ow.

[shadesong]

So. All week, I've been having that hip pain that sometimes becomes back and leg pain. Intermittently. And my back's been oversensitive, hurting like crazy when I lie down even though I *swear* I haven't exerted myself at all that day.

Today I cleaned the house at warp speed, as we were being very last-minute-y for the meeting. And now I'm in serious pain, not just when I lie down, not just when I bend, but constant pain. Which is the first time *that's* happened.

*small voice* I think I need to go to the doctor.

I hate doctors.

I don't think I've been to a doctor in, umm.... three years now? Maybe more? Because I've never had a good doctor. I have the assholes that don't even let you finish listing your symptoms before telling you it's all in your head (it was like pulling teeth to get my glucose test). The ones who don't listen (I was handed a packet of Tylenol Sinus after describing severe *chest* congestion). So I gave up on going. Generally, the only thing I'll accept that I need medical treatment for is the occasional sinus infection (snorting methamphetamines will fuck your sinuses up. Don't do drugs, kids! (I'm going to be 8 years clean in November, go me!)), and for that, my mom's boss - a podiatrist - will just call in a scrip for amoxicillin.

But. This back thing?

I might need to actually go to a doctor.

Which should tell you how bad it is.

Comments

[eudaimonia.livejournal.com]

I would strongly suggest trying to find a good massage therapist. I have fought that battle for years (I have scoliosis in my lower back as well as bad hips after multiple pregnancies) and after we moved last time I hurt my back and hips so bad I couldn't walk. Literally. I found Paula, who is a licensed medical massage therapist who came to my house and worked with me. It took about 4 sessions because I was so messed up but man, did she work a miracle! I highly recommend massage therapy. It sounds like you've got some stuff out of place, possibly a sciatic nerve thing going on.

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

My mom advises writing down the things you need to talk about on a list and starting off with, "I have THREE things I need to ask you about." She also strongly advise finding a female doctor.

[voltbang.livejournal.com]

I remember reading an article somewhere on-line, doctors have a derogatory nickname for the women who come in with their lists on paper, and their newspaper clippings about the latest ailment they might have or treatment they might need. I can't recall the nickname, but depending on your doctor, that approach may just get you filed in with the hypochondriacs.

I have no good advice though, for finding doctors. I go to a chiroprator for my back, and I went to an orthopedist when I broke my leg, other than that I haven't been to a docotr for like 8 years, and that was the student health center, once for a UTI and once because I cut my finger kinda sorta pretty badly but it didn't come off so how bad could it really have been anyway?

Re:

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

It's kind of a catch-22. Your alternative, as a female, to not bringing a list is often to be mis- and or under-treated.

[voltbang.livejournal.com]

Yes, women do seem to get shitty treatment from doctors. Becky was told she wasn't pregnant, because her shitty doctor was reading the wrong test result. Some of these things seem like they shouldn't be gender specific, misreading test results (although there are no male patients in that office), but I've never had anything like that happen to me. On the other hand, I haven't dealt with many doctors. My last two doctors visits were "I'm fertile" and "my leg is broken", both pretty specific unarguable problems.

[dorei.livejournal.com]

The trick to remember is that you are a customer/client. And as such, the doctor/vendor needs to provide good customer service. If he/she isn't listening to you, you simply go to a different one. It's exhausting, yes, but at least then you'll find someone who will actually take the time to listen to your list of complaints before jumping on the first available diagnosis just so he can get you out of his examination room and on to the next like some assembly line.

The reason why you really need to go is that your list of symptoms could mean nothing, but they could also mean the start of any number of serious problems, such as MS, or Parkinsons. If you want to make sure the doc will actually hear all the symptoms, write them down ahead of time. The pains that you have ... how long ago did they start and when and where are they and how often do they occur? The hand tremors. How long have they occurred and under what conditions do they occur? etc., etc.

Good luck.

Dr Fandango speaks

[juanfandango.livejournal.com]

Juan Fandango wonder eef hees leetle meenion Shadesong has sciatica, wheech ees a nasty leetle theeng even the great Juan Fandango have sometime. Eet make heem unable to get up one morneeng, and he geegleeng een pain on thee bed.

