In my experience, I have had good responses from doctors when I not only told them verbally of my pain and how it crippled my daily life....but when I also gave my own written record of the pain and the crippling for my chart. I felt that it served a couple practical purposes for me. First, it gave me a way to control the content of what I said and how I said it. I did not always feel that I could keep this kind of control over the words that I would speak when I was in the "hot seat" in the doc's exam room. Next, it moves us onto a bit of a different playing field with the docs....because we are providing a lasting document....that will live in your chart. Those of us who have worked in medical offices know that it's all about "document, document, document." We also know when cases get to courts that, most often...if "it's not written in a medical chart, it didn't happen." So you see...we have a way of writing in our own medical charts by doing this. When doctors know that we also know to and practice "document, document, document," we are sending the message that we are holding them accountable for the information that we bring. And do you need to wham them over the head with what you are doing by keeping your own set of documents? Nope :) You just smile very sweetly and say, "I just wanted to make sure that we are on the same page with our record keeping. I want you to have this so that I can be sure that I've taken care of my responsibilities in communicating with you." We have complicated problems. We need to faithfully keep our own set of medical records. Request copies of your records. It's your right and your responsibility.
I am sorry that you are having such a struggle. The struggle is so much worse when we feel that the doctors aren't willing to or don't know how to help us. Love, Mary
At 06:20 PM 1/1/01 -0600, you wrote:
>i have gone to a pain clinic and they said that they would not touch me.. so
>i left in tears as i thought that they would be able to help me.. they could
>not help me in any way... i am t0tally against pain clinics from my past
>experienc from them.. sorry but that is my experience from them., they wanted
>nothing to do with me.. soi i am done with pain clinics.... no one will
>convince me to go back to them.. after leaving i tears and in pain i give up
>on the, for ever.///////////// nanc in new hamshire..
>