I hate having to meet new doctors. They make suggestions that I cannot do and then act like I am being a bad patient because I am not following their ideas where as they are the ones that don't understand SCI. I had an appointment with an endocrinologist because of what appears to be hormonal changes. He was worried about my lack of exercise and suggested that I do aerobics. Because I can walk, people assume that my SCI doesn't affect me or they don't know I have SCI. I explained that I have a spinal cord injury and can't do aerobics. Then he suggested water aerobics. He didn't understand that extra movement during the day causes a lot of pain at night or sets off muscle spasms. Sometimes, if I am up too long just sitting at the computer desk, the nights are bad because the spine stretches pulling at my nerves which cause the pain to set in. I didn't feel like explaining everything to him and just shut up. I felt it was pointless. He had no experience with SCI and I did not have the patience to teach him. The worst doctor was one of physical medicine who tried to tell me that I did not have neuropathy because it was a diabetic problem. He referred to it as "sock and mitten" type of problem. (He might have said sock and glove, can't remember.) I tried to tell him what another doctor of physical medicine (the best doctor that I had ever had) had said about neuropathy and that there were different types, the diabetic thing, but also one that affected organs (from disease or injury to the nerves), and the one that I had that affected muscles and sensation caused by the SCI. He was adamant that I was wrong. I left thinking he was a major idiot and I didn't go back.
Now, I am trying to figure out if I want to go through all the test this last doctor wants me to do or if there is any way to see a new doctor. He is a specialist, so I don't know how difficult it will because my primary doctor cleared it with insurance and got the referral. I don't want to seem difficult, but I don't want to waste my time. *sigh* Sorry about spelling errors. I'm a horrible speller. Candle "Scars remind of us where we’ve been, they don’t have to dictate where we are going." ~David Rossi of Criminal Minds ***********************************************************************
