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InsydeOwt

That'll be $10,000.


Seldarin

That will be $10000 today and we'll act like that's the entire bill. Then a month from now you're going to get a bill for $3800 more for a CT scan, $450 for a doctor you've never heard of that claims to have looked at it, and $1200 more for lab work you didn't need and didn't ask for, and told them you didn't want. Source: Currently watching the bills come in. I already paid for surgery in another country. One er visit with diagnostics in the US has cost three times what the entire surgery (including recovery and plane tickets) did for a CT scan and a "Huh, you've got a gallstone.", which I already knew. So far. Still getting a new bill or two every week.


[deleted]

After reading your comment and feeling that ball of despair start massing in the middle of my chest, I had to take a deep breath and remind myself that I don't live in the USA. I wish you guys adopted our system of healthcare, have it funded through taxes.


ohck2

thats communism! thats socialism! THE MONEY HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE NOTHINGS FREE! MY TAXES SHOULDNT BE PAYING FOR HEALTHCARE I WONT USE FOR SOMEONE I DONT KNOW! wont happen this is what we deal with from brainwashed republicans.


tr14l

The funny thing is... in 2019 we spent 322 billion in government spending on the healthcare industry anyway. Where do they think that money is coming from? We're already paying, we just aren't getting the benefit.


idahononono

And we could save around 650 billion in savings if healthcare was a single payer tax funded system. It’s bananas.


infamusforever223

It will probably happen in within another generation, assuming republicans aren't allowed to gerrymander indefinitely.


Seldarin

Oh the best part is that i have insurance that costs 800 bucks a month and has paid not one fucking dime toward anything. Even if I had the surgery here they got a doctor to say it didn't need to come out right away, so I'd be paying for the surgery out of pocket too. And technically it doesn't need to come out. As long as I don't do any physical labor whatsoever and eat less than 2 grams of fat a day it isn't an issue. I might actually be able to fight them on that and win as long as I'm prepared to not go to work and watch my muscles waste away for however long they drag it out. I'm keeping it a month or two past the surgery in case of complications, then I'm canceling that bullshit.


tr14l

Oh, no, we also pay taxes that go to the healthcare industry, too. Hundreds of billions, in fact. They are just under no obligation to not also charge us ridiculous rates.


Allodialsaurus_Rex

It's bad but probably not quite as bad as most Europeans think, poor people and senior citizens are actually covered by government provided medicare and medicaid programs, and visitors to the emergency room aren't required to pay and can't be turned away.


AnusNAndy

I'm with you! Currently 40k in medical debt, and it just keeps coming! I had a $10,000 blood draw the other day, two of the tests alone were over $2,000 each, I can't wait to see that bill after insurance. I suspect it's going to be a whopper, and thankfully they made me give them my debit card so they can wipe out whatever is left in my checking account automatically and send me into overdraft land. I'm looking at filing bankruptcy in weeks because I'm tapped out, but I don't even know if I can afford to do that. I can't work because I'm too ill, and I still don't have a solid diagnosis of anything so my long term disability claim was denied, and I can't see a doctor in time to even submit an appeal. Last month they found a pelvic mass that scored high for malignancy in my PET-CT (waiting for that bill), and didn't look good on my MRI either (oh hey, another bill is coming!), but I've had to wait nearly a month to see my gynecologist to even discuss it (another bill). Next week I have three doctors appointments and a nuclear medicine scan, and that'll be even more bills. Even with health insurance, I'm totally boned.


licksyourknee

My dad gets calls from bill collectors because of this. His credit suffers from it too. The doctor, or those involved, only have X amount of time to submit how much is owed. What happens is those deadlines aren't always met. So insurance only covers what comes in by the deadline. Obviously whoever treated you needs to be paid so the rest goes through but insurance is no longer involved. Therefore, more debt than what was agreed on and yes you need to pay for it. There's ways to fight it but IANAL


Allodialsaurus_Rex

My special lady friend works at a clinic lab, she says a test that only takes 5 minutes for a machine to run can cost the patient $100, whereas when she worked at a soils and minerals lab a test that would take 8 hours to run would only cost $50. The healthcare lab is heavily regulated and protected from direct competition, the soils and minerals lab is not. Ironically the healthcare lab is also the least organized place she has ever worked at, and while it charges patients more it also pays employees less!


AmmotheDoberman

So very accurate and depressing.


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Mediocre_Fun2608

Chronic illness gang except idk what the illness is I just hurt all the time All my lab results are normal 😎😎😎


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slobaum

That's so funny it's physically painful.


SonyCEO

That joke released 3 happiness hormones, that's a new record for the year.


Kelsosunshine

My dr insists it's *just my anxiety*


AllHailTheWinslow

Pee in his stethoscope.


avalinaadlr

Perhaps if you exercise and drink more water! /s


Knightartist86

Ever time I went to a new doctor/specialist I was begging for them to find something. Where as most people hope to not find anything.


