HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Today is the day!

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/19/2011 3:11 PM (GMT 0)
Today is my doctor's appointment to get the ball rolling.

Because I tend to clam up and forget everything the minute I walk into the building, I am coming prepared. I went to the symptoms list on the sticky here and copy/pasted all of them into a Word document.

Then I went through and deleted all the ones which don't apply (I am not yet having issues with chest pain).

Next, I added a description next to every symptom about how often or severely it effects me.

After THAT I highlighted the ones that are most frequent in yellow and the ones that effect my ability to live my day to day life in green.

It all seems like a bit much, but, you know how it is to lose focus and then beat yourself up over it later.

My doctor is going to look at me like I am insane. Hopefully she will understand that I'm not trying to be pushy or a hypochondriac, I just need to do things like this to keep my thoughts organized. Otherwise I'm going to stare out the window with a glazed over expression on my face.

I don't particularly care for my PCP. BUT she does have a reputation for giving her patients whatever they want. So I *will* walk out of there with a script for Ambien (i only take half a pill a night) so it'll last me awhile. I'm also going to push for a referral to a Rheumotologist. Fortunately, I have a desk job in a great company who provides free (YES FREE) health insurance and the insurance is top-notch.

I plan to take full advantage of this insurance while I can, since I went so many years avoiding the doctor.

Any tips or advice? I go in 5 hours!
Posted 9/19/2011 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like you are fully prepared.  Good doctors appreciate this.  When checking my blood sugars for diabetes, I not only write down the test number but also what I had to eat and how many carbs.  He said he wished all of his patients did that!  So, no, you are doing the right thing.  This should help her understand what you are going through.

 

But, I did leave a doctor because of "pill pushing".  Our doctors are supposed to have the education to know what best to give us.  I can't imagine going to a doctor and telling them I want this prescription or that prescription.  I will tell them my symptoms and they give me what is best for me.  Not all med are alike and there could be reasons why you should or should not have a medication.  I know, because of other meds I take, there are some medications I can't take becaue of interactions.

I wish you good luck today!  Let us know how things go because we do care about you.

Sherrine 

Posted 9/19/2011 4:58 PM (GMT 0)
I did the same thing. My doctor skimmed over it and said "You have all that, huh?" and she didn't look at me like I was crazy, but I did think she would add it to my chart, but she handed it back to me. So be prepared for that...you spend all that time doing it and the doctor may not care to read over it like we think they would. It's kind of frustrating, but I guess the doctor has seen it all before (I would love to actually see a rheumy who himself/herself has Fibro!)
Posted 9/19/2011 6:31 PM (GMT 0)
Learned the hard way that chiropractors are not my friend.

It wasn't the adjustment itself that hurt, but him putting pressure on me before the actual "snapping". At one point I nearly jumped out of the chair and he wasn't doing anything other than pressing around to feel my alignment. Lower back and between the shoulderblades - man. He apologized and freaked out a bit because he could tell it really hurt me.

He's a great doctor/chiro - but I won't be back. I feel like he punched me and I already have bruises :(

I showed my printed list to my boyfriend. He sorta gave me a weird look. He admits the stuff I have in "green" (my major issues) are true, he's heard me talk about them for 2 years. He says he thinks a lot of it is in my head. Not that I made it up, he thinks I feel that way, but its more of a psychological thing.

Regardless, he's a huge help. As I'm relaxing, he's vacuuming every room in our apartment. I'd rather have the help and disbelief than the other way around for sure!

Anyone else live in a 3rd floor apartment? Those 3 1/2 flights of stairs are killer :(
Posted 9/19/2011 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
I thought you were seeing a medical doctor, not a chiropractor.  I tried chiropractics and they did more harm than good for me, too.  I had great lower back pain for years until I learned to get in and out of the car and bed correctly.  I've posted this before but will do it again.  Try it.  It could help you.

