Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.
So I had a fantabulous doctors appointment today. And yes I am being sarcastic.
First off I had to wait an hour and a half because I was the first appointment after lunch and she was at lunch with a medical rep. She actually called the office and told them to tell her patients that she was running a little late. A LITTLE late!!! Give me a break!!!
Then I got in the room and she decided to take another patient before me and had us switch rooms. So we passed in the hall and the other patient and I knew who was first but the docs makes the rules and the other patient said sorry as we passed in the hall.
Then when the doc finally got in room, she was really snippy. We got down to business and asked why I wasn't seeing one of my two other docs that are in the clinic. When I told her that she was the only one available she got even snippier. We were talking about what was going on and she looked down her nose at me through her glasses and said "you know that pain med in not the way to manage chronic pain". So I said ok what is. She said that anti-depressants, exercise, and life style change is the only way. I almost cried.
I told her that I have a dog that I have to walk, but have a hard time getting up the stairs of my apartment building. She said that you may have to move then. WHAT????? So after making me do a bunch of movements, which had me crying by the end she gave me a prescription for Nortriptyline and Vicodin. And told me that I had to choose one doctor and stick with her. I have had two doctors that I have been seeing in the clinic. They have been working in tandem since the one doc had a baby and left to do some research of something. So I choose the one that I feel I can talk to more.
Then I told her that I can only exercise moderately on good days. I have had two major surgeries on each knee, four surgeries all together. I am very limited in what I can do. I am trying to hold on to them as long as I can. If I wear them out too soon I will have to have them replaced. I'm only 45 so I'm shooting for 50 before replacing them. She told me she has heard that excuse before.
So when she started talking about what anti-depressant to put me on I told her that I don't have insurance and she got offended. Like I didn't think she had the best for the patient in mind. Them made the comment "well you come to this clinic so I now you don't have money. But if you have the money to buy the pain killers you have money to buy the anti-depressants." I almost smacked her. That is not what I was saying at all. Just for her to keep in mind that I was paying for this on my own and to try and use one of the cheaper but effective drugs.
When I walked out I asked my hubby who was in the room with me, for a second opinion of the visit, if I had been out of line in anything I had said, that might have rubbed her the wrong way. He said no that I had been nicer to her than I had to him in the last couple of days. lol Had to give him a kiss and make up for that one. lol
The clinic I go to is the Community Health Clinic. It is a clinic that takes all forms of payment and does a sliding scale for those who don't have insurance. When she made that comment about the clinic she made me feel like I was poor white trash. Sorry I hate that term, but it's the only way I can say how she made me feel. Made me feel like I was asking her for charity.
By the time I left I was hurting and so downtrodden that my wonderful hubby took me out for an ice cream. lol
Should I say something to someone about how she made me feel.
Susan ~~ seattlesue
First off I had to wait an hour and a half because I was the first appointment after lunch and she was at lunch with a medical rep. She actually called the office and told them to tell her patients that she was running a little late. A LITTLE late!!! Give me a break!!!
Then I got in the room and she decided to take another patient before me and had us switch rooms. So we passed in the hall and the other patient and I knew who was first but the docs makes the rules and the other patient said sorry as we passed in the hall.
Then when the doc finally got in room, she was really snippy. We got down to business and asked why I wasn't seeing one of my two other docs that are in the clinic. When I told her that she was the only one available she got even snippier. We were talking about what was going on and she looked down her nose at me through her glasses and said "you know that pain med in not the way to manage chronic pain". So I said ok what is. She said that anti-depressants, exercise, and life style change is the only way. I almost cried.
I told her that I have a dog that I have to walk, but have a hard time getting up the stairs of my apartment building. She said that you may have to move then. WHAT????? So after making me do a bunch of movements, which had me crying by the end she gave me a prescription for Nortriptyline and Vicodin. And told me that I had to choose one doctor and stick with her. I have had two doctors that I have been seeing in the clinic. They have been working in tandem since the one doc had a baby and left to do some research of something. So I choose the one that I feel I can talk to more.
Then I told her that I can only exercise moderately on good days. I have had two major surgeries on each knee, four surgeries all together. I am very limited in what I can do. I am trying to hold on to them as long as I can. If I wear them out too soon I will have to have them replaced. I'm only 45 so I'm shooting for 50 before replacing them. She told me she has heard that excuse before.
