I’m so fed up with the Medical System in this country. It took me 8 years to get a diagnosis of Systemic Lupus & it was only because I went to a clinic in Wisconsin when I lived in the midwest that is known as a “mini-Mayo”. The Doctors work in a team to try & figure out what is going on. It literally saved my life. After dealing with years of Dr.s that were dismissive, even insinuating it was all in my head as I was getting sicker, I felt so alone & scared I was going to die before they figured it out. My family had to watch me go through all this, helpless as to what to do.
After my diagnosis & treatment I slowly got better & became a much better advocate for myself over the years.
Fast forward to now. I’ve been pretty sick for the last month. I have not found a Rheumatologist since moving here but I’ve been being bounced around again, from one specialist to another. And I’m getting conflicting information. That has made me determined to get into the Mayo. I need a coordinated plan between all these specialists, to work as a team.
When you are sick the last thing you need to be doing is trying to follow up with multiple Drs. , get referrals, deal with insurance & because you are not getting answers, researching medical information to validate your symptoms.
I hope you all find answers & good care. Thanks for letting me vent. It helps to know we are a community & not alone!