 

 I used to go to the chiropractor but I think he was overcorrecting and I was worse when I left.  Then, about the time I'd start to feel better, I had another appointment!  I did this for years!  UGH!  So I stopped going to him.  I started being smart about my back.

 irst of all, I do not sleep flat on my back because it makes my back hurt more.  I don't sleep on my stomach either.  I sleep on my sides with a pillow wedged behind my back.  This way, I can partially be on my back but have support.  That helps me.  I also get out of bed using a cane.  I roll on my side, draw my legs up in a sitting position so the legs are actually hanging over the floor, and then I push off with the cane.  Gravity will bring your legs down and you will be pulled to a sitting position without using your back muscles.

 

When getting in and out of a car, sit on the seat with your feet on the pavement.  Then, either using the seat or the steering wheel, swivel your feet into the car while keeping your back straight.  I buy cars with leather seats because they are slippery.  But, when I rent a car and get cloth seats I had to come up with another idea...and I did!  I get a garbage bag and a towel.  I lay the garbage bag on the seat and the towel over it.  Then I do the above.  The garbage bag and towel let  your rear end swivel like you were on a lazy susan!  LOL  Just reverse the above to get out of the car.

 

Don't use your back muscles when you are lifting things up.  Use your legs instead.  By doing the above things, my back rarely hurts me now.  I hope these suggestions will help you, too!

 

Sherrine

Posted 9/19/2011 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
I am seeing a medical doctor, but that isn't until 3:00 central time. The chiropractor thing was a one-time deal. My boyfriend goes for an injury sustained during BMX bike-riding. I went with him once a week for 5 months and they managed to talk me into some x-rays and an adjustment. They WANT me to go back regularly, but I declined. I can't afford to pay my co-pay every week. And, frankly, it hurt too much. My spine doesn't connect to my skull correctly, so its really crooked at the neck. It doesn't bother me much (except for headaches) which I get all the time regardless.

But, nah, I'm seeing a medical doctor. One hour to go! I'm really nervous.

The only *good* thing is that today is one of my bad days. I hurt and ache all over and I can barely think well enough to do much of anything. Usually when I see the doctor I feel fine, its a good day. So today I can describe everything perfectly.

WORSE our air conditioning is broken so its a toasty 80+ degrees in here, which means I'm spending all my time dry heaving into the toilet. I can't handle hot temperatures without throwing up. Sigh!
Posted 9/19/2011 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Not So Fancy,

I get nervous when I see a doctor too. Try to think of it this way. You are paying for their services. It kind of helps. For some reason I get intimadated and really nervous and forget to ask things, or to tell them things. So I write lists too. Most doctors will look at them, or let you read them to them. The first time I saw my psychiatrist, I had a long list. When he talked to me, without seeing the list, he went over everything that I had written. He then looked at the list too. It was kind of cool. He was very thorough (sp). I don't know if I spelled that right or not. But it gave me confidence in him. He is a very good doctor. He helps me with my fatigue with the fibro by prescribing adderall. It keeps me going throughout the day. My other doctor prescribes pain meds and all the cholesterol and blood pressure meds for me. So between them, I have all my symptoms covered. And I let one know what the other one is doing. Like for my physical, I had them send my blood work to my psychiatrist. So it goes smoothly between all aspects.

Do let us know how your appointment goes. I hope this doctor helps you.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 9/19/2011 11:52 PM (GMT 0)
Well -- that wasn't bad at ALL.

It started off kind of rocky. When I whipped out my list, the medical assistant stared at me wide-eyed for a second. I listed off some things, didn't go too far into depth (wanted to save my energy for the doctor). I will say the medical assistant she had this time was awesome. She was sweet, and listened. The LAST time, the medical assistant had to ask me TWICE if I knew the medical word for things. Um, what? Anywho....lost focus, heh.

The doctor came in and opened with "So my medical assistant tells me you have quite the list...." and I just lost it crying. I got scared and overwhelmed and started to cry. Told her not to think I was crazy. She told me she knew I wasn't crazy.