[silme.livejournal.com]

Maybe a massage therapist or chiropractor if you're not sure about an actual medical doctor. Ask friends and colleagues for a referral. I have lucked out with my two GPs in the UK, one in Surrey and one down here -- they listen and believe me. (I've had doctors not take me seriously until I'm really sick.) They are both women. I don't know if that makes a difference since I'm sure there are horrid female doctors out there. However, maybe women relate better to women.

Good luck! Hugs -- carefully around that back.

ask friends with "in your head"-type problems for recommendations

[boojum.livejournal.com]

If you end up going to an actual doctor, asking friends who have problems that are commonly declared to be in their heads might help. If someone with CFD or fibro likes a doc, that doc is probably less likely to pull the "if it's not a broken bone, you're faking it" shit. Take my words with a grain of salt though, since my medical problems are usually respiratory, and most docs will accept crunchy-sounding lungs as legitimate symptoms.

Re: ask friends with "in your head"-type problems for recommendations

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Good idea! I do have a friend with fibromyalgia; I'll ask her....

Re: ask friends with "in your head"-type problems for recommendations

[voltbang.livejournal.com]

You have at least two on your friends list that I know of...

[silme.livejournal.com]

Maybe a massage therapist or chiropractor if you're not sure about an actual medical doctor. Ask friends and colleagues for a referral for an MD if necessary. I have lucked out with my two GPs in the UK, one in Surrey and one down here -- they listen and believe me. (I've had doctors not take me seriously until I'm really, truly, horribly sick.) They are both women. I don't know if that makes a difference since I'm sure there are horrid female doctors out there. However, maybe women relate better to women.

Good luck! Hugs -- carefully around that back.

[mfree.livejournal.com]

I have to agree wholeheartedly with yourdrkangel... search a bit, find a doctor that *listens* and doesn't cookie-cutter you, and then by all means get treatment.

There's no *really* good reason to keep walking around in pain...

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

I'm agreeing with all of the above, with a few more suggestions. For this *particular* case, go to a chiropractor FIRST. They're far more likely to listen to you about joint pain than an MD. And second, next time you're *ill*, find yourself a DO, NOT an MD. I've had far, FAR more success with DO's. They *listen*, and they try to treat the whole body, and the illness itself, not just the symptoms.

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

Umm, you know, just the .02 cents from the gal who deals with idiot doctors doing research every day who can't read the instructions on the forms. (I had my weekly rant on Friday --"These people cannot READ! And we let them write prescriptions?!?" which has very, very *seldom* ever been applied to anyone except an MD or PhD.)

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

CMT is a possibility; DO is another one. Yet another is acupuncture. As I've said elsejournal, jenkitty had excellent results with Dr. Lee treating her RSI/tendonitis...

But yeah, whatever route you go, I've seen people get far better far quicker with anything but a regular old MD when it comes to quirky things like nerves and pain that don't have obvious causes....

Mmm. It also crosses my mind that I've seen some pretty amazing things done wtih Reki....

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

The Reiki she's getting, darlin'. I spent about an hour this afternoon working on her back (and kelrick's), and expect to be doing more this evening.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Good. Even from remote, that'll help.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Thank you thank you! :)

Re:

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

The question is, is it helping?

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

It did last night. The pain's back this morning, though. :(

[vill.livejournal.com]

OK, as a massage therapist....

1. In the short term, ice the part that hurts, 15 minutes at a time. Since it's an acute thing, you don't want to put heat on it. Don't go running around until it's warmed back up once you take off the ice, though.
2. See a massage therapist or a chiropractor.

Without getting you on a table, I can't really tell you anything other than that.

[dorei.livejournal.com]

I've had good luck from Nurse Practitioners and Osteopaths. MD's do tend to think they know everything, even tho they don't. When I was having problems that looked like hypoglycemia, the nurse-prac sent me for blood work, but said that even if the tests didn't show up as positive for it, I should still treat it as such. She actually agreed that there are those who suffer from it who may not have it show up in tests. Go her!