Lesson 2: Medical Resources.
Dealing with doctors who are skeptical about fibro. How to find the right doctor for you. When should you see a specialist? And what kinds of specialists are best for you.
Finding the Right Doctors
Many of us have two good reasons for finding a doctor who can not only treat us, but who "believes in" fibromyalgia.
I put that term in quotes intentionally. Some doctors use it as a catch-all term for anyone who has some aches and pains that the doctor can't find a physical cause for. Remember - fibro doesn't show up in a blood test or on an X-ray. Most of those doctors attribute our symptoms to nerves, or depression. In other words, if all of our tests show up negative, to those doctors our fibro is all in our heads. And we usually are depressed - because our real physical problems aren't being treated.
Generally those doctors may give the patient medication for the depression they believe to be the root of all the problems. And that is simply not enough.
There may not be a cure for fibromyalgia, but there are treatments that will allow us to function if not normally at least enough that we don't feel useless and handicapped. For that reason alone, fibro sufferers or those who think they may be suffering from it need to find doctors who understand what fibro is all about and are willing to work with them to see how we can best improve their quality of life and our ability to function.
Another good reason to find a doctor who believes in fibromyalgia is that those of us who find that we can no longer carry out the demands of our jobs may find that we need to apply for disability, whether it is through Social Security or through insurance we have taken out at work.
My own first doctor thought my "fibro" was all in my head. When it came time for him to fill out my paperwork he was extremely uncooperative. Needless to say, my claim was not approved and I spent a year without income while I scrambled to find a new and better-informed doctor and appeal the decision. I wish I could say my case was unusual, but in fact it is all too typical.
After going through Lesson One you may be pretty certain that you have fibro, even if you haven't already been officially diagnosed. Finding a doctor who will work with you and understand the true nature of the beast is critical.
While we will deal with disability claims in another lesson, we will deal here with finding a doctor who will understand what you are suffering and how best to help you to cope.
Keep in mind that the doctor who says that you are depressed is probably right. But the depression isn't causing your pain - it is caused by it. Some people have dragged around to different doctors for months or years, only to get the shake of the head and the quick dismissal as a hypochondriac. Of course we're depressed! Being in pain and also being dismissed is reasonable cause.
So let's examine the options.
