Mystery tired, redux

[mousme]

Went to see my GP today. As I anticipated (*sigh* I would really have liked to be proved wrong), he was not very receptive to my theory that it was something physical. However, I stood my ground and insisted, gently but firmly, that I was really quite sure that no, this was not some new manifestation of my Bipolar Disorder, and that no, I didn't need to go see my meds doc to get something to "pep [me] up" (his words, I kid you not).

He did listen fairly respectfully as I outlined my reasons for believing it was a physiological rather than psychiatric problem, and he agreed to run the requisite tests (for whatever the hell it might be). He made only one slightly snide comment about my weight, and on the whole the whole visit went smoothly, if not entirely the way I wanted.

So, I guess it could have been a lot worse. I just wish he wouldn't automatically assume I was wrong every time I open my mouth and that I can't possibly know what's going on with my own body.

Oh well.

He's very good about following up on tests, though, so I should hear from him soon.

Comments

[mellybean71.livejournal.com]

Have you considered being tested for sleep apnea? It's pretty common to have it and not know. Goodness knows I had enough people tell me it was other things.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's been brought up to me before. My GP (surprise, surprise) seemed to think it isn't likely.

I guess I'll wait and see if it's low iron or something first. :)

[mellybean71.livejournal.com]

It's really too bad he sucks. The Dr. I saw before the sleep test basically measured my neck, looked in my throat did another couple of things. She then said that if she got a negative result on the sleep test she'd assume the machine was broken.

[kino-kid.livejournal.com]

Your doctor makes me scared. However, I recently have been having a lot of physical problems, due to anxiety, and only after my doctor pointed out the link did I notice he had a point. You may not be feeling the way you do because you're bipolar, but don't write off that you could be dealing with something that is brought on by how you are feeling. Either way, try to do what you can on the physical side of things too.

With that, I must get to bed.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

It's not like it didn't occur to me. That's why I didn't go for a very long time to the doctor.

However, stress and anxiety have never in the past manifested themselves as fatigue for me. They result in migraines, occasionally in back pain, in insomnia, stomach troubles, and any number of things that I've learned to recognize (wanting to smack people in the metro when they bump into me by accident, for instance).

That's why I want to rule out something physical first. It just doesn't tally with my own experience.

[kino-kid.livejournal.com]

I made my comment for two reasons.

1) Stress in the past manifested itself in a very different way for me, and now it has manifested itself in such a new way it took months to figure out it was the root cause of most of my health problems, not just making it worse.

Speaking of migraines, I began getting migraines again several months ago, and its onset was so different than it has been for decades that I did not even know what it was after about two hours of pain.

2) I'm not saying not to rule out the physical aspects quickly. I'm saying cover all of your bases.

[rosy1.livejournal.com]

I glad you stood your ground and got the tests done.

It really makes me mad when they take the easy way out, blame an existing condition and want to add more meds to the mix.

Take care of yourself.

[pasley.livejournal.com]

I don't agree that your doctor sucks. He was sceptical, but he did agree to run those tests.
A sucky doctor would be like the one I got the time I had stomach flu that was so bad that I lost ten pounds in a week, and when I went to the doctor looking for sympathy and help he scolded me quite severely me for not taking better care of myself and told me to go home and eat something, without explaining to me what exactly I should do to keep the food down!

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my doctor doesn't suck. He's a misogynist and doesn't know how to deal with patients who insist on being educated about their own health (he's very, very old school), but he does run tests, and now that we've, umm, had words about how it's not appropriate to treat me as though I'm ignorant, he's pretty good about getting tests done.

I'm sorry you got such an idiot doctor when you were sick. I'm surprised he didn't check you into the hospital overnight to rehydrate you if it was that bad.

*hugs*

Doctors. Can't live with them, can't conveniently hide the bodies.