Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?
Do you feel like you are not being heard? Not getting the testing or results that you feel your body needs?
Have you been diagnoised with anxiety or depression, knowing in your heart that it is something more?
I've been there, I get it. You are not alone feeling that way. In average it takes someone with a chronic illness 8 different doctors before being diagnoised. It other words you may not have a diagnosis or treatment plan for 1-2 years
I suffered for 6 months before reaching out to a doctor. When I did finally reach out my symptoms were so concerning that I became obsessed with going to doctors. Only to be told it is anxiety. It took 6 months of suffering in silence, and 1 year of fighting to be heard until I finally got diagnoised
Now that i am more educated, I have made a list of ten things you can do that will hopefully set you up to be heard faster and lead to treatment faster
1) keep a log of all your symptoms for minimum 1 month: you can use a notebook, countless free apps on your phone, or just keep a list in your phone. Anything you feel that will be useful in leading to a diagnosis.
2) Do your research: doing your own research is extremely helpful. Research your most concerning symptoms, find your "top three" diseases that you feel you could have.
3) Seek support: support can come from the obvious- your family and friends. I also suggest finding a support page on Facebook, instagram, reddit etc. The support you get from people that are going through the same things is amazing. And of course a good therapist never hurt anyone!
4) Find your voice: It's going to get harder before it gets better. Many doctors will sit you down for ten minutes, hand you medication, and send you on your way. Do not be afraid to use your voice. Ask about the side effects, will you need extra blood work, how long until you feel better, and what does "better" look like. Do not be afraid to disagree with your doctor, it is within your right to question the medication or testing they may be requesting. This is your body, your illness, you know what you need.
5) Fire that doctor: Yup I said it. Fire the doctor. The one that doesn't listen to you, the one that chalks all of your symptoms down to anxiety or depression. Fire the doctor that is refusing to send you for further testing. Yes firing a doctor can be scary. I promise it will be the best decision for your health. Having a well rounded medical team is the most important thing when you have a complex chronic illness. Always read the reviews on doctors. If you have been referred to someone, call the office and ask the nurse questions to see if they will be a good fit. You can always request to be sent elsewhere. Yes waiting times can be problematic, but having a doctor that refuses to treat the illness and just treats the symptoms- will put you further behind in your healing.
