Chronic Illness: It's Not a Competition

05/07/2023

When you talk about a disease that is difficult to get diagnosed, do you try to use correct terminology? This just came up in a patient group, where a patient stated she was getting “knots,” which is what we usually use in laymen’s terms when talking about working out sore muscles. This particular disease actually causes painful lipomas - sometimes hundreds of them - to grow all over the body. If you know which disease you have or suspect you have and you know the effects it produces, help your medical professionals by using correct terminology whenever possible. So if you mean lipomas, say lipomas, not “knots.”

04/12/2023

Are you trying to find a doctor in your city, or even your country, that specializes in your disease? I have used Medifind.com so many times to help fellow patients find doctors. I just helped a rare disease patient yesterday find a doctor in my city! This site will tell you how much knowledge a doctor has about your particular condition. That makes all the difference when trying to find someone to care for you.

When it comes to your health, nothing is more valuable than time. Quickly find the best doctors, latest medical advances, and active clinical trials with MediFind. Our goal is to dramatically reduce the amount of time and frustration you spend finding the right healthcare, so you have the best possi...

03/10/2023

How do you respond to someone who says, "You don't look sick," or "But you look fine!"

Has that other person ever had an x-ray or MRI? Have they had blood tests? Why have they had those done, if they appear to be fine? Because their doctor can't see what's wrong. But they know something might be going on.

Did you know that Multiple Sclerosis patients were accused of being overly dramatic, and making up their symptoms? Along came the CT scanner machine around 1972, and suddenly the whole world could see the lesions. Hey, the patients weren't lying!

So just remember that there is a disconnect between your appearance and what is happening with your body.

03/08/2023

Are you having a hard time affording mental health counseling? You may have options. First, try the site freementalhealth.us. They have listings for all 50 states in the U.S., and also cover crisis mental health and addiction services. Next, try contacting universities with graduate mental health programs. Many have clinics set up to see members of the public so that graduate students can accumulate credits to graduate - and the grad students are usually eager to listen, meaning they aren't burned out! I've been through 3 semesters of treatment myself. Also, if you haven't reached out to the wonderful operators at 211 before, this is a great time to dial that number. They also know about community options and have all kinds of ideas.