Chapter 10: Gaslighted, Dismissed or Ignored By Your Doctor?
Nine Ways To Make It Stop
I had just moved back to New York City and made an appointment with a new-to-me highly regarded primary care doctor. My annual checkup would be a few months later. Today I was there to meet her, discuss three issues and get some prescriptions renewed. It started well; we reviewed my current prescriptions and supplements, and the medical history questions on her input form.
My concerns were straightforward:
I had terrible pain in my right arm from trying to move a box I never should have lifted in a way I never should have tried. I felt and heard a ligament snap and retract. I asked for an imaging appointment or a referral to an orthopedist to confirm what had happened.
I have always had IBS. I had new and unusual digestive pain and symptoms and asked for a referral to a gastroenterologist.
I noticed that when I sat or lay down, even for a few minutes, my left thigh would go numb. Despite being numb, it was uncomfortable and the skin was tender to the touch. What could this be, I asked her…
