WILL THE FIBROMYALGIA CODE FIX STUPID?

Yesterday, 

I was so excited!

Finally!

We could have an accurate diagnosis.

Then I thought about it.

I've gone to doctors that absolutely refused to write about Fibromyalgia in my charts. He looked right at me and said, "well, I'm not writing THAT down." I've been to doctors that have given me the "oh-suck-it-up" look and shrugged their shoulders. I went to a dermatologist because the skin was peeling off my fingers and, I kid you not, he walked out of the room and looked back at me and said, "you know, you do live in the desert."

Will one little code fix that kind of attitude?

You just can't fix stupid.

Health care has gone beyond terrible. Those who belittle and dismiss your symptoms as, "all in your head." The ones that tell you Fibromyalgia isn't real and they certainly won't write that down in your chart.  The ones that have you crying when you leave the office. They are also the physicians that have you doubting yourself and you start thinking about what you did to deserve this or, worse, what you did to yourself that brought this on. Then there are the doctors and clinics that will take thousands from you, knowing there is no cure, give you false hope and when things don't work tell you that you're on the right track.

Will a simple code fix all this?

Then, there's the other end of the spectrum. I've almost become embarrassed to say the word Fibromyalgia. People look at you like it's the garbage can diagnosis that some doctors have made it out to be. If they can't tell what's wrong with you....well then......it must be Fibromyalgia. It may very well be just that......but it's the look that goes along with it that gets to you. It's the look of disdain or the just plain patronizing that gets to me. It's the almost pitying look that says, "well.....if you believe it....."  I'm really tired of doctors pulling that.

Let me get this straight. There is a code for being sucked into a jet engine (V97.33). There is a code for other contact with a pig (W55.49X???). There is a code for being struck with a turkey (W61.62X). It took this long to get a code for Fibromyalgia??????

So, back to the question.

Will the code fix it?

I'm not sure.

Whether they like it or not, Fibromyalgia is real and recognized. I just don't think that years of thinking that it's a problem of neurotic, middle aged women will go away quickly. There will always be doctors that are more interested in getting you out of the office than finding out what's really wrong. Having said that.......

I'm convinced that my dog gets better care than I do.

The vet comes in the room and bends down and pets him.

Calls him by his name and lets him know that she cares.

At that point my dogs tail is wagging a mile a minute.

If there's medication she explains how to use it and what it's for.

She really wants to get to the bottom of the problem.

Plus, she wants to know in a FEW DAYS if the medication is working.

AND,

SHE REALLY LOVE PETS.

Maybe I should go to a veterinarian.

My dog doesn't know how lucky he is.

WHEN DID I BECOME A DOCTOR?

I've done it myself.

I'm as guilty as the next person.

We really need to find a balance.

The vaccine issue the past few weeks has been a real eye opener for me. It isn't about vaccines because, for me, there is no debate. When my daughter was close to having her baby she asked me to get the Tdap vaccine. It's a Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine. 

I didn't even hesitate.
I'd do that, and more, to keep my grandchild safe.

It seems that we are on information overload. We don't trust doctors, medications, pharmaceuticals, corporations or vaccines. I was reading a forum posted by Fibromyalgia patients and there was a person that was having chest pains and slurred speech. She was asking what she should do. What? WHAT?

Get to the emergency room.

Pronto.

There were people that were diagnosing her. It might be a side effect of medication or costochondritis. Seriously? I didn't even know what that was. I had to look it up. When we get to the point where we are asking others for a medical diagnosis we have gone too far. I know that it's frustrating to find a doctor who is sympathetic and understands this mysterious and symptom-fluctuating illness. I get that. 

But.

It's at the point it is just ridiculous. We are heading back to the dark ages where medicine was equated with witchcraft. We are not doctors and to distrust everything that the medical community has done is just stupid. That mentality could have life threatening consequences.