So when she started talking about what anti-depressant to put me on I told her that I don't have insurance and she got offended. Like I didn't think she had the best for the patient in mind. Them made the comment "well you come to this clinic so I now you don't have money. But if you have the money to buy the pain killers you have money to buy the anti-depressants." I almost smacked her. That is not what I was saying at all. Just for her to keep in mind that I was paying for this on my own and to try and use one of the cheaper but effective drugs.
When I walked out I asked my hubby who was in the room with me, for a second opinion of the visit, if I had been out of line in anything I had said, that might have rubbed her the wrong way. He said no that I had been nicer to her than I had to him in the last couple of days. lol Had to give him a kiss and make up for that one. lol
The clinic I go to is the Community Health Clinic. It is a clinic that takes all forms of payment and does a sliding scale for those who don't have insurance. When she made that comment about the clinic she made me feel like I was poor white trash. Sorry I hate that term, but it's the only way I can say how she made me feel. Made me feel like I was asking her for charity.
By the time I left I was hurting and so downtrodden that my wonderful hubby took me out for an ice cream. lol
Should I say something to someone about how she made me feel.
Susan ~~ seattlesue
Omg,, it makes me so sad to read this sort of info in regards to docs, how they treat us, esp. when it comes to fibro. If they don't start doing something can you imagine what we will go thru in 5-10 years from now.
MOST DEF. report her to someone. I wouldnt call the clinic directly, call and find out who is in charge, CEO, someone like that.
You are not white trash. You are a wonderful beautiful caring human being that is sick, you also deserve to be treated like a human. The way she talked to you was way out of line, unprofessional and uncalled for.
Please talk to someone in regards to that clinic and report her.
Im glad you at least got your meds.
I hope you are feeling better.
I know how bad this made you feel but please do not let this get you down. I am reading more and more how our docs are treating us so poorly and how exercise is good for fibro, its not, i am proof, i am sorry but i will say this again, the only thing that even touches my pain is NARCOTICS! What really tickes me off is I cannot find any legit info to show my rheumo about this. Most everyone here that takes some sort of narcotic gets relief for their pain. But there is no proof of that that i can find.
Please dont let her get to you.
Hugs to you Susan..
Sorry you had to experience this. Hugs, sue
Love & Peace
Raven
What would she say if you said you weren't depressed? I would have questioned her on that. You have every right to complain about yet drug that you have to pay for, when you feel that it's not what you are being treated for!
hugs!
Also, her advice to you really rips me. Surely there have been some things suggesting ex can help PURE fibro people. However, the scientific studies are out there that show that ex can really hurt people with CFS and since these 2 overlap so much, the medical community can't diagnose worth poop - the doctors should be listening to the patient as to whether they can exercise or not!
And you with knees on the brink - sorry but this woman is a bitch.
She has that attitude that too many docs get that somehow everyone is just dieing to be dependent on pain meds. Surely they are abused and I know that the best of us can get into trouble, but if we do...I look behind at the doctor that wasn't prescribing correctly. And doh, I do have insurance and some rather shabby prescription insurance but I remind my docs too that money is an issue when they prescribe for me - that is not unreasonable under any circumstances.
Ok, one message on insurance and now yours and I am ready to go throw stones off the deck or something. Oh, right, that would make me hurt....lol.
Anyway long before I knew that I had Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency that was caused by my disease my PCP gave me a sample of Lexapro because hey it's all in my head you know. I took one and went down hard. The bitch PCP had just told me not to call the office anymore and not to come in until my next scheduled appointment. So even before I knew anything about adrenal insufficiency I told my husband if you have to call 911 tell them that something is wrong with my adrenal glands. Adrenal crisis can be fatal as your organs fail and you die. Image that I knew before my diagnosis and before many more misdiagnoses that something was wrong with my adrenal glands. I'm sorry but some of them are worthless and do more harm than good. I am reluctant to take anything anymore from them including antibiotics. The opiates are by the safest pain med on the market and yes some will abuse them but most will use them appropriately. The outrage I believe comes from the DEA and the pharmecuitical companies who have their own agenda and it has nothing to do with the well being of the patient. As a population we have to be careful to not believe what they are trying to feed us and do our own research.
I'm in north Snohomish County and know all about Community Health from my years of working for a nonprofit homeless agency that interacted with them. They definately have the reputation of being where you go as a last resort. That and Group Death!!!
What I want to know is where does Western Washington get these losers of doctors???
The best thing that's happened to me is giving up on the medical profession and treating myself using amino acids to regulate my brain chemistry as fibro is neurological having to do with our neurotransmitters being out of wack. I'm actually feeling normal for the first time in 25 very l-o-n-g years.