Take care of yourselves!

A couple of people I read--both of whom happen to be people I know in real life--have mentioned their health lately. Both of them have some non-specific problems and seem to be having trouble getting diagnoses, and hence, getting help.

Shiitake said something about a doctor telling her she's too old to be a type 1 diabetic because she's in her mid 20s. That is not true. It's not common, but it's certainly not unheard of to be diagnosed in your mid to late 20s. Untreated type 1 diabetes can kill you, and it can kill you quickly. Since Shiitake mentioned family history... I can't believe any doctor would misspeak so.

Katfish has something else altogether, which she suspects may be related to food sensitivities, and it makes her life difficult. She writes that she is nervous about getting medical help with her condition.

What I have to say applies to both cases: it is critical that you take charge of your own medical treatment. (Recall that I was treated for various respiratory illnesses for two years before I got so sick that I was strapped into an ICU and they figured out that my kidneys weren't working. I had had tests run, and they were inconclusive because they weren't the right tests.)

Healthcare in the United States has become an exercise in futility. It's difficult to maintain a relationship with the same physicians, especially if your insurance changes. Everything is governed by insurance and HMOs, people who work in medicine are overworked, and people expect so much of them. Something's got to give, and all too often it turns out to be the care of people who aren't critically ill.

What I suggest for everybody is this: if you have symptoms, research them. I had a classic symptom of kidney dysfunction for about nine months before I was hospitalized. I didn't mention them to any of my doctors because I wasn't aware that they were symptoms. You know when something is wrong with you, a harried physician does not. It's up to you to give her something to work with.

Where do you go for information? The various health encyclopedias have search engines that can help you investigate individual symptoms, and every major disease has an advocacy group with a web site.

I don't want to make hypochondriacs out of you, but I know what it's like to be sick and not know what's wrong. I don't want to see that happen to anybody else. What I'm saying is don't go into a doctor's office passively and expect that everything they say is going to be right. It's not, always.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. A good one to start with is "have you ever seen this combination of symptoms before?" Give as much detail as you can; take notes for a few days before the visit.

It's entirely too easy to fall through the cracks. Please don't let it happen to you.

before - after