I_am_Erk

As I often tell people in that situation, normal results are "good" in the sense that we're generally pretty skilled at detecting the things that will kill you or that we can target. They are however very unsatisfying and unhelpful. Unfortunately, what makes most chronic illnesses hard to diagnose is that they don't do those things and we haven't figured out is causing them... Quite often, that's what makes them chronic. The corrolary, which I usually leave in the subtext, is that also means that in many cases if we did have a clairvoyant tool that just told us a specific name for what was going on, there probably still wouldn't be a treatment for it.


travestikazim

English is my 2nd language and holy shit I had to read every sentence 3 times to understand what you were saying


I_am_Erk

Huh, as far as confusing rambling statements I've made go, I didn't think it was that bad


bibleporn

Your writing is cluttered with conversational adverbs, adjectives, comparatives and pronouns. Normal results are "good" as we're generally skilled at detecting things which can kill you or can be targeted. For the patient these results are unsatisfying and unhelpful. Unfortunately, what makes most chronic illnesses hard to diagnose is determining the cause... Quite often, that's what makes them chronic. The corrolary is, even if we had a clairvoyant tool that accurately diagnosed the patient, there probably still wouldn't be a treatment for it.


Miggy88mm

Same. I thought it a lack of sleep because I work swing shifts. Started taking Prozac thinking maybe it's depression.


thafloorer

Have you tried drinking water?


Allegorithmic

What about food? Have you tried eating food?


Mediocre_Fun2608

Omg I haven’t 😱


[deleted]

Yeah pretty much the same for me. "Yeah, we cant find anything physically wrong with so we assess it as depression and give you antidepressant for like the 7th time in 2 years even though it had no affect before"


the_clash_is_back

Que guys selling you cbd and mlm crap in 3 2


[deleted]

1 TIME DEAL FOR KNIVES CUTCO KNIVES GET THEM NOW


Erebus495

Look how easily they cut this shoe! And this bowling ball! And they’re still sharp! Buy 1 vaccuum cleaner and get the Cutco Knives at half price! But wait, there’s more!


tabgrab23

HEY BRO HAVE YOU HEARD OF DELTA 8 IT MADE MY DICK BIGGER


Neat_Art9336

It’s just anxiety /s


Rachelhazideas

Same experience as a fibromyalgia sufferer. Took a lot of self advocacy and against gaslighting doctors and medical abuse before my symptoms were taken seriously. Finally at least got a fibromyalgia diagnosis which is just a catch all diagnosis for 'everything hurts all the time (along with dozens of other symptoms) and we don't know why'.


jesus_zombie_attack

For me Its been long COVID. It's been horrible. It has gotten progressively worse and has basically ruined my life.


Tigress2020

Cfs/me after 15yrs of being told that everything is normal, it's your anxiety. So my diagnosis is pretty much fatigued, sore everywhere, cognitive failure etc etc for no reason. Drs don't take it seriously (chronic fatigue? Oh yes we get tired as well... ) if only it was just tired.


BathFine3725

Or they blame it on age. Like in: we all get old sometime. Now, I'm well aware of the ageing process and all the annoying little or big things that add up to a more difficult life than it used to be. No, ageing is not for wimps. However, there are things that are acute, painful conditions, that are only chronic cuz doctors keep blatantly ignoring those. It's a hot mess out there.


AnusNAndy

My doctor's are going with fibromyalgia right now as well, but I am not so sure that's correct. So far they've come up with fibromyalgia, maybe MS, maybe Crohn's disease, maybe Hashimoto's, maybe lupus, maybe cancer. I have so much going on with me in so many different spots, I feel like I had a curse put on me.


eladro202

As a med student, all those diseases besides FM can absolutely definitively be ruled out with tests MRI/biopsy/egd For FM the neurologist I followed gave cymbalta or medical weed (in Cali) Sounds like you need better healthcare those diseases are easy to differentiate


Sdomttiderkcuf

I developed gout while in the second best shape of my life. I was running 8 minute miles for 8 miles at 8,000 feet of altitude, low body fat and clean eating. I gave blood for 10 years and ate for gout. That means carbs and low meat. I would get gout here and there and gave blood almost every time. I had severe gout this year, couldn’t walk for over 2 months. We had just came back from Italy where simple carbs pave the roads. I had a heart attack in my sleep. Finally after lots of doctors visits they tested me for diabetes. Now I have hardened veins and arteries and kidney damage. Turns out gout is linked with diabetes. Thank you doctors. Edit: the irony of the residents saying that I’m fabricating this whole thing is funny, because it was a resident that finally figured out that I had diabetes. But not after his own running of multiple bloodwork for things that I wouldn’t have. He tested for STDs. I am a monogamous man, married for over 9 years, so testing for that was dumb. If you’re in great shape, and I was, doctors aren’t going to be looking at diabetes. Apparently it runs in my family. I’m type 2 and my Aics are just borderline. Meaning that it can be controlled by diet. I don’t care what these idiots are saying. These meme exists for this exact reason. I have a chronic illness that wasn’t diagnosed and no doctor gave a fuck to check on things. So I’m fucked now. Later haters. Go troll someone else. I’m not having it. I’m just block you idiots who reply and say I’m lying. Why would I lie? For the whopping 8 karma? I’d rather be able to walk farther than 2 miles, not have to take 6 different pills a day, not have kidney damage etc. Really sad, you’re all going to make wonderful doctors one day. /s


