Doctors

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I just got back from the hospital, and I don't know how to react.

I was basically dismissed. I got the feeling that they didn't care about my problems, or didn't believe they even existed.

The doctor ended up making me feel extremely uncomfortable, and told me I should ignore my stomach problems and back problems and "get on with my life". This guy is a neurosurgeon.

How do you folks deal with doctors? Well or poorly? Do they make you feel uncomfortable? Does it seem to you that they don't believe you?

I'm not very good at explaining my issues, my mind draws a blank and I try but I guess it doesn't come out right. The whole time I was in the office, I felt uncomfortable and I felt like the guy thought I was a complete fake; that I was lying.

Ugh.

Were you there for stomach problems or something else?

I have someone with me or it will go totally wrong or not all out...

It depends on which doctor you see, my GP is fine because he knows about aspergers, but I would get worried if I had to see a different doctor.
Simon.

the best thing that ever happened to me was a good relationship with the community nurse. she runs interference with the rest of the medical community for me. i do the going and the being examined, but the nurse ... um ... deals with it. and i've learned that i can trust her. when i met her i trusted nobody.

is there a community health service where you are? my nurse is a psychiatric nurse, they're less likely to adhere to the mechanical-medical model.

i feel for you - even with her help, i come home from doctors with steam coming out of my ears.

I hate going to the DR because of this and their general "talking down",resenting my asking for more information.I recently left a DR who told me I dont have AS because I can talk and then when I pressed for a referral to a specialist...she gave it to me and then literally stomped out of the room...it was bizzare.I think some of these folks are really crazy.They have their own agenda,push certain drugs and seem to hate having their "authority" questioned.Personally,people have to earn my respect,they dont deserve it just because they have a diploma on the wall.

Good luck and consider a second DX from an internal medicine specialist.

How do you ask for a referral? I'm kind of scared to, I guess.

The typical route for getting diagnosed is to visit your GP and ask for a referral to a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist, preferably one with experience of diagnosing autism.

This is how you do it in Uk if your in another country maybe it's same...

I've found it works a lot easier, if the doctor have some insight in what problems you have.

Telling them beforehand that you dislike, lets say, touch. Some procedures though requires the doctor to touch the patient... At least to a degree.

When I've entered a hospital or a doctors office, I'm the highest alert. But the medical procedures are easier to cope with, if the doctor know you have psychological problems (anxious, dislike touching etc.).

I tell the docs ( and I see tons of them for various medical problems) that I have sensory problems and that includes touch- this means it is very hard for me to relax but I will always do my best. (I just can't relax as much as they want during exams physically). Instead of psychological problems, tell them it is a neurological condition. Give them the name if they ask.

I have seen bad doctors and ok doctors and good doctors. Bad doctors don't listen at all. Ok doctors do somewhat but don't seem to want to be bothered- they are busy and you are too much trouble. Good doctors respect you and believe you about your symptoms and want to figure it out and make it better.

One trick I learned is that if you say that you are really worried because it has been going on for a while and you are wondering if maybe it is all in your head they are more likely to think it is not in your head than if you told them you were sure it wasn't in your head. Before I was sick and no one could figure it out and I thought maybe I was a hypochondriac or something-- a couple of doctors had told me it was all in my head- and then I suggested that as a possibility to the new doctors. And the new doctors then became convinced it wasn't in my head! They were all like, "no, no, its not in your head, its in your abdomen", etc.

I go in with lists of things- lists of symptoms and stuff, lists of meds, etc. That way I don't worry so much about getting flustered and forgetting things. And I can always write a question down. And if I disagree with a doctor, I tell them. They might say, try pepto bismal and give it a few weeks. I might say, "I have already tried that and other things, and it has been a couple of months. I am in a lot of discomfort and it is really affecting my ability to function. I really need your help. What can we do that would provide quicker results?"

If the first doctor you see doesn't work out, get a new one?

To get a referal, if one is needed, call or see your GP and say, "I would like a referal to this kind of specialist because_______-" And if your GP says no and doesn't have a very good reason for saying no, find a new GP. Not all specialists need referals either. I am seeing a new neurologist next month and I didn't need a referal to make an apointment with her. I just called and made it and when they asked why I was making it I explained that I thought my doctor didn't know that much about my issue.

When dealing with doctors I always use reverse psychology.

"Well I complained about a little pain in my side to my husband and he made me come down here but its really no big deal" will usually be responded to with 147 different tests and a doctors complete attention while "Im dieing!" Will make them think your overreacting and they will try to wave it away as nothing.

For some reason a lot of doctors love to prove their patients wrong and show off their expertise.. if you lessen their ability to derive satisfaction from the situation they will be less eager to help you.

On the other hand if they respond with "Ok have a nice day" then you should quickly revise yourself "You know on second thought it does hurt an aweful lot I just dont like to admit it" because you found a decent doctor that actually listens to their patients ideas and opinions.

I have gotten better results with Nurse practitioners then DRs....I dont know if that is coincidental or not but she was the first person who made a correlation between my depression and thyroid and tested for it.15 years of depression and it had never been tested.Getting on proper med for this helped a lot of symptoms that others DRs had just ignored,after learning about symptoms of hypothyroid.....I find it negligent that it wasnt tested until I was 30....All the signs were there and it is pretty common condition.