dr made me feel a fraud

amet1

well saw gp last night for results of mri, wear and tear which he says is not osteo arthritis and narrowing at c3 c4 c5, which he says can explain the numbness and pain in arms ,wear and tear at l3,l4,l5 not arthritis and does not explain numbness and pain at base of spine.referral to physio,even though i still do everything just a lot slower!!!!!!!so what do i know well in his words i know what i havnt got.....great help......not,i do have reynauds diagnosed 2 years ago, i do have carpel tunnel(orthopeadic surgeon) diagnosed 18 months ago,i have osteo of both thumbs and lumps on fingers,i have a fixed displacement of left ankle and heel spur on right heel,diagnosed by xray 8 years ago following a nasty fall,so why do i feel a fraud well because what i have got is ignored, i have a supperating hole in back from a tick bite that left its head in 12 years ago that he wont even look at and enough problems that have been confirmed ,i cant get a referral to rheumatologist, the closest i got was a rheumatologist at xmas that saw my daughter for tinu who had a quick look at me as he thinks my daughter and me have the same underlying condition that is causing her major kidney and eye problems and he said he was convinced i have behchets,but cannot get past gp,cant live like this anymore i really need to see someone to talk to about what is going on that will take all my symptoms and listen gp says take symptoms individually and as i am sero neg he says i do not have auto immune disease because of this i feel i am quickly going mad, and not coping now at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP PLEASE

knuckleduster

Hello amet1

Feel so very sorry for you as you seem to have to many painful problems to cope with at the moment. Would it be possible for you to take someone with you when you next visit your doctor as there is always strength in numbers. Or possibly change your doctor if you are not happy with his treatment of you. Can't understand why he won't look at the hole in your back caused by a tick bite. I don't know anything about such matters, but I would have thought with appropriate treatment this would have cleared up.
Have you spoken to the Arthritis Care team for help?

On the whole, I don't think doctors intend to make their patients feel frauds, it's just that they are so very busy and with 5 or even 10 minute slots they and the patients feel rushed. Sometimes I feel I would like an hour with my doctor to put me right but I know that is never going to happen.

Hope matters soon improve for you and you are soon on the path to the right treatment programme.

Janet x

frogmella

Hi,

How odd that your GP is saying wear and tear is not OA. I think they have taken to calling it wear and tear so that we think we should just suck it up and get on with it!

I have OA (wear and tear!) at l4l45 after having l5s1 fused three years ago. I have read all about it since finding out that that is what is causing my pain. It seems that different people suffer differently and what some people can live with with no pain others are in agony and vice versa. Sometimes it is refered to as mild, moderate etc but that has little bearing on the pain suffered.

I have awful back pain, accompanied by leg and foot pain etc. When I finally saw an understanding surgeon I said I couldn't believe all that pain could be caused by a little bit of arthritis, but he said it could. In fact I have had the proof because I had steroid injections into the joints 10 weeks ago and it cured me!! It is wearing off now and I am struggling this week, but, yes, a "little bit of wear and tear" pretty much stoppped me in my tracks. I am 36 and pretty active - I swim, walk etc but couldn't even get out of bed some days.

Can you get in to see another GP? I know I have been lucky recently with my GP because, like a lot of us back pain people, I tend to be quite stoic so when I say I am in pain I tend not to be believed! Thing is that for me to say I am in pain I am in real pain! I have seen some GPs who just say that I have to expect back pain because of having had surgery!

I am "lucky" because I have BUPA so could get refered privately, I am now on my third surgeon and at last this one believes me! But it has taken a lot of persisitence to get this far. I have had one heck of a fight!

I have to say though that physio is one of the things that should help you even if it is arthrits. I am doing physio to strengthen my core etc and to loosen all the muscles that have gone tight. It is also another person to talk to about your symptoms and to get advice.