Uruz2012gotdeleted

". I am a monogamous man, married for over 9 years, so testing for that was dumb." Couples in a monogamous relationship are no safer from contracting sexually transmitted infections than individuals with multiple sexual partners, a new study claims. The study, published in [The Journal for Sexual Health](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsm.12987/abstract), examined 556 participants over the age of 18. Of these, 351 were in a monogamous relationship and 205 were consensually non-monogamous (CNM) relationship. Study leader Justin Lehmiller, director of the social psychology graduate programme at Ball State University, asked individuals whether they were faithful, whether they used condoms and how often they were tested for STIs. The results indicated “the percentage of participants reporting previous STI diagnoses did not differ across relationship type.”


casualid

What....


Sdomttiderkcuf

The meme is the patient has a chronic illness and is asking for help. The doctors don’t do much thus slapping her hand. The patient dies aka sinks. Thank you doctors. I had several doctors ignore what’s apparently a basic thing and never checked me for diabetes. You eat differently for gout than you do diabetes. By eating for gout I was making it worse without knowing it thanks to normal results on my blood tests. Thus, thank you doctors.


AnusNAndy

My blood work is horribly abnormal and my doctor's are still just like, "wow, this is horrible, you should see a specialist about this". I am waiting to see the specialist in December and this appointment was made last year in September. What I know right now is that I'm dangerously close to having a thyroid storm and my primary doc can't get my meds adjusted to correct it. I hope I survive.


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POSVT

Right? A decade and never got a FBG or a BMP? For some with gout, presumably on meds for gout and following with a PCP, the concept of not having a single BMP in a decade literally is beyond belief.


Sdomttiderkcuf

You know there’s different blood tests right? Before I lost insurance 2 years ago I literally told them to test me for everything. They explained it doesn’t work like that. They didn’t test for diabetes. My current PCP also didn’t originally test for diabetes. He tested for STDs originally, it took them drawing blood 4 times before they caught it. So I really don’t care what you think. There’s a reason this is a meme. Lots of people have chronic illnesses and doctors don’t figure them out.


damitfeelsgood2b

So in 10 years, they never got a basic fasting panel on you? LMAO at least make it plausible


moodyberry_

I find this incredibly hard to believe... The 2 most basic blood panels they test are CBC and BMP. BMP will show your glucose and could indicate you're a diabetic. They would then schedule a day for you to return for more lab work and evaluate your A1c. Did your PCP know of your familial history of T2D?


Meli_Melo_

I was the same for most of my life. Went to the osteopath for the first time in my life, turns out I had a misplaced vertebrae on my neck that was causing me pain all along Here's the worst part : as I had this pain all my life, I didn't even realize I was in pain. But oh boy the relief was amazing


LordofSandvich

A lot of neurological problems are diagnosed PURELY based on symptoms and can’t be detected otherwise Apparently part of the problem is they’re deceptively common AND difficult to diagnose/treat, so a lot of GP’s would never think to refer you in the first place


apelord6969

Have you tried not hurting? This advice costs $100000.


communaldepression

If Vit D level is normal, it might be fibromyalgia, which is basically when you have symptoms without apparent cause. There's meds for then and lifestyle changes. Eat fresh, go for walks, get sunshine and go to sleep early.


Deep-Cloud-2585

"We can't find anything wrong with you" ​ \*My anguish disappearing\*


JackONeillClone

I have anxiety, depression, alcohol and marijuana consumption on my file. Everytime I have a health problem, I first have to convince them it's not one of those.


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damitfeelsgood2b

Because while doctors may have studied for literal decades, they're only "book-smart" and "I know my body."


[deleted]

What kind of health problem? How can you be so sure they’re not related?


DocCharlesXavier

They can't


a__classy__calamity

Why do these commenters automatically assume you don’t know your own body? This is exactly the issue we often have with doctors!


LibertarianDO

> my problem doesn’t stem from all the abuse I put my body through Well, that’s where you’re wrong kiddo


Kelsosunshine

I over consumed cannabis for years. My health problems existed long before and still exist after I quit. Everything was blamed on cannabis for those years and they were wrong. Not saying it's never a factor though.


lars2you

This is extra funny for me because the new doctor i choose told me i was so young and to try swimming for my chronic back pain. Had emergency surgery less than 2 weeks later, my disc was melting down my down my spin and it could have paralyzed me. My ultimate follow up with her, she asked if we ever met before!! Then after looking at my chart she said how rare it was. Needless to say I never saw her again.