It's become the "thing" to question everything. Now, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I get my blood tests before my appointment and look up anything that is out of range and get information about it. This way, I feel, I have some background and can ask some intelligent questions. More than once, my doctor (who I adore) has looked at me and asked how much I googled everything. 

Ok....he got me.

But I do respect his opinion.

I didn't go to medical school. I may know some jargon and have information galore at my fingertips. Having said that, I don't know how it's supposed to fit together. I can't take a few articles from online "experts" and throw out everything that legitimate science has dictated. Reading a few clinical trials does not make me an expert. I don't know what has been acknowledged and what has been discarded by the medical community. I know that discoveries are made all the time and things change. They may find that they need to change formulations on certain vaccines. But the bottom line is that they save lives. You never want to see an infant struggling to breathe because they were denied a vaccine on philosophical exemptions. It's terrifying.

We need to stop playing doctor.

It's unsafe to diagnose each other. I saw an article where diet helped cure someones pancreatic cancer. Steve Jobs thought that way too and put off a potentially life saving or life prolonging surgery. If it were that simple every disease would be cured. I'm not saying that diet and supplements don't help. I think they do but everything needs to be in balance. 

I've got some thyroid issues and autoimmune issues along with the Fibromyalgia. If a diet could cure it I'd be back in the saddle in no time. Again, all this helps but to discard medical science in favor of "natural" cures to me is foolishness. It isn't just to be in favor of it, it's to have disdain if you choose something else.

Like I said, I'm as guilty as the next person.

But when it comes to diagnosing someone on a forum?

My name doesn't have M.D. after it.

To me, that is more like Q.U.A.C.K.

Just sayin.........

THE PLAGUE AND SHOES APPROXIMATION

WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?
The plague.

I went out a couple of weeks ago. I was actually feeling pretty good! I was feeling so good that I wore my black heels. The heels that were my mainstay. The heels I could run in and not trip. The heels I desperately missed.  The heels that came off the minute I walked in the door.

Then I got the plague.

There's an icky virus going around.

It's a cross between the flu and a really bad cold. 

And it doesn't go away.

Believe it or not, I've had this for a month. It started out as a sore throat and I went downhill rapidly from there. I bought all the packages of Chloroseptic that CVS had in stock. After a week of fevers coming and going and feeling like crapola I broke down. I went to the doctor. 

So, between the plague and the fibro...

This feels like the worst flu (without the stomach stuff) that you could ever imagine. Except it doesn't go away. All you want to do is go to bed and put the covers over your head. Everything hurts and aches. Kinda sounds like Fibromyalgia doesn't it? You wish it would disappear. (Just like the Fibro!) I've watched every crap show on Direct TV that I could find. I'm bored and my attitude is in the toilet. Please, please go away and take this stuffy and alternately runny nose and hacking cough with it. It's hard enough to sleep at night. Waking up every hour because of coughing just doesn't make it easier. So.....here I go chugging Robitussin all night. (hey doesn't dextromethorphan help the pain of Fibromyalgia????)

The antibiotics make me feel worse than I already felt. I don't do well on certain ones and now, it seems, I can add another one to the list.  First, you have to eat when you take them otherwise they tear up your stomach. That is a killer for me in the morning. I try to eat a piece of toast but I just don't like to eat when I first wake up. I only want my coffee and diet coke.  After I take the antibiotic, I'm so tired that I just want to crawl back in bed. I can't hold my eyes open and I just feel lousy. Sick and tired.

After a week of this something doesn't feel right. I should be getting better. This just can't be right. I call the doctor and he agrees. The first set of antibiotics didn't do the trick. I had to go back for a second helping. Yep.....let's change the antibiotics. Now, I'm starting ANOTHER seven days of medication. I have to be on the antibiotics because it's gone into a bronchial infection and he's worried about pneumonia. Yippee. 

