A large number of doctors seem to have a real problem. They are well educated and wonderfully vocal – but they have a problem listening. I am living proof of that. In fact, my health deteriorated to the point where I couldn’t even function in my day to day life – simply because no doctor that I saw would actually listen to what I was saying. I woke up exhausted. I went to sleep exhausted. My personal relationships were deteriorating. Feeling bad was leading to greater depression. It was like a never ending circle of darkness that only kept getting darker. It just went on and on and on.
For me, this has been going on for months. Fatigue, and unexplained aches and pains were just the beginning – then the unexplained weight loss started, and it didn’t stop. Again, I saw doctors, and was told that nothing was wrong with me. In fact, one doctor, Doctor Beck, actually said that I was having a panic attack, get Therapy, He stated this in front of a Co-worker after I had been taken to hospital via Ambulance at the cost of 160.00 to me. This was said without a blood test, or physical exam from him…and without ever once asking me what I was feeling!
These doctors had me questioning my own mental state. They cost me my self esteem. They cost me my quality of life for a very long time – simply because they would not listen to what I was saying. Even if they half listened, they were convinced I was just a mental case. What angers me, to no end, is that I could have felt good months ago if just one doctor had listened to me. If one doctor had asked the right questions. If one doctor had requested that particular blood test for me. But none of them did. They wanted to treat depression. They wanted to tell me it was in my head.
The point? If you have things going on with your body, don’t let anyone convince you that it is all in your head. I’ve found a lot of support on line, and found that I’m not the only one that doctor’s didn’t listen to. In fact, it seems that everyone that says that their doctor wasn’t listening is female, including myself.
Listen to your body. It’s not in your head. Keep searching until you find a doctor that will sit down and listen. In fact, do what I did not do. Get rude if you have to. When the doctor walks into the room, the first thing you should say is ‘if you aren’t going to sit down, listen to me, understand that you can’t feel what I feel, and if you are going to try to tell me what I’m feeling, then this is a waste of my time and yours.’ That will get their attention – and if it doesn’t, move on to the next doctor.
I still struggle today, trying to communicate with Health care professionals, and will continue to fight until I get the answers I need to resume the quality of life I used to have.