You_me_and5bucks

How did they figure out that’s what was happening, if you don’t mind me asking? (I have chronic back pain and I get worried it’s something more serious)


lars2you

I had to go to the hospital twice. First they gave me a shot for pain, a patch and a prescription. I was working and standing on my feet a lot the pain was unbearable, I couldn’t roll over in bed without a struggle. The second time I went my butt was literally going numb so they finally gave me an MRI. A couple hours later i was in surgery.


Mizeov

For the record non medical people in insurance get to dictate what we do. I would love to give everyone an MRI but insurance never ever ever wants to pay a dime so we literally have to fight tooth and nail for every test we DO order. And if insurance won’t pay for it that doesn’t make the hospital happy that we ordered it. Do that too often and you won’t have a job. The unfortunate fact of the matter is insurance won’t pay for an MRI for back pain unless you have failed a bunch of stuff or as in your case you develop new neurological symptoms. TLDR doctors want to help, insurance is the spawn of evil, eat the rich


swans183

Pretty sure I have POTS (where your heart rate skyrockets when you stand up), and I’m glad I haven’t had any doctors be like “but you look healthy!”


pectinate_line

https://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/pdf/CHOP_Modified_Dallas_POTS_Exercise_Program.pdf Have you tried this?


swans183

I have! I’ve moved past cardio back to weight training which is my favorite. Make sure to still go for walks and keep all my exercises on a single plane. So no squatting or deadlifting :(


pectinate_line

Keep at it!


Semi_charmed_

At least she wasn't the one doing the surgery! Ugh how sad, only the pain mgmt doctors get it... but they can't fix anything, just mask it. The ones who can fix it don't want to/ don't have time to chase diagnoses. Has anyone else had to Google symptoms until they could help guide their doctor to a diagnosis? I feel like most physicians are overbooked to maximize revenue because the insurance companies have everyone in a choke-hold!!


purritowraptor

Me: Can you do \[more specific test\] or refer me to a specialist? Doctors: Lmao no have you considered you're hysterical? Edit: if your doctor refuses further testing, **demand they document their denial of care in your medical file and then get a copy.** Edit 2: Just to share my own fun little story... I have obvious symptoms of hypothyroidism, complete with a noticeable goiter. The FEMALE doctor, after doing a very basic blood test, said that it was probably *my female hormones changing with the seasons*. I'm in a different country now and am going to try again...


toque-de-miel

have you tried drinking water


psilocybes

or tried stretching...


soxyknoxy666

lmao my hypermobile ass 🙃


[deleted]

If I have to explain to one more person that stretching is the last thing I need due to my hypermobility 😬 and the kicker is I used to be a yoga teacher!


[deleted]

Sleep well and don't smoke.


AlrightyAlmighty

Reduce stress


LittleBlondBrit

It's just allergies


kyttyna

Cut back on the soda.


FunnyMathematician77

This one pisses me off the most


AlrightyAlmighty

Being told to reduce stress is one of the most stressful things


FunnyMathematician77

It's basically saying "just don't be sick"


KickBallFever

I was in the hospital once, so sick I had to be admitted. I kept vomiting but the tests came up normal, so they sent in some doctor who was supposed to be a genius. He comes in and asks me how do I know it’s not just all in my head. This was right after he made a comment about how much vomit was in the bed pan next to me. So he saw an unusually large amount of vomit next to me and his first thought was that I was delusional. Some genius.


k3rn3

Try going for more walks, okay? Come see me again in 2 months.


ChubbyLilPanda

Doctors: lmao you’re faking it because you want drugs or have munchausens


-newlife

Switched doctors over that. New clinic, in a professional manner, said the previous doctor needs to find a new career.


KickBallFever

I dropped a doctor because when I told him my stress was caused my financial issues he told me to “marry rich”.


Whiskey-Weather

Downvoted for speaking honestly. The nerve of some people.


ego_slip

God i hate how close this hits to home.


BatmanInTheSunlight

My back is hurting just reading this


mylifeisaLIEEE

Hmmm…have you tried “no it isn’t?”


LordofSandvich

Just git gud!


BatmanInTheSunlight

Thanks! 🙏


SunGodSol

Endoscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound, feces/urine test, and they still can't find why it feels like my gut is trying to kill itself. I'm supposedly perfectly healthy.


cletusrice

People don't really understand just how much the medical community still doesnt know or understand.


I_am_Erk

Most of the crippling chronic pain afflictions are also extremely tough because while the symptoms are debilitating, they're not *specific*. It's like having a rattle in your car, but you don't know what part of the car it is in and it only happens sometimes and you can't tell what triggers it and the mechanic can't get it to happen. Even if they believe you, pretty tough to pin that down... Then make the car a billion times more complex. It's hard enough to research many of these because we can't tell if two patients with similar symptoms actually have comparable conditions, or totally different conditions causing the same general symptoms that could be caused by a wide range of underlying causes. Like, diffuse cramping abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea... These sound specific but they're not. Almost anything doing anything in your guts and several other organs will do that.


SunGodSol

Well said


iam1080p

But, we're trying our best to alleviate your suffering as much as we can. Sometimes diagoses take time, and we're also bound by the systems in place even if we want to do something about it.


DuskLab

Sometimes it feels like it would go a bit faster than 2 years for a test giving inconclusive results if the ones designing the system also had needles embedded in three of their organs. Or at the very least, the "you're healthy" at the end of the process would be nice to be stopped since it's just salt in the wound.


[deleted]

*the scientific community in general. Put that on our gravestones. "They didn't know what they were doing"


VxJasonxV

Hello fellow chronic GI affliction friend.


GrimmGrinning

Same hat I got told as a child that I was faking it despite being in so much pain I\`d just collapse in a ball. Eventually got diagnosed with IBS then a year later it was switched to PCOS, then 3 more years and it\`s both but the IBS is IBS-C. And now there's speculation that its something else but who knows what.


[deleted]

maybe try and find out if someone/something is poisoning you


lord_reltney

ME TOO got told i was faking stomach aches so i didn't have to go to school when i was little, cut to now where colon/endo/body waste samples say IBS but also maybe IBD but also it's not IBS and it's my diet, but it's h. pylori which isn't impacted by your diet. It's also GERD and crohns. but also its none of those and come see us again in a month or so


SenseAmidMadness

Sounds like a functional bowel disorder like IBS. IT can cause those symptoms but will will normal imaging tests etc.


kilroy66

I went through something very similar a few years back. Colonoscopy, endoscopy, feces test. Turned out I was likely having panic attacks. Anxiety can manifest in different ways for everyone. Got on the right medicine and have felt better ever since!


thisisonoyforlocal

Haha same. You’re telling me people usually don’t hurt after eating anything? Wild. What’s wrong with me??


BuzzardChris

had a similar experience where i was having severe abdominal pain, and every test came up negative. i eventually discovered (on my own) that caffeine was irritating my bladder, and after a couple of days without coffee, the pain completely stopped!


MonsterMontvalo

That happened for me too!! It turned out that I had a hernia that was sitting beneath my uterus and they couldn’t see it when doing the tests. I only found out when they did a hysterectomy.


PeachCrumble

My girlfriend was the same. Spoiler alert after 10 years: she has Crohn's disease.


WeirdAvocado

According to my doc, I came back positive for LBS. apparently he said that’s Little Bitch Syndrome.


TheDarkLordofAll17

Wtf


Subpar_diabetic

Don’t you love getting to watch your body fall apart more and more every day while you pay thousands of dollars a month for the privilege of existing and no effort will ever be made to improve your life because the healthcare industry is a complete scam?


grilledcakes

Lupus gang rise up! Take your time though I know rushing hurts most of us.


african_or_european

"Well, I guess you ran the wrong labs, because there's something fucked up and we're not done until you find it." -- That little voice in my head that only comes out in the shower


LibertarianDO

Me, a doctor: sure homie, what do you want tested? Insurance won’t pay for it, so It’s your wallet, not mine. Listen. You think we lose money if we order the test? No I don’t make any money or lose money unless I own the lab. I had a lady demand genetic cancer testing a month and a half ago. I told her it’s not what we use to screen for cancer. She got mad so I said fuck it and ordered it after warning her multiple times that her insurance won’t cover it and it would like cost a few hundred/thousand dollars. A month later and multiple phone calls with tons of paper work and faxes. I call her and tell her the results are negative, she gets mad and screams at me on the phone. Keep in mind, after all that I made no money from ordering that test, did a fuck ton of work, and got screamed at for it.


Maou201

No one thinks it's about your money dumbass, it's that they think you just want to get out of doing "a fuck ton of work" as you put it when its their mental and physical health on the line. Your just completely missing the point, when people have something wrong with them and they don't know what it is and a doctors response is 'I don't know go home' or 'nothings wrong with you' when they unlike you know for a fact that something is wrong cause they are you know? in pain, of course they will be pissed at you.


african_or_european

I don't know what tests should be run. That's what you're for. If you run a series of tests and they comes back normal, that doesn't mean there isn't a problem. It means that your initial hypothesis about what the problem is was incorrect and it's time to move on to the next hypothesis, not to give up and just shrug at me. Don't confuse people who have something wrong with them and need help with Karens who think they know better than you.


[deleted]

"I don't know what tests should be run, but the ones you did run weren't the right ones" I get your frustration, but you realize how ignorant that is right?


african_or_european

I didn't say they were the wrong ones. I said they didn't confirm your initial hypothesis as to what was wrong. If I stopped at this point in _my_ job, I wouldn't _have_ a job, so why is it that what so many doctors seem to think it's ok to stop there?


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african_or_european

For starters, explain that to the patient. If I was made to feel a doctor had done everything they reasonably could, I wouldn't blame them for medicine being unable to deal with a problem. I'm sure some people would still blame you, but if a doctor genuinely tried and simply ran out of options, that would be a huge improvement over what most of the people I know who suffer from chronic illnesses deal with.


Med2021Throwaway

Dude, don’t engage, no one here wants to listen to reason, they just want to vent.


OliviaNPope

How many of y’all with GI issues get told it’s depression or possibly childhood trauma?


Mobyswhatnow

I get the classic you worry too much... like yeah I fucking worry when I'm in so much pain it's debilitating and the best you can do it tell me I worry too much.


Devlarski

What else could ail a man so he should think that he need not eateth bread


Chris-The-Lucario

I'm in this picture and I don't like it. Been having several issues for years and every time "it's completely fine". Thank god it's normal for me to have diarrhoea, depression, chronic back pain and other things. I really thought I was sick or something /s


strain_of_thought

Patient to Doctor: "There's a lot of blood everywhere." Doctor to Patient: "Oh, that's normal, humans are supposed to be filled with blood."


thisismyusrnme

"It's probably just stress" Well, gee doc, you're supposed to be one of the best in the country, surely you can lie better than that.


psychothumbs

Frustratingly often this is the right answer though, half of people's seemingly physical ailments are psychological, and more than half of these diffuse difficult to test for ones.


18minusPi2over36

Lab... Results...? Like Dr. House does on TV? Real doctors ask you like 6 general health questions and then consult the totally rigorous crystal ball of "doctor's intuition."


k3rn3

You're just anxious. Here, let me prescribe you a nonsense drug at random. You like Prilosec?


[deleted]

Nah, give them opioids. They usually don’t come back afterwards and if they do they usually just do so they can refill their prescription


k3rn3

Tbh I wish this were still true lol. I get why people think this, but in reality, USA physicians are generally very hesitant to prescribe opioids anymore.


Zeroboy27

But your cholesterol is stable! :)


doctorctrl

My mum went to the doctor and A&E many times with crazy bad stomach pains. Doctors found nothing wrong and my mum went into a serious depression And was convinced she was crazy. I was very young and this affected our family horrible. She couldn't work or social and could barely take care of her kids for over a year. So depressed she didn't mention the pain anymore. Eventually a doctor found kidney stones and just hearing that news my momma came back to me. Later the stones were removed and she had no more physical pain but our family suffered the affects of the depression for man years..


SayYes_ToKetamine

Been living with pelvic floor pain for almost five years now. It's just a part of life. I guess I could get some surgery to relieve pain, but I'm lucky that stretching 20 minutes twice a day helps a lot. I know other's are not so lucky. Chronic pain fucking sucks.


PmMeIrises

I can't breathe. For like 6 years. Lungs are normal, blood is normal, you name it, it's normal. Also 3 different areas of pain. Bones are normal, ligaments are normal, joints are normal, muscles, whatever. All normal. It also took 12+ years to get any help with nerve pain.


MistressLiliana

"It's just because you are overweight."


PoodlePieBlue

My brother got told this for over a decade. Like thanks he's fat we get it why is he in so much pain when he stands. Turns out he had bone spurs bad enough he needed surgery and cadaver bone in his foot.


Disney_Princess_73

Every doctor, this is their answer. Just lose weight. If you just ate better and exercised more. I give them my food log and exercise log and I must be lying. All the tests are normal so I must be eating things and not being truthful on my activity level.


deannevee

Not just doctors. Basically everyone. My dad loves to say “I think you’re using it as an excuse” Like…yes. Yes I am. Sorry I can’t just suck it up and smile. I cried climbing the stairs to my apartment last week. Shits not ok.


AntiqueSoulll

For 2 years, I have been getting sick with cold-like symptoms at least twice a month. High body temperature, bones feel like they will shatter like glass, muscles hurting etc... I don't have any environment to keep me-get me cold, I eat and drink the same things as my wife cooks and eats. I have a good job, I'm happy, I don't have stress, I don't smoke, I don't have much trouble with alcohol, except for 2 beers I drink once a week. I was too healthy to see a doctor until I was 28. But those 2 years passed like hell. The other day, when I finally burst out (I went before and didn't get any results or treatment) and told my doctor about these issues, he told me to wear a thicker jacket and drink plenty of water. I live in Germany and unfortunately I do not have a chance to see a specialist doctor without this doctor directing me. My whole body swells up like a balloon sometimes, my nose konkas get swollen, i can't breath from my nose, it looks like an allergy, but I don't get a runny nose, I don't sneeze, I don't cough, and also my tolerance to alcohol has decreased tremendously. While 2 years ago, I could easily drink an amount that can be said to be above the average, I suddenly started to get extremely drunk with 2-3 beers, to deal with nausea for 2-3 days, to defecate with an odor similar to the smell of grass when it rains. I had my tonsils removed as my body temperature often rose above 40 degrees - in another country, on the advice of another doctor. My illness continues, but I no longer see 40 degrees as before. I know something is wrong with my stomach and bowels, I can feel it but I guess there's nothing I can do until things get more serious and they send me to the emergency room at the hospital. Frankly, I don't know what to do. And yes, all of the tests that my doctor asked for, are clean-healthy. "Wear a jacket and drink water" - a german doctor.


