[JoshK]

I have a question that has seemed to bother my wife and I for some time.  It seems that if you go to a doctor having done research about symptoms you are having and have a decent idea of what that may be caused from they dismiss you as a hypochondriac.  Apparently you have to be stupid about your health.   

Without going into details, this has happened to me, but even more so my wife.  We each are a victim of our genes and the problems go back as far as our as knowledge of our ancestors go.  Since the doctors we have seen haven't given any satisfactory information/treatment we start doing research ourselves.  In my wife's case, my FIL, who is a very bright engineer and former teacher has done extensive research on the topic, has read a tremendous amount of research and has educated himself on the topic.  Once my wife asked to have a test ordered for her that would have filled in the missing piece to a puzzle and the doctor dismissed her and refused to order the test. 

Friends of ours who are doctors have admitted to us that they probably wouldn't believe my wife simply because she doesn't look the part, even though studies show a high percentage (not all) people with the problem exhibit some physical traits.

What should one do if they simply want to find out what is ailing them?
 
Second question is how do insurance companies dictate a doctor's care?

[Dmason]

Find a more empathetic doctor. Bring substantive documentation with you, and demand that the tests be performed. Many physicians are completely conditioned by the medical culture, understandably so. A good one thinks outside the box, is a good listener, ..and ignores his "press."

 A good private practice is very often the "mid-size" neighbourhood one with several practitioners offering various sub-specialties to general practice, and for example the ability to conduct Xrays, do minor emergency surgeries, etc; these tend to be dynamic, self-reliant, and encourage empathetic patient relations. These practices tend to be able to attract, and retain very good physicians who actually enjoy serving the needs of the patient. General practice is a dying breed in many areas. Hope this helps, but I doubt it. Personally, I would take my case to however many physicians I had to in order to get heard.

[pacifico]

Respectfully addressed to all whom read this,

Sorry, I am a little tired so if I have gone in a circle, you'll have to summarize for yourself but I hope this will help. This has been sort of free flowing thought from my professional and consumer-based experiences. Yes I did say consumer...your health unfortunately can be classified as a product. Please do not flame me about this before giving it some really critical thought as healthcare is a service. I know and agree that getting the best healthcare should be a right (not a priviledge) for any human being but doing so can be tricky. If a doctor provides you a consultation or performs a surgery, you have purchased or consumed that person's product. I will not post here if this discussion becomes a free for all about healthcare. I can't help that. I am trying to provide you all with as much honest info from my perspective. I do not codemn or condone (in no particular order) the practices of the medical community at large. I am just trying to tell you guys how it is and how to avoid some its inherent problems.

Without knowing more about what's going on here, it's really hard to say. I have found that if you want really good care, going to a university hospital can help. There are certain things to look for in a physician. that I know of. The ones that are usually interested in research that see patients are the best from my experience. Their time commits are usually very tight so it may be hard to see them. They can very often recommend someone though.

I have learned first hand that the doctor-ptient relationship is everything. I have had doctors tell me I was not sick when indeed I had a real problem that did not go away on its own. Luckily I have pretty much recovered. My daughter's experiences have been similar. What it really boils down to is finding a doctor with the appropriate speaciality that you can talk to and feel comfortable with. you want someone you can talk to. I am sure your wife is not imagining things and a good doctor will exhaust ALL approprite possibilities and then give you a referral to someone else if they can't figure it out.

Please remeber that doctors are not gods. They most certainly do not know everything, espeacially ones in general practice that are more interested in practicing "pill medicine". You will also do yourself a great service if you study your problem inside and out. pubmed is a good place to start. While I am not a medical doctor, I have a very signifcant tie-in to thee cancer research community, so i know a few things about how cancer research works. I also know whom some of the good and bad apples are.

Doing a search on the medical community is not so hard and would be willing to give you some pointers if you like.

 

[Woodsea]

I have asked an NP for a test and he did it.  I had done some research, he did not think it would be of any good use.  I had to pay for it.  The findings were inconclusive and it was fairly expensive.  Actually the ECG he had done was even more a waste of money since I was very bradycardic.  That cost me even more money   I was a little miffed, but hey it's only money
 You can get any test you want done, just expect to pay for it, not your insurance company.

[JoshK]

Thanks for your FB guys.  I guess you got to keep on keeping on.

Curious about the insurance question if some of you doctors don't mind responding.