First Dr appt went pretty much like I thought it would, I shouldn't have gone

I'm so accustomed to doctor's dismissing anything I say at this point. I don't know why I let myself get hopeful. That comment is related to the considerable issues my children have gone through, until now I haven't had any reasons to consult a doctor for my personal care.

Before I met the doctor, the nurse thought I was on a medicine for blood pressure because it was so low even though she had repeatedly confirmed that I'm not on any medication besides vitamins... But it was really just peace with the fact that I didn't expect to gain anything from the appointment. No expectations equals no anxiety!

I saw a general internal medicine MD. Before I even discussed the "meat" of my history, she immediately began telling me that my symptoms were impossible to diagnose under Lyme's, and even if they were they were too advanced so it would be treating the symptoms and there was nothing to be done for Lyme's itself. She basically said she'd be treating arthritis, not Lyme's. She also immediately labeled my lack of energy to do things as "moderate major depressive disorder". So when I left the office my discharge paperwork said that I had depression and arthritis.
It makes you wonder what they think about their patients. The world of the internet is out there and anyone with a little curiosity knows better than to think that treating comorbid conditions will do anything but line the pockets of big pharma.

She wanted to go ahead and do the testings even though she says they would show nothing (she says this with certainty; even when I'm certain I acknowledge that I'm human and can be mistaken, but she doesn't). I had brought with me a detailed print out showing symptoms and approximate onset, along with my vitamin intake. She doesn't take a moment to even absorb any of this. She tells me to go to get my blood drawn for labs, I ask if the vitamins interfere with the labs? Only then does she consider this and tell me that I could wait until Monday after not taking anything Sunday, but she's ok with running them now and redoing them if they're "off" (yay increased healthcare costs for everyone, Oprah style! Increased healthcare costs for you! And for you! And for you!). I decline to have them done today.

This is Wednesday. I know what kind of weekend I'm going to have if I stop the supplements. The supplements I take are the only reason I can summon the energy to do things like... Go to the doctor to be told I'm depressed! Or make dinner. Or do anything but grimace through my day while meeting very bare essential needs of my family.

This doctor is promising treatment of side effects and not the issue. Even if I test positive for Lyme's.

Is there a reason to put myself through this? I am currently on a "high" from the best mental clarity I've had in remembrance from taking salt/c all day yesterday, not to mention the drastic reduction in pain from my feet and joints. I wish I had realized the super b complex had such high doses that it would interfere with blood testing, I wouldn't have taken it. I water fasted only taking vitamins from last night 6pm until 4pm today anticipating the possibility of testing not realizing vitamins would be an issue, let that be a lesson for anyone reading this in the future. Really, wonder if it would affect a Lyme's panel. And if it will, why say that only a 24 hour+/- fast from it will prevent blood tests from being accurate?

Anyway I know I'm coming off really snarky towards doctors. I wish this doctor had risen above my expectations. I honestly don't think anyone trained by the very people who make the drugs to ease what ails instead of addressing the core issues would be able to without being a little rebellious. And anyone rebellious isn't going to fit the mold of a doctor in a university.

Anyway. Are there decent success stories here about treating without an MD? I'm very aware of the history of where pharmaceuticals and medical doctors originated from. My inclination is to avoid them at all costs unless it's acute; bleeding out of your aorta? Leg chopped off? Anthrax poisoning? Flat lined? Ok! Got a cold/flu? Nope. Have allergies? Only if you want a bandaid that might work for the rest of your life with side effects.

So that's that. I'm not sure why I'm sharing so much as I don't usually share such negative experiences with others. I hope that most others have a better experience. But holy cow, after dealing with so much discomfort for so many years until I become terrified that I might some how lose my tactile abilities, and then be treated like it's all just psychological (all in your head!)... Don't they realize the difference between a person seeking care for imagined issues verses a person who avoids doctors until it's something they can't do anything about?

Dear Tootiredtobother, well...what can I say? I relate to what you are feeling and it is all too familiar. I also hate to pile on with any negativity but...a few thoughts for you, some practical things you might do...

As for your having good health insurance (like how good? like pay for out-of-state visits? Naturopaths covered? alternative therapies? pay for out-of-country therapies that aren't available here?)...get all the tests you can CD57, is it low? if it is it may be significant, do you have hepatitis? is it autoimmune or what?

btw...so I've partially navigated with next to nothing-healthcare but still can't get proper treatment because of my mostly empty pockets...

I would say spend your money on treatments, load up on doxycycline it's super cheap, minocycline more pricey but if you have a low co-pay, go for it

Anyway, do you have Acne? Because that is another way to get Doxycyline or Minocycline at the ready...I dunno ..eat crappy grease food for a couple of days and pick at your face, anyway I've had acne since adolescence ...

I went through the same demoralizing cognitive dissonance at my last visit to the "free" clinic, it's all I can afford, and h-e-double-hockey-sticks no they won't treat anything remotely tick borne or vector disease related...Tularemia? haven't asked? Bartonella or Babesia? nope. Anxiety and Depression? sure. here's some psych. meds.

They went so far as telling me in their specialized argot-language of doctors...yeah you guessed it...it's all in my head! they (ok one arrogantly dismissive indoctrinated psych. doc) wrote that on my chart!
sure it is!

I would ask more about your vit C/salt intake but my blood pressure is Stage 1 hypertensive going on 2...yet I am intrigued....(still don't know if this vit C/salt thing is a potentially harmful hoax or what lol)

I have a decent supply of supplements that I must take to do simple daytime things too, like get out of bed, cook, tidy up, grocery shop, doctor's appointment, trying to work at my small business online... my knowledge of nootropics affords me a few hours of clarity to do this...

anyway, hope some of this helps, and I keep hearing similar stories so you're definitely not alone.

I can definitely relate to your experience. I think I would have had better luck treating myself, than going to a doctor that didn't understand that I was sick with something that wasn't just my imagination.

I feel like I would have done much better to quit trying to make my doctor understand and go somewhere else—it's just that I was so sick, and so tired of switching doctors, I really got myself stuck with doctors who didn't know what they were doing at all.

Post Edited (Notime4lyme) : 6/20/2019 7:11:34 PM (GMT-6)