Advocating for Myself: Paying Out of Pocket for Medical Tests

I’ve heard some people have success when they ask a doctor to make a specific note in your file that they refused a test with their reasoning, then the doctor finally caves and orders it because they’d rather not look bad I personally haven’t don’t it but I guess it does. It’s worked for me to have backup, usually my mom goes with me to appointments and asks a lot of the why not? questions. I guess it’s harder to say no to two people than one, but not always :/

I agree, once you get the fibromyalgia diagnosis it’s used as a blanket culprit for everything that happens to you afterwards. All new symptoms, as well as worsening, are ignored and not looked at as if it could be something else. I had cancer and obvious swelling on my neck but was told it’s just a swollen salivary gland and I should put a hot compress on it. The swelling was in the middle of the neck and those glands are right under your jaw and kinda part of it. I questioned my diagnosis for over a decade. It just doesn’t sit right. And recently I started PT with a totally new people in town and first feedback I got was that they can help me recover the two decade long chronic pain from an injury and that my body doesn’t represent as a fibro body. And after a month of therapy, I am starting to feel different. People, go and search for anyone that may be of help to you. Advocate for yourself everywhere you go. Question every decision providers make as to why they think it is what it is and why the approach they’re taking.