What do I hate the most about this? I look terrible. My nose looks like a clown nose. Every touch of a Kleenex makes it even worse.  I think I've gone through 10 boxes in the past week. My face is red, my eyes are watery,  my nose is red, my cough is icky and my bones ache. My hair is hanging and I've worn the same t-shirt to bed for a week. I stopped looking in the mirror a few days ago. I'm breathing in essential oils that helps my breathing. Poor little Buster, he stays right by me and won't go out until I get out of bed. 

The fibromyalgia makes our bodies feel lousy on a daily basis. 

So what does this do? 

My favorite saying......

Add a tiara.

Hmmmm......a clown nose and a tiara......

I don't think the circus would take me right now. 

Bleh......

I'm feeling too lousy to change my sheets...

I'm feeling too lousy to change my t-shirt.

I'm feeling too lousy to do much of anything.

Snoopy had it right......

THE BLOODSUCKING LEECH EXTRACTION

Little Sucker Word of the Day

leech

"You would probably be alarmed if your doctor kept a container of bloodsucking worms on her desk, but it wasn't always so. It may be shocking to learn that today's word, before it denoted said bloodsucking worm, meant "physician" or "surgeon." The creature attracted the name because of the former use of leeches by physicians to bleed patients. Leech is a native English word, of ancient origin."

I get Thinkmaps Visual Thesaurus Word of the Day in my email. I'm one of those geeks that love words. I will say that since Fibromyalgia has been foraging around my system my mind works slower than it used to and my vocabulary has definitely shrunk. (Hey, I sounded kind of literate there for a moment!)

Not so fast.

Anyway, when I saw this word I knew I'd have to comment. 

Where to begin? The fact that while there are some excellent physicians who really take the time and have the desire to help you, there are those that resemble the picture and word that I'm writing about. You know those doctors. The ones that take thousands from you promising to cure what ails you only to tell you that it will take thousands more, "but you're on the right track."

Or those who belittle and dismiss your symptoms as, "all in your head." The ones that tell you Fibromyalgia isn't real and they certainly won't write that down in your chart.  The ones that have you crying when you leave the office. They are also the physicians that have you doubting yourself and you start thinking about what you did to deserve this or, worse, what you did to yourself that brought this on. 

But then I thought of something else.

There's also this blood sucking leech called Fibromyalgia. It wants to suck every bit of life and joy out of you. There are leeches of this illness all over our bodies and our soul and every time we recognize one of them we need to pluck them off and throw them in the fire. The leech of telling us life is over and we will be miserable for the rest of our lives. That one? Definitely pluck that off and throw it!

Whenever anything robs you of your joy, whether it be a symptom or a doctor, get rid of it.

We have enough to deal with managing our symptoms.

We can't let all this other crap get in the way of that.

I know that laughter is truly the best medicine,

even though sometimes I feel like I'm in the placebo group.

The link:  Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus

WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BE APATHETIC

Shoulda.

Woulda.

Coulda.

I wonder if technology has been good to us as a society. In one respect we have the ability to be incredibly well-informed. On the other hand, it makes us incredibly apathetic.

Or do we really just not care anymore?

Have we become so well-informed that we are jaded to the process? Is it because we realize that we have no control over the powers that be? I grew up in the 60's and 70's and we believed we could implement change if we were loud enough or organized enough. We cared so much about social issues.  Have we seen so much that we don't believe it anymore? Do we have access to too much information?

That's difficult to believe.

And I don't want to believe it.

There are people that devote their lives to the cause. Their work causes them sleepless nights and subsequent crashes of fatigue, pain and migraines. The people that put together organizations and forums for our benefit do this without thought to themselves. They want a place where we can go for help and to guard us against medical injustices. They hope, beyond all hope, they can get some research money to find out why these illnesses are so devastating to all of us.

They ask one thing in return.

They ask to recruit others to the cause to sign petitions, write letters or just do what you can and if you're too disabled to do anything, ask someone else to help. If we could organize like the gay and lesbian community did for AIDS or like they did for MS it would an incredibly loud voice.  It is so powerful to have numbers of people clamoring for something to be done for them; to get answers and awareness. We have a huge percentage of the population that have been stricken with PTSD, Chronic Fatigue/ME or Fibromyalgia but instead of researching and putting a huge emphasis on it, a huge amount of money is spent on the latest pill for male erections.

