I came across this article that was posted on the Arthritis Queensland twitter account:
Health system failing people with arthritis
The article talks about people suffering with arthritis due to the condition not being diagnosed in a timely manner and consequently the patient not being treated appropriately. The full report that the article references is located here.
Whilst I understand how this happens, people need to realise that they need to be their own advocates and if they aren't happy with a brush off or the answer that they have been given they are entitled to seek a second opinion and a third, a fourth or however many it takes to get an answer.
Doctors are human too and can't possibly know everything about everything. If you don't like to question your doctor, you don't have to. Find another one. You don't even have to tell the doctor that you are going to get another opinion. They don't need to know. If you go to a doctor that you don't gel with (or flat out hate which has actually happened to me once), just don't go back, no explanation is required, chances are they won't even follow up with you to ask why you didn't come back. I have tried out lots of doctors of all kinds and the ones I never went back to never called me to find out why I didn't go back.
If your GP suggests that it might be arthritis and sends you off to a rheumatologist, you don't even have to settle for the first one that you see. Get information, ask other health professionals, talk to the Arthritis foundation and see if they have any information days coming up (like this one next Saturday in Brisbane). Find someone that you think you can work with, someone that you can trust, someone with whom you can have open discussion with.
This is the information age. There is a wealth of information out there. Be educated. Understand what quality information is and don't assume that if it is published that it is true. I'm not suggesting diagnosis by Google but be aware and understand the process, the tests, the diagnosis, the medication and self management so that you can live the best possible life that you can.
I agree! Even if you get a satisfactory diagnosis, the options for treatment are many and varied. It is your role to develop an awareness of your own body and start to make educated decisions on what works for you. As you gain confidence in this process you will develop a team of health professionals across a number of professions that you can start to use as a 'toolkit', eg. your physio helps you with these symptoms and your doctor manages medications etc. If any health professional is not a useful tool for you, find another that is. Paul Trevethan www.bodyleadership.com.au
ReplyDeleteThat's the key really - 'what works for you' and finding it... it's not likely to be found from the first person that you see unless you are *really* lucky. I wasn't that lucky in the beginning and it took a long time to get it right. I'm glad that I did :)
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