posted
I see some people using the term ducks. What exaclty does that mean?
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
What does a duck say? quack quack.
What does a doctor say when he doesn't understand lyme & company. quack quack
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6495 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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heiwalove
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6467
posted
the lyme community's less-than-affectionate term for doctors who are lyme-ignorant.
posted
I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather
listen to a "quack" than a duck anyday!
Posts: 22 | From Chicago | Registered: Nov 2007
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Peacesoul
Unregistered
posted
I guess I've been lucky enough to never have to face a bad dr in my 13 yr battle for answers.
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heiwalove
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6467
posted
wow peacesoul. you're indeed lucky. your story is unusual among lymies. most of us (especially if we happen to be female!) have been told multiple times that it's 'all in our heads,' that we're crazy, we need a boyfriend, we're stressed because our marriage isn't working, or we have too many kids, or not enough kids, or.. the list goes on, and it's truly sickening.
quote:Originally posted by Peacesoul: I guess I've been lucky enough to never have to face a bad dr in my 13 yr battle for answers.
I find this a fascinating statement. Can you say more about how you've been able to work with doctors who are knowledgeable and respect what you're going through? Without giving names, of course.
Posts: 13171 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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Peacesoul
Unregistered
posted
Well 14 yrs ago when I got ill, I went into a ER because I thought I had the flu. A flu that was not going away. The attending dr in the ER kept me in there for over 6 hrs doing every test possible. They came up with nothing. They asked at the end if maybe I was depressed and anxious and I said "yes I've suffered from panic disorder since I was 18 (I was in my late 20's at the time)and I know this is not my nerves"
Since I never ever saw a dr before this ER visit for anything in my life (was never sick) I asked the ER dr if she would be my Family Dr. She agreed and took me on.
Well the next yr I was in to see her about 10 times. She sent me to a Gastro, an IDS, a Neuro, a ENT and many more. I told each and every one of these dr's my symptoms and not one ever told me it was in my head. They were seriously concerned about why I was always so ill.
Then I was sent to a Rheum because my ANA was always +. This Dr thought I had lupus. I never went for the tests and never went back to any dr from there. I did not want to see anymore dr's or hear "we have no idea what's wrong with you"
I thought I just needed to change my diet and join a gym. I did just that and was getting better by the weeks. I went from having 1 good day a week to 1 bad day a month. I knew there was still something in my body I could not explain though.
I would still see my family dr for check ups and all was good. Everyone was happy. During this time, I would get serious GI issues and would see my Gastro 1-2 times a yr and always have the same complaints and he would do endoscopies and colonoscopies never to find a thing. I would go to my ENT for vertigo. My Neuro for vertigo etc. And again, MRI's and scans would never find a thing. And yet still not one of these dr's ever spoke down to me or questioned my illness. Not one of the over 15 diff dr's I saw ever said it was "all in my head"
So now, one yr ago, my lyme symtpoms went out of control. I went to my family dr and she knew I was really feeling ill. She knew I was stressed and anxious, but knew I was sick from something else. She just didn't know what. I again did the rounds of the Gastro, Neuro, ENT and the Rheum. The Rheum finally sent me for all the tests and he was confident I had Lupus. I was not as confident as him.
I researched and found out about lyme. Went to both dr's and discussed Lyme, they were baffled but again never questioned me. I told them I was going for the Igenex testing. They backed me up and said whatever the outcome, they would support me.
So in the 13 plus years I've been sick, I've either been VERY lucky to have kind dr's or maybe my approach was not laden with hysteria and they just took me seriously. And to be honest, if any dr spoke to me with such disrespect, I would have let them have it and found another dr.
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lymeladyinNY
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 10235
posted
Wow, unbelievable. I mean, I just can't believe you were never spoken to in a disrespectful way.
I've been treated like dog-doo many, many times.
I finally found a doctor who believes I have chronic Lyme. However, her PA, a very nice girl by the way, has given me clues that she doesn't quite believe my illness isn't all due to anxiety.
But at least she's not a mean jerk about it!
-------------------- I want to be free Posts: 1170 | From Endicott, NY | Registered: Sep 2006
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posted
I think you've been very lucky Peacesoul. May I ask, are your Drs treating you for lyme disease? I hope you are getting the help that lyme disease requires.
In the link below, you can see the outrageous statements that have been made to us. They go on and on.
I cannot assume that not a one of the patients was "hysterical", but I assume most of them were NOT.
cantgiveupyet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8165
posted
Peace- were all the dr you saw in Canada?
you are very lucky.
-------------------- "Say it straight simple and with a smile."
"Thus the task is, not so much to see what no one has seen yet, But to think what nobody has thought yet, About what everybody sees."
-Schopenhauer
pos babs, bart, igenex WB igm/igg Posts: 3156 | From Lyme limbo | Registered: Oct 2005
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Peacesoul
Unregistered
posted
My LLMD is in NY state. There are no LLMD is my area. Since I need my rx's filled in Canada, I approached my rheum, who originally dx me with Lupus, and told him I was going to look into possible lyme infection.
I went to him with my results and lot of info and he said he would be willing to help me with anything I needed. He knew nothing about lyme before I went to him.
I told my family dr about it before asking my Rheum since she's been my dr for forever and she was not as on board with it. She refused to treat me out of fear and not knowing enough about lyme. I think she still believes I have lupus, but no worries, I'm still so unclear about lyme myself.
My dermatologist laughed at me when I told her about lyme. She said some stupid comments and I replied with "if you want to go head to head with me, I can assure you after 7 months of researching lyme, I can talk you under the table" She was a total twit to me, but whatever, I was in there to get skin cancer removed.
My gastro was also not all ears with me about lyme, but again, no worries.
My Gyno, she has ZERO belief in lyme.
But again, when I went to all these dr's they heard me out, were respectful, but it was their right to believe it or not.
If they thought I was a nut, they certainly never showed it or dismissed me. I don't think it was all luck. I mean my rheum being on board was total luck, but not having to ever dealt with rudeness, well maybe that's just a Canadian thing. Who knows, but it's been so rare any dr was ever rude to me.
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Peacesoul
Unregistered
posted
quote:Originally posted by meg: [Q] I think you've been very lucky Peacesoul. May I ask, are your Drs treating you for lyme disease? I hope you are getting the help that lyme disease requires.
In the link below, you can see the outrageous statements that have been made to us. They go on and on.
I cannot assume that not a one of the patients was "hysterical", but I assume most of them were NOT.
I read some of this thread. I do very much sympathize with those that have been treated badly, but there should be a thread about the great experiences people have had with their dr's
I am sure we've ALL been treated horrible at one time or another and not just by dr's.
It's really just a fact of life.
I've been into many ER's while being ill, not knowing I had lyme and so many of the dr's suggested I get some therapy.
My thoughts were, "well this dr has knows me all of 10 mins and sees nothing odd on any tests so I guess he has a right to say that"
I'm not saying it's right, but sites like lymenet tend to have more negative than positive b/c people are so sick. I am so sick.......I want to be negative and tell all my horrible negative stories as well, but really, how does that help us heal.
Just my thoughts.....I do respect everyone who's been through h&ll with their dr's, but I just think the term Duck is degrading. Maybe when we walk away from these "ducks" they call us NUTS or KOOKS behind our backs.....just as degrading!
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