I don't understand either. Your right, we have to fight. Sometimes it gets to be too much, but I won't give up. I feel like when I switch doctors I am labeled as a problem patient. I try and do everything they tell me to do including adjusting diet and excercising but it is just not enough. I need help and don't know where to look. It seems many of you have been referred to a pain management specialist with mixed reviews. I wonder should I ask for this referral when I get back in to see my PCP? I don't know why she is so reluctant to address the pain part of my problem. She has been quick with sending me to the GI and running various test, but since the results are normal I just don't think she believes me when I tell her about the pain. If anyone knows a good PCP in Atlanta, please let me know!!! Take care. Ginny
At Sun, 25 Jul 1999, Sherry wrote:
>
>Hi, I don't understand why we have to constantly fight for everything
>when it comes to our illness. It seems we have to fight to find a
>Doctor who will listen to what we are saying, fight to try to get
>answers, fight to try to get our pain under control, fight with
>ourselves to keep going and not to give up. I had a bad experience with
>my first and only appointment with a pain management facility. The Dr.
>asked me a few questions, checked my reflexes, looked briefly at my
>history and told me that basically there was not much he could do for
>me. He took me off of all my medications and put me on Neurontin. The
>whole process took about 10 minutes. This appointment was right before
>I had another surgery and I was in a lot of pain and very frustrated. I
>had been through every test imaginable only to be told it was adhesions
>causing my problems. I told them that in the begining. The thing that
>upset me was, by going to the pain clinic Doctor I was looking for
>understanding and compassion. Instead I felt like no one wanted to help
>me. I know there are great facilities out there, but I get tired of
>fighting and going from Doctor to Doctor. We do not want to be ill or
>in pain. Chronic pain can lead to a lot of other problems such as
>depression and feeling isolated. That is why this forum is so
>important. We have become friends through our common problems, we share
>information, and we support each other. Thanks, Sherry