01, 09:58 AM (CMT)
	5. "RE: Fear of doctors"
	In the post "Sufffering with Dignity" there is a paragraph that was published about being sick and dignity. I must admit I was a bit surprised it was dismissed as it is something that I have applied practically to my treatment and has worked. Again, I have copies of it and give it to the perspective Dr. on my first visit or in the ER. I didn't write it. It was written by someone who is very well respected particularly in the academic world. I honestly have found it makes a difference in the way I am treated. Perhaps you might want to take a look at it, type it, copy it and send it along with your letters. It really isn't just a bunch of pious words. It is applicable and truly works.
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	VickiG	Oct-01-01, 11:22 PM (CMT)
	6. "RE: Fear of doctors"
	Well, instead of journaling all weekend, I slept all weekend. Read some of my earlier posts about that, but I hardly spent any time out of bed. So I wasn't sure how to do my essay, which was supposed to be based on how journaling for one week helped with the healing process. So I emailed my professor, and I'm going to write about how you all have helped me through the healing process. I'm supposed to focus on the writing element of it, but I think it's a combination of writing and having someone to read what I write and support me. So I'm going back through the archives to print out my old threads. At this point, I'm rather indiscriminate, but I may have to pick and choose pretty soon, or I'm going to run out of ink, let alone eyesight trying to read all these. I think it will be very interesting for me to do this. I was thinking about talking about how this page probably literally saved my life because before I found you, when I felt all alone, I was not able to handle things. And then since then, I have had some really low nights when you have all been there for me and helped me to get through them. So I'll probably talk about the way writing with you has led to holding onto my life. I'll let you all know more when I figure out more.
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