the story continues...

[rano-kwiatek.livejournal.com]

So I went to a random doctor covered by dad's insurance... and that was pointless too. She agreed with the EMO that "I shouldn't have pain there," and she wanted to put me on birth control. I told her that I already have high levels of estrogen in my system, and that taking any more would make me very sick. She didn't believe me. She also didn't believe I am anemic, hypoglycemic, and that I have CFS... so she's having me re-take a bunch of blood tests that I took like 4 years ago... I already can't afford the tests for the EMO... yet I have to pay to get information that I already know? I just love how doctors assume that you know nothing about your body and treat you like a complete moron, when they in fact seem to have less knolledge in their heads than you (like the doc who told me it progesterone, not estrogen, that is in birth control.)
And after these blood tests are done (because aparently I know NOTHING about my own body,) I am to send them to her and then I have to go hunting for an obgyn anyway. What a waste of cash.

I am really pissed off.

I am SICK of idiot doctors treating me like an idiot. This is my health at stake, and I'm sick of these morons fucking around with it.

Comments

[krasota.livejournal.com]

Did she not believe *you* have CFS, or does she not believe in CFS at all? And where does she get off doubting the hypoglycemia? Have you been diagnosed previously?

It sounds like her doubts about the bc and the CFS show that she's not going to be very compassionate, nor is she very knowlegable about your particular health conditions. Sad to say, that's fairly common with invisible illnesses like CFIDS, fibro, MCS, etc.

Anyhow, you might want to go find a doctor better suited to your needs. :(

[rano-kwiatek.livejournal.com]

She did not believe I have any of the health problems Itold her I had, because she wasn't the one who tested me for them.
I have been going from one doctor to another and none of them have been remotely useful. Meanwhile, my symptoms are getting worse and I'm worried there will be permanent damage if these fools don't get their heads out of their asses soon.

[krasota.livejournal.com]

Have you checked the Co-Cure Good Doctors (http://www.co-cure.org/Good-Doc.htm) list for doctors in your area? There *might* be someone on there covered by your insurance.

If you can, try to summon the energy to write letters to your previous doctors who *did* do the tests so you have copies of those records. Ask both that they are forwarded and that you have a copy. You're young and could conceivably be moving around a bit at this point in your life (despite being ill with CFIDS).

There are ME/CFIDS communities on LJ, too.
cfids_me and chronicfatigue are a couple of them.

[rano-kwiatek.livejournal.com]

If you can, try to summon the energy to write letters to your previous doctors who *did* do the tests so you have copies of those records.
-They lost them. Yes, I am serious.
*disgusted*

[krasota.livejournal.com]

Ask them to look behind/under cabinets, etc. If the files don't turn up, let them know that since they can't provide a location of your records, this is a violation of your privacy (who knows WHO is looking at them?) and report them.

HIPAA (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/)

Contact your local Office of Civil Rights for more info (http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacyhowtofile.htm).

[bheansidhe.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry you've been having these problems. I WELL know how it feels to leave a doctor's office in tears of frustration and rage, thinking, "Did s/he hear a WORD I fucking SAID?"

To be factual (puts on professor hat), most birth control pills ARE a combination of progesterone and estrogen. Or, rather, a combination of ethinyl estradiol (synthetic estrogen) and a progestin (which has progesterone activity in the body). Each progestin has a different potency, milligram per milligram, in terms of progesterone effect to stop menstrual bleeding or androgen effect to stimulate acne and hair growth. (http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm)

An progesterone-only birth control pill is called monophasic, or the 'Mini-pill.' Here's more info. (http://fpnotebook.com/GYN123.htm) Maybe that would be beneficial for your body -- it has NO estrogen. Brands are Micronor, Ovrette, NorQD.

Looks like the lowest-estrogen multiphasic bc pills are Loestrin, Estrostep FE, Ortho-Evra (patch), Levlite, and Mircette. Have you ever tried one of these? And isn't there a blood test they can do to detect hormone levels?

Take care, and keep us posted. I hope this helps.

[geminigirl]

multiphasic pills are the ones that change dosage each week. monophsaic pills, whether they're combo pills that contain estrogen and progestin or mini-pills that are progestin only don't change hormone doses every week.

[bheansidhe.livejournal.com]

Oops. Thankee. I suck. :-)

[bheansidhe.livejournal.com]

But the rest of the info was good, right?

[geminigirl]

1. You so totally do not suck. Because you seem to know so many of my friends, and if you sucked then they would have to suck. So you don't suck. (Unless of course you want to suck, which is a whole different ballgame all together.)

2. Yes, the rest of the info was good.

[rano-kwiatek.livejournal.com]

An progesterone-only birth control pill is called monophasic, or the 'Mini-pill.' Here's more info. Maybe that would be beneficial for your body -- it has NO estrogen. Brands are Micronor, Ovrette, NorQD.
-Ooooo... you're my hero; that might be exactly what I need. Only one problem... I heard that it has some very nasty side-effects. I'll still check into it.

Hmm...

[raspberrylover.livejournal.com]

I think you should have your other doctor send copies of the records to the new one. Can you call the office up and make a request? It sounds like this new doctor is very shrewd and won't listen to you. That would make me really uncomfortable. I mean, doctors are there to help you and your health, right? You should definately have some kind of communication between the two in this case. See what you can manage and good luck. ;)

Re: Hmm...

[rano-kwiatek.livejournal.com]

I think you should have your other doctor send copies of the records to the new one.
-The records of my amemia and hypoglycemia are long gone... I got tested for them years ago and I don't even remember where the office is... it's somewhere in NYC.... And the doc at the EMO near me I was going to had me get an ultrasound done at a local hospital. I never got to see them; because guess what? He lost them Can you believe it?
This.Week.Is.Pissing.Me.Off!!!!!!!

[rkt.livejournal.com]

i feel your pain on the stupidity of doctors. i swear, it makes me want to go to med school just because of their lack of knowledge + empathy.

[rano-kwiatek.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks most doctors are idiots. I know so many people that are permanently damaged because their doctors wouldn't listen to them. It's unbeliebable what people are put throught when all they want is to heal their bodies.

[lyrae.livejournal.com]

Not to make you feel bad, but anemia and hypoglycemia are both treatable conditions, so just because you had them four years ago doesn't mean that is still the case. I think it's reasonable that she should make diagnoses for herself, especially if your previous doctors all lost your files. I think more tests are better. It means she's being thorough. If I was a doctor I would probably want the information in front of me so I could make a diagnosis I thought was appropriate, instead of relying on what another, unknown doctor said four years ago, without being able to look at the figures they were able to look at. So you could look at this as a sign of someone who cares about doing things right. JMO

[rano-kwiatek.livejournal.com]

Not to make you feel bad, but anemia and hypoglycemia are both treatable conditions, so just because you had them four years ago doesn't mean that is still the case.
-Trust me, I still have them. I know what the symptoms are... I know what happens when I don't take tons of iron pills... I know how dizzy/nauseated/insane I get if
I don't eat regularly. I know my own fucking body, and I'd really like it if people would start treating like I do.

[dokuya.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[rano-kwiatek.livejournal.com]

aw....
Thanks. :-*