She calmed me down and she was frank and honest. Told me that as a PCP what she could do was pretty limited. She could only tackle so much. We talked a lot - at least 30 minutes - about what was bothering me. She noted a lot of the things I wanted to focus on - the FATIGUE (being #1) and the confusion being #2. We got through most of it and she told me she thought it was depression/stress.

I couldn't disagree -- I do feel stressed and depressed. It wasn't until she asked me to list my next tier of symptoms and I mentioned the pain that her face sort of lit up. I described the things that really hurt me, that other people seem to be fine with. She stopped me, looked over her notes and my chart and just flat out told me that it was Fibromyalgia. She's done a lot of research about it and tried her best to explain it to me (I just let her, I did NOT want to influence her in any way). I didn't even have to bring it up. I guess a family member has it, it was sort of hard to follow her (blah, I get confused!)

She was again, honest. She told me she didn't want to use me as an experiment and give me tons of things to do and try. She prescribed by Cymbalta and gave me a month's worth of samples. She said if I didn't feel significantly better at my follow-up that she's going to send me to a rheumotologist because she'd rather me go straight to someone she knows specializes in it in our area. She wanted to try the Cymbalta first to see if it was mostly depression related as well as give her team a few weeks to test the 12 gallons of blood they took from me (I'm allowed to exaggerate!) and of course the required large cup of urine.

She didn't give me anything for pain, which I am normally fine with (Today I hurt like death, so it would have been nice). I also didn't ask for anything, so that is my fault. She also didn't give me anything for sleeping, but said she didn't want to do too many medications out of the gate. She was friendly and attentive. I was shocked since my last visit with her went very poorly (she was rushed, and I think I caught her rolling her eyes!). But, you know what -- we all have bad days.

So, I dunno what to make of it. I take my first dose of Cymbalta tonight at 7:30. I don't expect to notice much of any difference for a few weeks.
Posted 9/20/2011 1:36 AM (GMT 0)
I think it was a very successful visit and that she did listen.  I'm glad she took a lot of blood work because she is probably testing other illnesses to rule them out first.  I'm also glad to see that you didn't go home with ten thousand prescriptions in  your hand.  (I'm allowed to exaggerate, too!)  You should be very happy.  The Cymbalta could possibly help with the pain, too.  It seems to do that with some people. 

 

So wait and see how you feel.  I'm glad to see she will refer you to a rheumatologist, too.  This is all good news!

 

Sherrine

Posted 9/20/2011 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
Let us know how the Cymbalta works out for you. I understand about breaking down in the doctor's office. I almost did today at my visit too! I don't know why, maybe it was because of the reality of it all was hitting me.
Posted 9/20/2011 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
Did your Dr tell you to take the cymbalta in the evening? I read lots of people had problems sleeping when they took it in evening so if it bothers you try it in the morning I find it helps quite a bit.
Posted 9/20/2011 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
 Please don't take this drug without researching cymbalta withdrawals - I am going thru so much right now after only 4-6 of taking this. I have been off now for 3 weeks and have alot of issues. Please research first before you take even the first pill.
Posted 9/21/2011 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
Hi there! I appreciate the warning, and will know what to look for if/when things go badly.

For now I'd like to take the medicine my doctor recommends. Ideally, it'll work and I won't need to go through withdrawals because I'll take it forever .

In all honesty, I sincerely thank you for sharing your experience. I can only imagine how awful it must be to have side-effects on top of your regular illness.

I've been taking Cymbalta with dinner so far, if I see any additional sleep issues, I'll take it in the morning. Right now I don't eat in the morning (too nauseous) and I want to take it with food.
Posted 9/21/2011 4:45 PM (GMT 0)
When writing down a list of symptoms to show to a doctor, I think it's important to list EVERY symptom, not just the ones we think are pertinent. I've been surprised when a symptom that I thought didn't relate to my illness turned out to help with the doctor's diagnosis. Leave it up to the doctor to determine whether or not something applies.

Cymbalta has been a lifesaver for me. Hope it helps.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply