Day 4 Question to ponder

What was the most disheartening thing a doctor has told you about your symptoms? In what ways have you kept that in your mind?

There have been so many options to choose from because of the various experiences with doctors and therapists over a 2 and a half year period and how I would feel afterwards

When narrowed down to something more specifically said, it would have been one of my visits to the spinal consultant at the local hospital

Over a period of time he was the one who had order 2 sets of MRI scans, a CT scan and later on some blood work

He was also the man I got referred back to see from time to time if I was to be referred elsewhere (eg to see an osteopath) where our £150 30-minute appointments were simply a drawn out conversation

He was a nicer, more compassionate, sympathetic guy compared to a couple other people especially (who had zero compassion for how I was feeling), all the same...probably my worst experience with words was with him

What was said was something along the lines of....'you've got some degeneration but its nothing over and above what you'd expect for a 40 year old. What I can say is it will (the pain etc) get better. Might take 2 years, might take 5 but its not forever. Its not like you will get to sixty and still be like this!'

This was about 2 years ago (after about 6 months of pain, disability and medication on an hour by hour basis)

I was devastated already because of how I felt and the torturous nature of dealing with that physical and mental pain day after day, week after week, month after month

This just left me stunned
Like there was going to be so much more of it
And the uncertainty of how long that would be (therefore the effect on my life, livelihood etc)
Could it therefore go on until I was say 55? (given the reference to 60(
the feelings of hopelessness that there was no one that could help me, even this consultant who while a nice guy, simply exuded 'I have no clue whatsoever'
Obviously the fact that he mentioned something structural will have played on my mind as well - probably more than I would have admitted at the time

Remember being in tears afterwards
Feelings of going insane, hopelessness, loneliness and desperation to name a few

Makes stomach churn just thinking of it all

 

Hi, Bachman. Some doctors can really upset us, and they're good at at sending us to specialists for exams (probably their golf partners). No wonder you had those feelings afterwards. Anyone would have. I've had my share of those kind of doctors.

 

Yes, the flippant remarks can be devastating and add to hopelessness and pain. I've had grim news regarding what could be going on with my spine and that's when you have to trust dr sarno. My neck pain has gone, my tinnitus is receding. Have you read or listened to steve ozanich? He's a big fan of dr sarno and wrote "the great pain deception". He's on YouTube. Keep listening on YouTube to the tms success stories, think postively. Don't read/watch/listen to anything about back pain that you know dr sarno wouldn't approve of. I too was in despair, but I'm not scared any more.

 

The most disheartening thing a doctor told me was 4 yrs ago ..... I went to see an orthopedic hip doctor because I was having terrible hip and pelvic pain. He told me I'm just stressed because I'm a new mother and just had a baby. I told him no I know my body and I know something is wrong. 3 doctors later I found out I had severe hip impingement and a labral tear in hip and needed surgery. The doctor hurt my feelings and made me so angry thinking I was a newly stressed mother.