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sprite-truscum-pepsi

This has just always been a thing I’ve known but now I wonder if it’s common knowledge bc it should be;

If you’re going to a doctor about anything, instead of just describing the symptoms, describe how it has affected your life. ‘My arm hurts when I straighten it’ will usually get you ‘wait a few days to see if it gets better’. ‘My arm hurts when I straighten it, and it has stopped me from being able to drive or use my computer at work, so I can’t function properly’ will usually get you a lot more consideration, and usually tests or a prescription.

This also applies for mental conditions, including gender dysphoria.

Make sure your physician knows the effect that your condition is having on your life, as this makes it a lot harder for them to dismiss you. This also makes it easier to hold them accountable if they ignore a dangerous condition, should you wish to pursue legal action.

the-real-seebs

what

i did not know that. useful, thanks!

rorleuaisen

@strictlyquadrilateral

finding-flight

This is for real, though.

A couple months ago, my chronic pain spread to my hips. The first time I went to the doctor after it started, I mentioned it and said I just wanted to keep an eye on it. She agreed and said that as long as it wasn’t interfering with my physical therapy, it was fine. The second time, I told her it was hurting worse and was interfering with physical therapy and also just my general life. She ordered MRIs and blood work on the spot.

Ever since, I’ve been telling medical professionals (PTs, a specialist, and my regular doctor) that it interferes with work (specifically, that it hurts to sit up straight and one of my jobs is a desk job). This gets an immediate response–generally, they start off saying, “If it isn’t hurting too bad, we may just leave it.” I don’t want to leave it. If it eventually results in surgery, so be it, but it’s too much pain to just ignore. You want medical professionals to take that seriously, you give them a specific example of how it’s interfering with your work, hobbies, everyday activities, or sleep.

sparxflame

Similar to this, when doctors say “what is the pain like on a scale of 1-10”, it’s a good idea to qualify your response with info about Why you chose that number - especially if, like me, you have a wack pain tolerance, or are really bad at deciding what the upper end of the scale would feel like. So, for example: “a 5, the cramps are hurting me badly enough I’m worried I’ll vomit, but I can still walk if absolutely necessary”, or “a 7, because it’s not as bad as when I broke my leg, but I can’t stop crying and it’s really really painful and I can’t move”. This helps give doctors some context about your pain, and similar to the above advice usually means they’re a little more urgent about things. “A 6” is ambiguous, and clinical, but “I can’t walk for more than five minutes without bursting into tears from the pain” is less so, and again lets them know how it’s affecting your daily life.

blameblamebts

I͚͇͗̊ͨ͑̚ ͈͕͖̬ͨͨ͂̈́͆̍g͙̩͇̳̠̝ͧ̑̃̏ȑ̥̙̙̄̑e͈w͑ͪ͊ ͙̪̋ͭ̃̿́a̒́ͮͨ̿̏ ̖͉f̩͍̻͓̎̄̑l̜̞̪̩̱̗̝ͯ͊͂̆̊o̖̘͕̼̥̲̰ͪ̓̔̓̋̓w͋͛ͅë̯̩̺́ͭ̽͑͛̎r̬̻̝̱̺̆̿̄̃ͣͬͅ ṱ̯hͭ̌͂́̉͒a̯̰̣̒̽ͯ̂ť̻̯͇̭̙̲͍ ̬͇͍̘c̹̤ͭͬͥ̿ͩå̲̥̦ͯn’̫͖̼̳ͬ͑ṱ̦͉͕͚̜͉͊͐͊ͣ͌̈ͬ ͉̻̥̝͚̍b̲͈̻͑͊͂ͩë͚̣̪͙́ͅ ͕̺͖̩̑ͪ͆ͧ̎ḃ̬̩̯̮͎͈ͨl͇̄́͌̈́ò̥̺̦̽̒ͯ͂ö̪͚̦͎̼͎́m̹͙͎̺̥̖̘̐̓ẻͯ̈̾͆d͙̲͍͚ͫ̎̊̌ͧͣ ̪̙̺i̻͆͆ͤn͇̰͎̫̯͈̮ ̭̞̻͖ͭ̆ͅá̲̘̼ͮ̈́͊̋͌ ̒̽ͅͅd̹̥͓̑̈́̎͗͒̚r̃͂ͩ̏̒ͪe̗̮͈̘̲̯̎͋ȃ͙͛m͍̼ ̭̞̘̟̈́ͥͪ͗̅th̥́̽͛͆ͣ̊̃ͅa͚̥͈̻̝̤̐̌t̼̥̥͎ͣ̈͗͛͒ͮ̒ ̮̼͓͖͉͓ͥͮ̏ͥ̅̎c̣̯̘̤͎̣̰̍a͔̭̪̎͑ͤ͛̈́̍ͥn̬̹̹̝̽ͫ͒͊̈́͛̏’̟̮̘̻̠͉̓ͮ͐̚t͖͔̰͔̟͇ͬ̀̑̑ͫ ̹̂̇̈̌ͤͅc̙̟̖̍ͤͪ͒̎̄o̲̘̟̠m̩̤̎̈ͨ̓ͩͩ̆eͮ̏ ͎̬̬̤͉͔t͎́͒ͪ̅̚r̿ͫͬu̪̻̦̭̩͗ͫͣ̑̐̂e̞̹̭̙͉̳̍̐͐̏̾ͅ ~

See, that’s what the app is perfect for.