Struggling to Get the Care I Need for My Chronic Illness

So I feel like I might have a chronic illness but none of my doctors seem to think it’s as bad as it really is. As a woman in my 20s I’m used to getting gaslight by doctors telling me it’s all in my head or I just need to drink more water. I’ve learned that to get the care I need I have to be a bitch and advocate for my own care. But I recently got new health insurance which requires prior authorization for everything. Every doctor, every appointment, every lab test, etc it’s ridiculous. I don’t know how I can convince my doctor that I’m sick so they will give me authorization for testing. I’m not sure what I have but I shouldn’t feel sick everyday to the point I’m scared because I don’t know how to help myself. I’ve been trying to track my symptoms and write down when my episodes happen but I don’t know if there’s a doctor out there that will believe. I’m pretty sure I have POTS or something similar as I’ve done lots of research on my symptoms. If there’s anyone that’s been through this before and has some advice on how to convince doctors to believe you I would greatly appreciate it.

Your answer

Beetlejuul

1y ago

Honestly the only dr who believed me was a woman. And not to diss male drs but they’re so much more likely to gaslight especially if you’re female. I went to the er for pots when it first got bad and it was blamed on my testosterone intake (I do injections I’m ftm trans) or I was told it was anxiety. When I finally found a cardiologist she told me she had to follow the protocol first but once all those came back negative she could help me with a pots diagnosis and in July of the same year maybe a month after I met her I got diagnosed

superstellar

1y ago

i know the search can be absolutely exhausting (i’ve just started my search for good doctors)!! for me i had to write down everything a doctor told me or have them write it down to show my Other doctors. it sucks, but sometimes the only way doctors will listen to you is if you have someone they respect with you. for me, that was my mom (she’s white, so they usually listened to her), but you might have a friend who may be able to help. i wish you so much luck with your journey :)

Arin922

1y ago

When I was younger and my mom suspected I had pots we kind of did a diy tilt table test at home. The tilt table is one of the main ways tou get diagnosed. What we would do is measure blood pressure laying down, then sitting and finally standing. We did this multiple times to come up with our own data sheet that we could show doctors to help back up our theory.

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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