I make light of it.

But it's true.

Please visit this website (put the cursor over website and you'll see the link) and read the letter that will be sent. The site also includes the twitter handles so you can tweet as often as possible the link to the letter so that you can bring awareness. We need to bond together because all of the "invisible illnesses" are in the line of fire.

What has happened to the chronic pain and fatigue community? We need to spread the word because we are in danger of our "syndromes" being labeled as psychogenic. We need to stop this in it's tracks. 

Please, even if it's from your bed, please let your feelings about this be known. It all has to do with insurance companies not wanting to pay out and if this can be "controlled" by cognitive behavioral therapy and a couple of antidepressants all the better. 

What will happen when they have their way?

They will shove a couple of antidepressants at us and send us on our way.

On our own and labeled again.

And once again it's all in our head.

And the best part?

They won't have to pay out to treat us.

IT REALLY TICKS ME OFF....BIG TIME

Unbelievable.

It reinforces my belief.

A lot of doctors suck.

Big time.

Okay.....I have health issues. I know that. Heck, everyone knows that. What I expect when I go to a doctor is a little knowledge and conversation and possibly....quite possibly.....a way to fix the problem.

Apparently, that is asking too much.

I've gone to doctors that have refused to name Fibromyalgia on my chart. I've gone to doctors that look at the kind of pain I'm in and give me the "oh, suck it up" look. The last one I went to looked at my skin peeling under my nails and offered the following comment...."well, you do live in the desert." 

No duh.

I've lived here 47 years and I've never had skin peeling from under my nails. I've got alligator skin, thyroid problems and the bimbo says....."you live in the desert??????" WTF????

I go to pain management every month. While I appreciate the fact that pain doctors are incredibly busy, when a doctor walks into your room....takes a look at you and then the chart and WALKS OUT.....well, that is beyond ridiculous. I'm serious. This doctor was not in the room with me for more than 15 seconds.

Do you believe that one??????

I go to another endocrinologist on Monday. I can't wait to find out what this person will do. Although I hope I can be pleasantly surprised.....trust me,  I have just about had enough. What is it with Las Vegas?? If a doctor can't get licensed anywhere else do they all just come here?

Health care has become beyond terrible. What kind of arrogance causes someone to look at you in disdain when they take an oath to "do no harm?" How do they justify spending less than 4 minutes with you and then bill your insurance an exorbitant amount of money? No wonder health care is so expensive....no wonder there is so much fraud.

I'm convinced that Buster gets better care than I do.

That wonderful doctor comes in and talks to Buster. 

Asks how that sweetheart is doing and Buster's tail goes a mile a minute.

If there is medication it's explained what it is for and how to use it.

If there is a problem they want to get to the bottom of it.

And they REALLY LIKE PETS.

Maybe I should go to a veterinarian.

Boo bear......you don't know how lucky you are.

THE GRACE SUBSTITUTION

Sometimes things look bleak.

Sometimes you can't figure out the "why."

Then God's grace will be...

Evident.

There are times in this life that you can't figure out what the heck is going on. Everything around you is falling apart but, then again, that's just what it seems like. 

I've never been a "religious" person but I am a very spiritual one. I really, truly believe that God has a reason for everything. There are times that I've felt his presence and there are times that I'm flailing out there on my own.

I know that I've been blessed in this life. I have wonderful kids that are my life. It was a miracle that I had her and she has been a source of joy in my life. I really meant it when I told her that one day she'll have one and I hope it's just like her. Now, at the time, I really meant that I hoped her son or daughter would make her as crazy as she made me. She walked at a very early age and ran soon thereafter. I never stopped after that. 

Did I mention that she downed a bottle of baby aspirin and handed me the bottle?

