dumb things your doctors have said

[kevieb]

Since it can be so discouraging to deal with this stuff--let's cheer ourselves up a little and share some of the stupid things doctors have said to us.

We are friend with a family who have been to our same family doctor.  I have been trying to help the 30 yr old daughter figure out what her endocrine problems might be.  Her mother used to work for our family doc as a nurse.  One day, when talking to the daughter about some information I had gotten for her, she told me, "My mom says that Dr, so and so doesn't like you because you know more than he does."

I started to giggle about it and said, "does Dr. so and so not like me?  Did he actually say something, or did your mom just get that impression."

I still think it is funny---because he has been wrong a few times when i was right---plus I've had several things that he has never heard of---but he is all we've got right now.

[kevieb]

definitely stupid doctors!!!

[Buckupnow]

A GP that I recently saw to get some antibiotics for a sinus infection said " it's Addison's disease".  I said " I have tertiary adrenal Insufficiency caused from Prednisone".  He said "that's just how you got it....it's still Addison's disease and it destroys connective tissue.".   Stupid doctors!

[juliemi]

While I was withdrawing from steroids, the first endo I went to was not strong on listening.  When I told him I felt nauseous and lightheaded 24/7, he told my PCP that I didn't have either of those symptoms in his report to her after our appointments.  Because of the constant nausea, I wasn't eating much, yet I was gaining weight (others around me even commented that I shouldn't be able to keep weight on with as little as I was eating).  When I told him I felt like my system was stuck and didn't understand how I could be gaining weight, he stared at me blankly and told me to eat less and exercise. Of course, that was also after I told him time and again that even minimal activity made me feel sicker.  That was my last appointment with him.

The next one finally got me off the steroid completely, but gave me a diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome, even though I didn't have any of the symptoms.  He also completely dismissed me when I told him how sick I felt after any activity after I got off the steroids.  He finally did the ACTH test, and when I almost threw up and passed out immediately after he injected me, he told his medical assistant that I was just afraid of needles.  Fortunately, she had poked me enough times to know that wasn't the case and told him that.

Fortunately, my PCP has done enough study on her own to feel comfortable monitoring me now and I don't have to try yet another endo.  She and I have laughed at the letters the endos sent to her because they're pure fiction.

[kevieb]

you've had some winners there--but then--you may be lying about it!!LOL!LOL!

[rumpled]

I kept gaining weight for no reason so the doctor asked me to keep a diet diary. I faithfully put all my food down in a notebook but still gained even though my diet (and exercise) were more than reasonable and even on the low side. She said *you are a chronic over eater in denial and a liar*. I was so upset I even asked my co-workers if I ate all the time and did not think about it, and they said no.

Another doctor did some testing and it was normal so he said - OK! you are fine. I said but the last set were abnormal. He said you are fine now though. I said, look at me (puffy, red, sick), do I look normal? He could not answer. After that I knew he never took the entire *set* into consideration or *looked* at me, just what was on the paper that very moment.

Another doctor I went to see because my ACTH was near 4000. He said it was only high because... my adrenals were removed and that was a mistake. ?!? I finally got him to admit that if a normal person had their adrenals removed, ACTH would only be as high as 600, and he could not understand why it was that high, but for sure it was not my pituitary!!! I did not go to the follow up appointment.