tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188351593917296229.post6045173116884949210..comments2022-06-06T15:52:06.351-04:00Comments on The Happy Rehab Doc: ~Part 2~ A ToolKit to Communicate with Your Doctor and Take Charge of Your Health!!Dr. Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07623932786998472098noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188351593917296229.post-39681988032323837902012-01-21T19:37:00.791-05:002012-01-21T19:37:00.791-05:00Also I smiled when I thought of your husband being...Also I smiled when I thought of your husband being your teammate and advocate--you and I are both very lucky in our marriages. It is such a blessing to have a husband that supports your needs & is willing to battle for them! Well done Mr. Smith!!!!:-)Dr. Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07623932786998472098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188351593917296229.post-53888214042540079092012-01-21T19:35:01.989-05:002012-01-21T19:35:01.989-05:00Ok Jackie this comment was so cute! How wonderful...Ok Jackie this comment was so cute! How wonderful to have such a fantastic best friend!! Love it! :-)Dr. Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07623932786998472098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188351593917296229.post-2412782324702043992012-01-21T19:33:49.839-05:002012-01-21T19:33:49.839-05:00Kay I am SO happy to hear you are feeling well! A...Kay I am SO happy to hear you are feeling well! And I totally expected you to LOVE the Esselstyn book (with your nutrition background and all!!) <br /><br />And I think its important to be your own best advocate, while balancing that against doctor's expertise. I'll be honest, sometimes it is hard to be challenged by patients particularly when I feel that they are incorrect & not respecting my medical expertise--my clinical assessment & all my years (12+) of training. That isn't an ego thing, it is a reality. <br /><br />That said, it is very obvious to me that you are not being treated properly because it should NEVER be difficult to obtain your laboratory results (um, they are YOURS) & doctors certainly should not be pressuring you to do something you obviously are uncomfortable with! Part of using medical expertise involves taking a patient's concerns into account and if they are not willing to do the "prescribed" treatment than working to find them other options!!! There is never just one way to approach a disease--you should leave your appointments feeling that your doctor is YOUR biggest advocate---not the reverse! <br /><br />I'm so sorry that has been your experience and really hope that in the future you will be able to find a doc who respects your feelings about YOUR body! <br /><br />Keep up the great work!! Thanks for commenting!Dr. Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07623932786998472098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188351593917296229.post-77828753725614322782012-01-21T19:23:34.130-05:002012-01-21T19:23:34.130-05:00Mitzi--thank you so much for your extremely honest...Mitzi--thank you so much for your extremely honest and articulate comment! It sounds like you may have a Ehlers-Danlos type disorder? All those connective tissue disorders are such difficult diseases to cope with because of just what you share--the difficulty in being validated to the reality of your diagnosis AND the challenge in finding respect, empathy & treatment from my medicine colleagues. <br /><br />I was going to rush and type out a comment for you but I believe your question deserves much more reflection on my part because, first of all--it really angers me to hear that your concerns were dismissed by other physicians--particularly one in my specialty. That is so unacceptable. Of course I don't know the circumstances surrounding each incident but I sadly do have may jaded colleagues who have lost their empathy and willingness to think outside the box. It frustrates me. So I need to step back from the anger before I respond to your question. Second, I want to make sure that I give you solid, practical advice that you can use to feel safe, well cared for and validated as a person & a patient. <br /><br />I will say also that while I do have many colleagues who have lost their compassion, I also have many who inspire me every day with their patience, kindness & brilliance. In every profession there are a potpourri of people, and medicine is no different. But that information doesn't help solve your problem so I digress!<br /><br />Please be patient and I'll think about this and get back to you this week, ok? Thank you SO much for your comment!!Dr. Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07623932786998472098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188351593917296229.post-67683961174022293752012-01-21T16:00:44.505-05:002012-01-21T16:00:44.505-05:00I have a rare connective tissue disorder that give...I have a rare connective tissue disorder that gives me a heart murmur that sounds like mitral stenosis (but isn't that serious), mild chemosensitive asthma, digestive issues that respond very well to a HIGH fiber diet with plenty of fluids, and joint problems (all hypermobile) that are aggravated by inactivity or over-activity. My hormones have also been irregular from age 24, with hot flashes starting at 31(on high-dose birth control) and hypoglycemia if I do not eat every 3-4 hours. This combo in a thin woman (normal thyroid) causes real issues with physicians who do not believe in the power of diet and exercise. There are no medications/surgeries for the joint problems. My asthma reacts to carcinogens/ lung irritants in smoke, cleaning products, and perfumes. A doctor in your specialty told me he would not treat me or refer me for PT because X-rays were normal, though I can easily demonstrate the joint abnormalities. I had to get a primary care physician (who does believe in self-management) to do the referral. I have tried presenting doctors and nurse practitioners with a brief medical history (one page, chart of injuries and treatment, and what worked) and an article from a medical journal describing the life history of the disorder (mostly easy-to-scan charts and pictures), but have had a doctor and a nurse practitioner look at me like I handed him/her a dead fish. The PT people were much more appreciative. How do people with weird health problems, complicated but not deadly or hospital-worthy (yet- though I should have gone for the knee dislocation and a few of the asthma attacks) communicate adequately that we are not hypochondriacs or drug seekers, but just trying to stay functional in a world where it takes a lot of time to manage our diet and rehab on our own, and we'd like some professional assistance once in a while?<br />MitziAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188351593917296229.post-85592043965946590462012-01-19T15:37:58.814-05:002012-01-19T15:37:58.814-05:00Things are a bit different in the UK... Our nation...Things are a bit different in the UK... Our national health service is pretty grim, we are told what to do & expected not to ask questions. I have challenged (just asked questions) every doctor I have seen over the last 6 years regarding my Graves Disease & have been branded a troublemaker! I've had to fight to get my blood results (I like to know my T4 & TSH levels) & because I've refused to have radioactive iodine - I've been lectured, reduced to tears, told that my thyroid will never recover & that it will kill me... One doc even ended with "if you love your family - you wouldn't put them through this". Luckily, my Husband always comes to appointments & is brilliant at fighting alongside me! Anyway, have heard today that my Thyroid is normal at the moment... Keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep it that way & am confident that the supplements I've been taking for a few weeks & our new eating regime (Esseltyn's book arrived yesterday & we are hooked!) are all going to help me go from strength to strength! <br />I haven't felt this good in a long time!<br />Kay :)Just Humans Beinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14896514191821358208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188351593917296229.post-40504880677487909322012-01-18T23:50:12.102-05:002012-01-18T23:50:12.102-05:00My bestie & I go with one another to our docto...My bestie & I go with one another to our doctor's appointments as much as we can...it's convenient that we go to the same doctor. :) We spend so much time together that we often remember what the other forgets (about symptoms such as not eating, which you mentioned, or when a complaint started). Also, if it's her appointment, I'm the one taking notes (even though we both have a copy of the questions as well) & she takes notes for me when it's my turn to be "up on the table".Jackie Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01314417590749514764noreply@blogger.com