At the kids wedding I made a speech and mentioned that there were so many stories that I could have told but I chose that I'd save them as bedtime stories for their children. Now, that I really meant! 

I just have been a little reflective today. I went to the doctor and need a ton of blood work done. I'm going to be tested for a ton of autoimmune illnesses. Hopefully, just to rule them out. I don't know my medical history because I was adopted. As my daughter gets older it's something that I really wish I knew. 

I would hope that it would be included for all adoptions. 

I don't think its right to leave certain details out. I know the records are sealed and some birth parents are reluctant to have that door opened BUT I do think that a medical history should be taken so future generations aren't left to "guess work" and basically a crap shoot.

I left the doctor reflecting on the why. Why now does he feel the need to check for more autoimmune illnesses. What is he trying to rule out? They all say that it's nothing and it's just to make sure nothing else is lurking in the background......

Why say that in the first place?

Anyway, I was a little shaken by that but then I heard from my little sweetheart and the world seemed right again. Sometimes I need to be reminded how wonderful are the things this life holds.

I need to let go (never been my strong suit)

And let God be in control.

It will work out.

It always does.......

But Grace has never been my middle name.

WHEN I SAY OW...I MEAN OW

It takes a lot to say ow.
And I hate saying it.

Just the name Fibromyalgia is enough to make get on a soapbox. Having said that, having it is a WHOLE OTHER ballgame. Baggage takes on a whole other meaning because each of the symptoms brings a matched set of luggage along with it.

Everyone, I think, would agree with the fact that chronic pain tends to play with your head. I don't think you can experience pain like that on a daily basis and not want to retreat a tad. I don't care whether it's Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, migraines or any other chronic pain illness. You just can't escape them without some sort of scar. 

I think you can come through them.....people do every day. I just think that after something chronic hits your body you become someone that is constantly "on alert." You know every nook and cranny.....every subtle nuance that your body signals; how can you not? I know that I can feel it. With me, it's a subtle twinge in my hands. I can unconsciously start to rub them and, when I catch myself doing it, I know the pain will start radiating to different parts of my body and then.......well, I get slammed.

I've almost become embarrassed to say the word Fibromyalgia. People look at you like it's the garbage can diagnosis that some doctors have made it out to be. If they can't tell what's wrong with you....well then......it must be Fibromyalgia. It may very well be just that......but it's the look that goes along with it that gets to you.

It's the look of disdain or the just plain patronizing that gets to me. It's the almost pitying look that says, "well.....if you believe it....."  I get really sick of doctors pulling that. Now, I just really don't like going to doctors. I wish I could find one that knows me. 

They'd know that I am not enjoying the symptoms. 

They'd know that I'm not exaggerating them either. 

I don't say I'm in pain to try medications. I don't say that my muscles can start twitching so much that I'd like to take a baseball bat to my legs to get pain medication or muscle relaxers. When I say that I live my life on the very minimum of 5 on the pain scale everyday, I think they should believe me and not think that I'm depressed. 

Because I'm not.

I'm tired of doctors looking at me like I'm exaggerating. I am reasonable and can articulate what is going on very simply and logically. Why that needs to be questioned is beyond me. I wish doctors wouldn't feel threatened by a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment. I use a multi-disciplinary approach every single day. Why shouldn't they? I dislike getting thrown a couple of medications (that I don't want or need) and ushered out of the office.

I guess you can tell that I'm going to a doctor.

Well, I'm ending with a doctor and starting another one.

It's not looking good.

The first available appointment is November 21.

Dandy.

Just dandy...........

BOZO COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT BETTER

I don't think I need a byline for this.

It says it all.

I've encountered all sorts of attitudes from the medical profession since my diagnosis in 2009. Some of it has been welcomed and some of it skeptical but nothing compares to my doctor visit yesterday.

I had scheduled a wellness visit. It was time for my annual physical exam and blood work. It turned out that my regular physician was ill but another doctor in the clinic was available. Since I was there I didn't see the harm and said OK.

Big mistake.