MackerelShaman

If you can, have someone test for Mast Cell disorders. They are responsible for inflammatory and histamine production, and some people can get over-activation problems. I think there’s a blood test.


terrytapeworm

Holy shit, I have every symptom of that including worsening allergic reactions and have been to tons of doctors and rheumatologists and have NEVER heard of this. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Seriously. Thank you for mentioning it.


A-bird-or-something

That's a tough one. I'd keep bugging your doctor about it until they refer you to a specialist.


Pippin4242

Have they done your bloods? I'm an absolute amateur but it sort of sounds like De Quervain's (subacute) thyroiditis.


FashionRaptor

Post covid here 😉


PoodlePieBlue

Literally just went through this "good news your x-rays are normal" thanks why do my joints hurt so fuckin bad!?


Turtleships

The osseous structures are only a part of your joint. There’s muscles, ligaments, tendons, vasculature, nerves, which can’t really be assessed well with X-ray. MRI would be the modality of choice as part of the work up, but unfortunately, they’re expensive and insurance will do everything they can to deny them.


HaloGuy381

This was me after I went into a cardiologist for abnormally high heart rate and blood pressure months ago. Weeks of tests and -nothing-. That said, a sleep study caught sleep apnea, the real culprit. Shame that it’s only in a week or so I finally can speak to a doctor about that, and who knows when I’ll get any treatment. I feel like I’ve got a foot in the grave already with how the condition has deteriorated. Let’s hope they can work a miracle.


RustyFuzzums

Fortunately, CPAP machines tend to be quickly approved by insurance, and the improvement in sleep is astounding


MawsonAntarctica

IF you get on a CPAP machine, after a few nights of getting used to the machine you will LITERALLY have a night and day difference in mood/energy, etc. CPAP is one of the wonder treatments out there. There are surgeries that alleviate apnea but are only in the 20% success range or so. CPAP is about 95%. Miracles can happen.


MeeseFleece

What about when you have a test result come back NOT normal, and they still don't do anything 😐


BBchick85

Or: if you lose some weight. Your problem will go away 😞


[deleted]

I asked my doctor for help with headaches, he said is wasnt a migrane cause it was on both sides and that my blood tests were normal so it was just stress. I found out like two years later it was a brain tumor.


gameshark56

God, this is a fuckin bullseye of a meme. "Have you considered... it's all in your head?" Everything in my power not to un-phd his brain.


Lizzyamaranthe

“maybe try losing some weight? have you thought of physical therapy? maybe it’s childhood trauma” me, with knees the size of fucking melons, unable to walk, pain stretching from my hips to my ankles with clear labs but EVERY SINGLE rheumatoid arthritis symptom…


ElonsOrbitingTesla

Had stomach pain for years and my old doctor kept throwing various meds at me. I moved about a year ago, got a new doctor, and she quickly found out my gallbladder was fucked. Had surgery and the pain was completely gone. My old doctor just told me it was anxiety induced stomach pain 😒


justanotherjayd

I had that problem with gallbladder. Almost 4 years of having stomach problems and the tests and ultrasounds never showed anything. Had a few attacks, went to ER and still nothing... Here take some omeprazol. I finally got operated on after I had a massive attack and was hospitalised. Fun times


DRbrtsn60

This is sooooo spot on. And you cannot get them to listen or care. Their last resort card to play is suggesting therapy.


ThorDoubleYoo

My back has been in constant pain for 2 years now, I feel this... and can't stop feeling it :)


hallowinning1

I have never laughed so hard. My boyfriend came in to see why I was rolling on the floor. Can I order 17 copies to send to my Drs please and thanks?


ryuya3579

Lately I’m really mistrusted of doctors since I almost got paralyzed thanks to an ashole that said “o no you’re just insane, you should see a psychiatrist” when I was literally having nerval sistem poisoning (or close enough) by a literal drug that another doctor prescribed, I could have literally lost my legs and arms because ashole 1 didn’t know better to do exams before prescribing a dangerous drug, and ashole 2 didn’t know HOW TO DO A FUCKING EXAM… .no wonder anti vaxers exist men, most medics are not trustworthy


Mymarathon

Omg which drugs?


mrz0loft

Doctors don't give a shit unless you're old and/or look almost dead


Diamondlady2312

Even when you are old and almost dead they don't do shit.


mycatisspockles

Doctors don’t do shit if you’re old either. Saw it with all of my grandparents. Their ailments were constantly downplayed/ignored. It’s only once they ended up with cancer or heart issues that anyone gave a shit and actually tried.


mrz0loft

Damn that is disheartening but it's good to know that from the get go, I guess our health is truly only in our hands in this world


Iron_Wolf_7801

KEKW. I feel this in every level possible


Dizzy_Sprinkles_9294

It slaps.


enough0729

This belongs to me too as an ibs patient


Reasonable-Image-824

Hypothyroidism!!!


