By jayne c on Monday, January 21, 2002 - 11:56 am:

Has anyone else seen a doctor who just says that all your problems r due to the fact you don't sleep properly and puts you on pills that don't make any difference im getting fed up with nit getting anywhere has anyone got any advice?

By Ian on Monday, January 21, 2002 - 04:14 pm:

Jayne
This is an all too common problem with the medical folk. I have had much contact with a UK person and she took my advice of going to the doctor well informed and approaching him/her head on.
It is your body so do not take no for an answer.
Regards, Ian (mercedes_nz@yahoo.com).

By Margareth on Monday, January 21, 2002 - 05:30 pm:

It took me 20 years to find a doctor I could actually communicate with. She'd listen to me, I'd listen to her, perfect situation. Too bad she'll be leaving soon... But I now know what a good doctor and a good doctor-patient relationship is supposed to be like so I won't settle for anything less. Beware future doctors!

Only advice I can give you is like Ian says. Do not take no for an answer, it's your body, you know your own body better than anyone else and moreover you have only got ONE, which is supposed to last a lifetime. Make sure it will.

Hang in there! Change doctors if your doctors won't change for you.

Regards,
Margareth


Just for fun: some of the most stupid stuff doctors have ever told me.

*'Nothing 's wrong, you should just eat more pork.'

*'That's a ganglion, it is just fluid, wait for it to get a little bigger and then hit it with a heavy book to disperse the fluid.'
(it actually was a dislocated metacarpal, glad I didn't listen)

*'I have never heard of hypermobility causing anyone any discomfort.'

*(after a long, long conversation about my excruciating hip pains)
'By the way, why do you walk so funny?'

*'And what if you had anything like EDS or HMS, why would you want to know? There's no treatment anyway.'
(well, maybe I want to know why I am in pain every day of my life, or maybe my health insurance company would like to know why I stuff myself with painkillers, or what I need a wheelchair for)


To compensate: the nicest things a doctor has ever said to me

*'If you have any problems you can call me.'

*'I can fit you in today at luchtime.'

*'I don't know. I want to ask a more experienced
collegue. Why don't you go home now and I'll call you later today with the answer.'

*'I am not satisfied with what this painkiller is doing for you. You should at least be able to sleep at night, let's try something else.'

*(After just shaking my hand, not knowing what I was there for)
'Are all your joints this loose?'
(don't you love this guy!!! too bad I only got to go there once, when one of my former doctors was ill, wish he could be my new doc.)

By Margareth on Monday, January 21, 2002 - 05:41 pm:

Jayne, are you in England? If so you are one of the happy few who live in a country that has hypermobility clinics. Visit one of them.

They are listed on the HMSA website at: http://www.hypermobility.org/clinics.shtml

(general address: http://www.hypermobility.org)

By gyll on Tuesday, January 22, 2002 - 03:13 am:

Jayne,I was always told it wwas my age.
at9 growing pains
at12 puberty
at 21 if you will have babies at your age!
and two years ago at 48 Its probably your age
the menopause!
Luckily I also had a Doc who sent me to a consultant who is passing me on to Prof Grahaeme.
I have found that as you get older you tend to develop strategies that help,care less about what others think and speak out if health workers do not understand.
So ask your doc for a Rheumatologist referral and then that consultant can refer you to a HMS clinic. If you keep a brief "diary" of pain/difficulties so that you can be specific when you visit the docs they tend to listen more. best wishes gyll.

By Agnes Lawrie on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 04:20 pm:

Hi I have had these pains for 15 years and the doctor I have does not believe in pain i have walked out three time I have never went to a Doctor in three years I have only been here 5 years but I also have sweet syndrome and he knows noting about it like the rest of the doctors here I was so bad i had to be taken up by my friend to see if a doctor would see me and I got a doctor that is just doing three months there and he did more for me than any doctor I see a rheumatollogist in two weeks it was great I have told I have Joint hypermobility so at last i have help I was reading your letters that is what made me go I thank you Mrs Lawrie I am now 60 years old