We were going through my medications and he asked about the Zanaflex. It's used for the muscle spasms that I get at night. When I told him about them and the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia this clown looked me in the eye and said, "Well, I'm not going to write THAT down." I was absolutely stunned. I have never encountered such blatant disregard in my life. I told him that he most certainly would write that down and that he needed to go back to medical school. 

That got his attention.

I told him that whether he liked it or not Fibromyalgia is real and recognized. What is it with some people? Why the absolute stance that it isn't real? It just can't be that it can't be cured. This guy looked at me like I was an idiot. Where does this come from? The good thing is that I'm far enough along from my diagnosis to deal with a clown like this. What do people do who encounter this from the onset of symptoms? I could see, for the first time, what it's like to deal with this issue. 

It's wrong.

It's hurtful.

It's against their Hippocratic oath.

All I can say is this needs to stop. I am going to advise my doctor of this clowns attitude towards me and his refusal to write down all of my medical conditions. 

What an idiot.

I'm sure he has ancestor's that can be traced.

Probably back to the Salem witch trials.

HELGA'S HOUSE OF PAIN

I have decided that anyone who sticks needles

in your back, and doesn't put you completely under,

is a sadist.

I was scheduled today for my annual epidural injections from my pain management doctor. Due to changes in my insurance, I had to change doctors and this is the first time that I am having this kind of procedure from this doctor. I'm sure he's competent but I need to put on my happy face and get it over with. Am I Pollyanna? Obviously not, however, I was resigned to getting the epidural injections and I was going to make the best of the situation. I've had them before and they helped for a couple of days and then it was back to the same old routine. The doctors, however,  seem so happy and excited to do them that I didn't want to burst their bubble; so I agreed. I've told them over and over that the injections aren't worth it but they still seem to believe that it will help relieve the back pain. 

Now, if they'd only listen and realize that the back isn't my only problem.....

I'd be home free.

They do seem to forget about the Fibromyalgia. Needles and problems with pain receptors do not have happy endings. I tell them that this is going to hurt more than usual but it's a mental fly-by on their part. Why do doctors do this? 

They just don't get it.

Fibromyalgia has been downgraded thanks to the Lyrica commercial. It's a pesky little fly that can be brushed off your shoulder. I mean, can the pain really be THAT bad? I mean, you don't look THAT bad so you must not be that bad. So, they start the IV and I'm getting relaxed. I figure I'll be out in less than ten seconds.

Nope. Didn't happen.

Then this clown takes this 6 inch needle and tells me I'll feel a little pinch. Is he fricking kidding me? I'm not out??? I nearly came off the table and he's telling me to hold on. Then he hit a nerve and I felt that lovely little electrical current right down my leg to the bottom of my feet. 

At this point my knuckles are turning white from the grip that I had on the table.

He hit the trigger points on my hips and then started on the other side. At this point, tears are streaming down my face. He had this look on his face that spoke volumes. It was a look that bordered between disgust and disdain. It kind of said, "suck it up." I can tell you that I will NOT do this again. 

So, as I'm waiting for the local to wear off,

I once again am waiting for pain.

No worries, I have plenty of movies.

I just wish someone would beat the crap out of "Helga" and then tell me it doesn't hurt.

LIFE IN A BELL JAR

I am watched.

Now I wait.

Life in a bell jar. 

This evening I had my independent medical evaluation. This was requested by the insurance company who will be paying my long term disability claim. I have TONS of documentation and medical records from the accident and subsequent medical problems that now include Fibromyalgia. Funnily enough, he didn't even ask about that or touch all of the tender points associated with the pain of Fibromyalgia. He just touched the base of my neck and my hips.

Most of the time was spent talking and asking me questions. He asked me to get up on my toes and to roll back on my heels. I had a little trouble with that because of my balance issues. He tested my reflexes and then hit what looked like a tuning fork to test my knees to see if I could feel any difference. Also, he didn't even get into the cognitive difficulties. That's a whole other issue. Mostly, he just asked about the back pain. The whole appointment took about an hour. 