I wish you well and hope that things can improve for you soon.

xx

amet1

took my husband with me hes not at all happy either with the doctor or with me!!!! he told the dr i am in severe pain most of the time but i just wanted to get away from the gp and cry, i did ask him whether the wear and tear was osteo arthritis and he said NO THE MRI REPORT SAID WEAR AND TEAR AND IF IT WAS OA THE REPORT WOULD HAVE STATED THAT.sorry for the caps but he was emphatic that wear and tear was not oaand he could not understand why i had any pain in my legs as the mri did not suggest a reason. so i am left with the only explaination that my leg pain are all in my head how do i deal with that

valval

is it possible to see different doc or change practice your doc does not know what he is talking about and there is no excuse for leaving you in so much pain. it is not in your head do not let them make you feel like this it is there problem not yours so look for another doc see if any one on here can pm you with doc in your area that is good val

barbara12

Hi amet1
The others have said it all really, but I have been made to feel a fraud in the past, till I got another doctor and physio to look at my xrays, and it was like they were reading something totally different fro my first GP
So you get a second opinion ...
I do wish you well with everything x

frogmella

I am sorry that you are being made to feel this way. Just an MRI report is not very useful - you could do with a specialist looking at it with you rather than a radiographer that has never met you making a report.

Can you get to see another GP and/or ask to be refered to a spinal specialist? Maybe if you got refered for the cervical issues that are causing acknowledged symptoms you could get looked at for the lumbar and leg pain at the same time?


I don't think the pain is all in your head at all. I have lived with this awful pain for years and it does make you feel like you are losing your mind. It doesn't help when drs say that can't see why you are in such pain. Sometimes nerve involvement isn't seen clearly on an MRI. Has the GP offered you any nerve pain meds like amitriptyline or gabapentin?

I hope that you can get seen by a doctor who cares.

Big hugs (())

bubbadog

Hi, you should be allowed to see another G.P in the practice so that is a possibility, or if you really feel your getting no where the other alternative is see someone privately I did that when I was getting no where with my old G.P I had a 2nd opinion and paid to see someone privately and I took that report and changed doctor's surgery's and my new G.P is wonderful took the report from the Private doctor and started from scratch with that. Now I feel happier that thinks are alot more forward.

stickywicket

I don't know much about spines but two things occur to me.
1. As others have said, go to a different doc in the practice.
2. If your daughter's rheumatologist is convinced you have Behchets, could she ask at the next visit if her rheumatologist would write a letter to your GP to that effect?

deedeeitsme

Hi...I know exactly how you feel but my problem is with rheumy rather than my gp. My first rheumy report showed inflammation in my sacroilliac joint, some sclerosis and other irregularities, my second rheumy, the first had left to wirk abroad, said I was fine and it was probably fibromyalgia, all this without even looking at xray (she had xray of hands in front of her and mine was pelvis) I left there feeling very dejected, angry and yes, like a fraud and doubting my symptons but I made an appointment to see my gp and he was very sympathetic, listened to what I had to say (I had not seen this gp before but see him regularly now) said he couldn't understand the conflicting opinions and the xray evidence does not just go away and he is sending me for a second opinion at a different hospital.

Please go to another gp and insist on seeing a rheumatologist, it is your right. I had to fight all the other gps to even get an xray done but I actually sat in the consulting room and refused to move until she said she would refer me to a rheumy. You have got to be assertive sometimes to get yourself heard.

Take care x Dee x

amet1

just really down today before i left dr said he was going to try and phone me about a blood test to do with my back that he wouldnt look at surprise surprise no phone call feel in limbo,would like to insist on an appt with rheumatologist but dont know how to get one i just feel i need to see someone maybe the orthopod i saw at the hospital 2 years ago she was lovely but didnt give me much hope for my hands as there is permanent nerve damage so i didnt proceed with ops route which i regret now as it was an in into the hospital system and i lost my chance.

deedeeitsme

You need a doctor to refer you to rheumy. Either insist you see one by asking the gp you are already seeing or change your gp and ask them. You have got to be insistant. Don't leave the gps surgery until you have got a referral. Take care x Dee x

amet1

thank you all did what you all suggested happy bunny today

dreamdaisy

I thought that GPs defined OA as the 'wear and tear' form of arthritis, i.e. caused by the viccisitudes of life. I know the thinking on that is changing as there may be evidence that there is a genetic factor but even so please see another doctor. Don't concern yourself about upsetting anyone - they're upsetting you and you're the patient so blow big fat raspberries to them and I hope you can find a more empathetic doctor. DD