SaturnVenus

Right in the feels


alaurv

this one is like a shot to the heart


paraddidler13

… sigh


Roseandwolf

Spent $1000 for them to say your lab results are normal. Bruh


OldLadyT-RexArms

My favorite thing that keeps happening is that my autoimmune test results keep coming up positive and, despite having things like hearing loss/tinnitus (Meniere's Disease symptoms), extreme fatigue especially in the eyes near the end of the day (Myesthenia Gravis symptoms) and despite my dad having RA; doctors just look at my normal results, ignore my multitude of disabilities and go: you're ok.


Ashaliedoll

Probably just *anxiety*


Xerxeesftw

We found nothing remarkable in your lab results… thanks doc!! I’ll just continue with my disabling issues.


TheBestNarcissist

As a doctor (dentist) who sees the occasional chronic pain patient and I can't figure out what's wrong, these make me feel the worse. If I can't figure out the problem, I can't figure out how to help. It sucks.


MichaelWestenOP

That's why you do what I've been doing. Get your lab results and start researching. Then tell the doctors what they should be doing because these clowns go to school for 8 years strictly for the money, that's it.


Hombre_de_Vitruvio

Downright insulting to my profession. I’ve spent 4 years of my life studying like crazy in medical school. Foregoing a salary and going massively into debt. Only to go on to residency to make on average mid-60k (see how much work is involved for this salary below) for another 4 years under the license of an attending physician. I spent my first year as a internal medicine resident physician during the first surge of COVID. You’re right that we had no idea what was going on - I was honest and up front with my patients. I worked 80+ hour weeks. I’ve been an anesthesiology resident for two years now. I safely take care of my patients for surgery - ranging from elective cosmetic procedures, open heart surgery, strokes and traumas. I continue to work 60-80 per week. All 3 years I have missed birthdays, weddings and funerals. I work my butt off to provide the best care I can for my patients. I don’t have a choice. I cannot leave my residency or switch to a different location because residency programs for the last stage of physician training prohibit it. Financially I continue to remain in debt hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Physicians make a relatively high salary after all this post-graduate training in order to pay off debts and play catch up on things like retirement. Long story short this is not something that people do strictly for the money. Calling me a clown is insulting.


Okiefrom_Muskogee

That’s a really disheartening sentiment. This current generation of doctors has sacrificed more than any generation of doctors before when it comes to dedicating our lives to the pursuit of medicine. We all take on over $200k in debt (on average), have way more to learn (due to rapidly expanding medical understanding/discoveries), and do all of this because we actually care about people. Medicine is not a job that makes you uber rich anymore yet we do it because we truly want to help others. I work in emergency medicine and I always ask my patients what their biggest concern is and if feasible work to rule that out (either via history and exam, labs/imaging, or ultimately referral if initial testing is unrevealing). I’m sorry you’ve had what sounds to be unfortunate interactions with doctors in the past but please don’t generalize all of us. So you know: I’m in my 30s, have over $260k in debt, have less than $20k in savings, have delayed starting a family, all due to my passion for wanting to help take care of others. I could have pursued lots of other more profitable and less time consuming jobs but didn’t and wouldn’t change a thing. I love taking care of patients.


AllURFuckinWeirdos

Don’t take any of what’s in this thread personally, a lot of the people in here expect doctors to magically make them feel better without having to do any work themselves. As someone with an AI condition who’s in and out of hospitals consistently, I truly appreciate the work you do.


badcat_kazoo

Doctor: Your problem can be solved by regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a balanced diet. Patient: nah, don’t want to do any of that.


RememberBigHenry

That's a mood.


Yomi_Lemon_Dragon

"Great! What fucking now then? :)"


Lizzyamaranthe

me. i have all the symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis but my labs are clean. so they won’t refer me to a rheumatologist and i have no treatment


pm_cheesecakes

Doctors are dog shit when they can't figure out what is wrong. Here's a ton of meds to ruin your liver now to away


FlutterByCookies

Did you know that there are markers in your blood that rise if you are in pain ? Yeah, I have heard that's a thing, and if yours are LOW, but you are ya know, in pain, Doctors treat you like a drug seeking asshole who is wasting their time. Or maybe, I dunno, peoples NATURAL levels of things vary, and 'high end of normal' could be crazy high for someone and low for another.


OhJeezItsCorrine

Psychosomatic symptoms are possible. If you don't feel as if you've been treated correctly, you have a legal right to a second opinion. Sorry to offer a solution.