Scared for my Drs appointment

if the doctors try to belittle or downplay your pain or symptoms don’t let it go. stand up for yourself as much as u can even if it’s hard because so many of the doctors don’t want to believe a symptom you say unless they have some physical way of seeing it. it’s the sad reality but we can’t stand down on it !

A couple tips I have learned - You don’t need to sugar coat things or downplay the frequency of the really bad moments. Emphasize the bad moments! You aren’t exaggerating. Tell them just how bad it is. A good way to do this is by talking about how the pain impacts your daily life. Are you able to complete your activities of daily living? Do you have trouble walking up stairs, carrying groceries, standing up, showering, using your hands, etc. Help them see just how limiting the pain is. Sometimes it’s hard for medical professionals to understand just how much chronic pain affects us. Paint a picture for them of what your worst days look like. Again - never feel like you are exaggerating or making things sound worse than they are. Chronic pain is awful, your experience is valid, and you deserve support

One piece of advice I heard that I really like is taking charge of the convo as soon as the Dr comes in the room: by simply stating that you are looking for a provider who is willing to look into your condition and actually stick it out with you as you try to figure out what is going on, you are ensuring they are on the same page. Hope things go well during your appointment, you got this!