Let me digress here for one moment. I have a question. Why is the furniture in doctor's office's so uncomfortable? I have found that orthopedic surgeon's and pain management doctor's have horrible soft furniture that make it difficult to rise from sitting to standing. Tonight, at this neurologist's office he had plastic chairs that hurt like hell. Why is that?? 

Anyway, back to the evaluation.

I got the feeling that he was asking the questions to see if I was credible. He stated that he knew most of the doctors that I've seen so I'm assuming he's not about to call them all liars. I do understand that they have to be sure that the claim is authentic. I'm certain that there are a lot of flakes out there who try to scam the system. 

I also understand that they just don't want to pay.

Again, I understand that they have to test the authenticity of the claim but I find it reprehensible that they choose take credible and authentic claims and then try to discredit the claimant. They don't hesitate to take the money but they sure as heck try to make it as difficult as possible for you to exercise your right to make a claim.

I think that most people would rather not be in this situation. This isn't fun. If I could handle sales again, I would do it in a minute. I really struggle with this whole re-invention thing. I don't know what my life purpose is at this point but I also know I want to find it. The problem is the pain and fatigue. Whatever my purpose will be is one that must be flexible because I never know how I'm going to feel. The crashes are unpredictable, both in frequency and in intensity.

So now I need to wait and see how badly I'm going to be trashed in this evaluation. I know that no matter how much this doctor says that he doesn't represent either the insurance company or me, he is being paid by the insurance company. In my opinion, if this doctor wants to be used for these medical evaluations, he better base his findings in accordance with their guidelines. 

I know I'm probably being paranoid but I feel like I'm being watched. 

Hm, somebodies watching me.

Isn't that a song?

IT DON'T COME EASY

I need doctors.

I need the medications they prescribe.

They still call what they do a "practice."

I wish they'd get it right.

I wish I didn't need them more.

When I'm asked a question, I give an answer. It's just the way I am. Good, bad or indifferent; you're going to get an answer. I didn't say you'd like it but, if asked, you will get my opinion.  Why do doctors ask you a question and then totally blow off your answers and/or your concerns? I don't wish illness on anyone but, for just one day, I wish they could feel what I feel. I'll bet they wouldn't be so dismissive then.

I really dislike spending one hundred dollars for ten minutes time. I fill out a little form about the pain levels and then I'm shown into a little room. A few minutes later I'm answering a couple of questions and then given my prescriptions. I'm shown out the door until next month.

Where are the doctors that treat the whole person? 

Where are the doctors that understand what pain does to the body and mind when pain occurs on a daily basis? 

I have to investigate other avenues myself. The use of aromatherapy, essential oils is something that is totally beyond them despite evidence to the contrary. I do need medications; I understand that, but why not use them in conjunction with other alternative forms of medicine. Why not use Guided Imagery, forms of yoga and Tai Chi and meditation? What about light therapy and water therapy?


Trust doesn't come easy to me and my distrust of the medical profession is almost equal to that of attorney's.


That is NOT a good thing.


It just doesn't make sense to me. Is it a time thing? They just want to cram us in like cattle. It seems like it is a whole lot easier to throw us some prescriptions rather than try to treat the whole person. They have no idea what they're prescribing and if there are any interactions with other medications or our diet.


Is it apathy?


For many of the people that suffer with an autoimmune disease or any disease that has chronic pain and fatigue as a marker, the day that an actual diagnosis is made, comes after years of disappointment and defeat. Most of us have had doctors who have made us feel like we're crazy or that our symptoms are just not that bad. Is it any wonder that there is a lack of trust in the medical community? Only a handful of doctors are even researching the causes of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue. I can only pray that one day a cure is found. It takes a lot of funds and even then it's tough. Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue are  kind of "off the grid."


Until then.........
My opinion remains the same.


And it isn't real good.


But I need to keep my mouth shut because I need them.