Skip to main content

Expelling Today's Medical Frustrations

Having a mysterious illness is so exhausting, both from the fatigue caused by the illness, and the burnout from all the medical appointments and emergency visits. The emergency visits are especially awful because every twelve hours is a new on-call doctor. I've been to the ER three times in the last two weeks, and I've never had a repeat doctor. I have to recount my entire medical history each time, and explain all the testing and results from the last time I was in. The three doctors I've seen in these visits have all focused on different aspects of the issues I'm having as well, the one tonight completely ignoring my main concern.

BELIEVE PATIENTS!

I shouldn't have to say that, but just because you've never seen someone show symptoms of low potassium or magnesium before it is extreme, doesn't mean it doesn't happen! I can tell when my potassium is low just by the way I feel! My doctor tonight simply shrugged off my intense chest pain, lightheadedness, and heart palpitations as possible anxiety. Just because I've had anxiety my whole life doesn't mean that all my issues are just anxiety manifesting and I should go home. I know what my anxiety and panic attacks feel like, and these symptoms don't line up.

I am the only one that has lived in my body, so please believe me when I explain what is happening to it. I know what I'm doing, I've seen many doctors for this before, don't treat me as if I'm a child and new at this. I am a grown adult. Also, don't default your diagnosis to "faking it until proven by numerous tests," especially when I have to specifically request for you to actually do the tests.

I'm sick of being sick, and sick of doctors not taking me seriously because I am autistic and have anxiety. I'm begging for someone to listen to me.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

IWSG February 2 Post

This is my second monthly post since joining the  Insecure Writer's Support Group ! I love this community I've joined and the support it provides! The IWSG prompt this month was:     "Is there someone who supported or influenced you that perhaps isn't around anymore? Anyone you miss?" My mind immediately goes to my fifth-grade teacher, and while she is still alive, and I've spoken to her many times since graduating the fifth grade, I won't be speaking to her anymore. Unfortunately, my identity as a nonbinary person with leftist political ideals is...quite the opposite of anything she'd approve of associating herself with, to put it nicely. So, while still "around" in the "alive" sense, she is no longer "around" in my life. I want to say that I miss her, miss what was taught to me when I was 10 years old, but, looking back, everything she taught me was clouded with that ultra-conservative cloud, everything was about her po...

IWSG January 5 Post

First off, this is my very first monthly post since joining the  Insecure Writer's Support Group , and I'm excited to be a part of it and respond to prompts! I would also like to apologize for not posting for a while, I have been spending extra time with family before I move out this coming weekend. The IWSG prompt this month was "What's the one thing about your writing career you regret the most? Were you able to overcome it?" This is a rather simple answer for me. I regret not having started sooner; if I had actually kept my childhood notebooks filled with stories (which I now only have vague memories of), I would have so much more stuff I could share with people. Instead, I'm just a broke college student with a laptop and some dreams, revising their old Notes App poetry to post online. Unfortunately, I don't think this is something I can "overcome" I can't change the past, but I can look towards the future and commit to keeping my ideas in...

Just One More

Now that I am to be taking potassium, magnesium, and iron prescriptions for the rest of the foreseeable future, I've been having a lot of mixed feelings about adding these to my weekly pillbox. I already have meds for anxiety, ADHD, and insomnia. I am fine with taking them all, they help me of course, but it can be such a hassle to keep track of everything's dosages, effects, and schedules. --- What’s one more pill? One more thing to swallow. What difference does it make? Add it to my list of things to take. I already  take so many. I already take so many . It doesn’t make a difference, don't make a scene. What if I don’t want my days planned around my pill-popping routine? What’s one more pill? One more thing to swallow.