Hi Trans22
I'm so glad Eagle Ray has been able to give you a relatable perspective and much support. It can make so much of a difference when someone's able to say, I understand how you feel because I can relate to some of the overwhelming, stressful and/or depressing challenges you've faced.
When it comes to specialists, I figure the best ones are great detectives. Like any great detective, they'll listen carefully to the witness (the person who's witness to all their own symptoms or feelings), they'll seek plenty of clues (both the obvious clues and the least obvious ones) and they'll open their mind to possibilities. Their job is not to simply focus on the usual suspects.
It's terrible that you've had to go through so much challenge, so much torment and so much upset to be able to reach the conclusion that you fall outside the norm when it comes to certain conditions. I think when specialists will only diagnose through textbook cases and/or only reference similar cases to ones they've come across before, it doesn't do the patient/client any favours. Give me a wonderful detective any day, one who'll wonder to the degree where they'll ask around to see whether any colleagues have come across what a patient/client seems to be suffering from or they'll do some other further research into it.
While I've never cut a GP or specialist out of my life for misdiagnosing, I have cut them out for refusing to listen carefully to me. I figure, if you're going to ignore clues from one of your best witnesses, you're not the best detective for the job. I recall some years back when I presented to my GP with what appeared to be an anxiety attack. These symptoms had started to become more frequent and they were increasing in intensity. My GP said 'We'll start you on anti anxiety meds'. My response was 'No, I don't experience anxiety. This is not anxiety. I need you to figure out what it is'. He insisted I make another appointment to discuss the meds further. I sought a 2nd opinion as things started to get worse. Long story short, the 2nd GP ordered a brain MRI scan and based on what I consider to be a miracle, I was having a full on migraine in the MRI machine. What I had been experiencing were silent migraines (migraines without headaches) that were setting off my nervous system. The 2nd doctor listened carefully and wondered. The first one refused to listen or wonder beyond the idea of anxiety.
I think there are times where we gotta push things and be insistent. There are times where we have to fully trust what we feel and not be led to doubt our self or our feelings/symptoms. And there are times where we should be referred for continuing investigation, as opposed to simply being told 'Sorry, can't help you' or 'What you're going through is just a part of life' (grrr😡). Btw, got told that 2nd one by a GP after making an appointment based on a serious and depressing lack of energy. Second opinion revealed sleep apnea. There should be a money back guarantee at the end of receiving no help or no difference at all. After all, we're not paying for no answers or to experience no difference at all. Based on our experiences, I think we're eventually able to develop a good sense of whether someone's an excellent detective or not, if our time and money are well spent or not. A key clue is if we become excited by their attitude, as opposed to being disheartened by it. Two very different feelings indeed.
