5 Steps to Ensuring You Get a (Correct) Diagnosis
Being diagnosed with a disease isn’t something most people are looking to do, but sometimes, you just know something isn’t right, so you go to the doctor. Many times, with the power of the internet and those amazing medication commercials on TV, we sometimes self-diagnose and then expect the doctor to agree. Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t work that way. Here are five steps to ensuring you get a proper diagnosis.
1. Bring all the facts to your doctor.
If you are experiencing life-threatening conditions, go to the ER – skip this step and go immediately to the hospital. But if it is a concern you have, or you are noticing a difference in your life, start keeping a journal. Include what you’re eating, when you’re eating, weight gain/loss, any changes in sleeping habits, where and when you are experiencing the symptoms, etc. Documentation of trends can help you and the doctor come to a diagnosis and, more importantly, a treatment plan quicker.
2. Be honest.
Do not leave out details, and don’t exaggerate the truth. It doesn’t help anyone to have false information. If it is happening, say so, if it is not happening then don’t say it is. Don’t let the WebMD type of sites or those horrible medication commercials influence what is going on with you. If we were able to self-diagnose accurately, then why would we need doctors? However, providing honest information and feedback will help the professionals come to a quicker, more accurate diagnosis.
3. Ask questions.
Tell your doctor what your concerns are and ask questions that can help you both figure out if the concern is legitimate. If you saw something on TV or the internet that you think may be what is going on, ask your doctor for their opinion on that potential issue. A good doctor will explain why that isn’t the concern or why it could be a potential problem.
4. Listen to your doctor.
Provided they are a good doctor and are trying to help you, they are your best resource. Listen to what they say. For example, you may be convinced you have Parkinson’s disease based on the commercial you saw on TV last night, but the doctor knows there are a lot of other things that need to be ruled out before just making that diagnosis. In fact, by ruling out the other things, you might find your issue, put a treatment plan together and discover Parkinson’s disease wasn’t it at all. But if you don’t tell your doctor your concerns and then listen to his advice you may be wasting time worrying about something that isn’t anything at all.
5. Don’t settle when it doesn’t make sense.
In the rare occasion that your doctor won’t help you or cannot find the cause of the problem, continue to ask questions, research and discuss it with your doctor. There is no shame in asking for a referral to a specialist who may know more than a general practitioner about a particular part of your body. For example, if you have chronic sinus pain every day for a year, don’t accept the diagnosis that it’s just a virus. Perhaps after a while, you should ask to see an ENT. I am not a doctor, but if my doctor kept dismissing something that was bothersome to me as a “virus” for an abnormal amount of time, I would probably find a different doctor. Second opinions are often beneficial. Fortunately for most of us, this is not the way “good” doctors behave, so if you have a “good” doctor keep in contact with him, and work together to figure out what’s going on.
I was always a very healthy person growing up, rarely missed school for an illness and usually only went to see my doctor to get stitches for playing a bit too rough or to get a sports physical. After being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, I found myself in the doctor’s office all the time with new questions and new concerns. One of my concerns troubled me, so I finally asked my doctor, “Am I now a hypochondriac?” It was a legitimate concern. My doctor took it very seriously and explained to me that my body was now acting differently than it ever had before and I should bring anything, even the smallest concern to him and let him decide if it was something to worry about, but he assured me I was not a hypochondriac.
That one conversation gave me more confidence than ever. I am the only person who knows what I am feeling, and I should tell my doctor, then listen to his advice and discuss intelligently any questions or concerns I have. In my adult life, I have done this. I take pages of symptoms and concerns in when meeting a new doctor. I tell them upfront that I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but here are the things I am experiencing. I say I will give them every bit of the information so they can let me know what should be a concern and what is “normal.”
These five steps have worked for me, and I am hopeful that they will help you too when it comes to discovering a diagnosis for you or your loved one.
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Thinkstock photo via Antonio_Diaz.
Hello, my name is Joe Call, and I have put this blog page together as a resource for the many millions of people who have an autoimmune disease or disorder and just don’t know where to turn. I hope that this blog is both informative as well as encouraging. I believe there is hope for a joyful, exciting life in spite of a diagnosis of an autoimmune disease/disorder in your life. Let me tell you a little bit about my journey with autoimmune disorders. In 2008 I ended up in the hospital with what I (and my doctor) thought was trouble with my appendix. It turns out after being scheduled for surgery, the ER doctors decided to run one more test, and sure enough, that test changed my life forever. I found out I had moderate to severe Crohn’s Disease. They canceled my surgery, found a room for me where I stayed for four days with a saline IV and pain meds until my “flare-up” had subsided. I was a skinny 31-year-old male, with a beautiful wife, three young children and a diagnosis that I didn’t understand. I didn’t know where to turn to learn more except the scary “WebMD” type of websites which assured me I was probably going to die a horrible death sometime soon, which isn’t true for most of these diseases. Nevertheless, I was lost in a sea of cyberspace trying to figure this out on my own. I did have a good GI doctor who did help me over the next few weeks, but ultimately he wasn’t there in the middle of the night when I was worried and in pain night after night. I have learned a lot on my own, like how to talk with doctors to get the answers I needed while holding their attention for more than the quick 5 minutes they like to poke their heads in during an appointment. I had to learn to ask questions about my medications and keep track of my medical records. I realized that I have the most invested in my healing and cure and I cannot wait for a doctor to come to me with a solution. This discovery took me nearly ten years to figure out, but I have cracked the code. My goal is to help others regain control of their lives after being diagnosed with a disease that unfamiliar to them. Later on, in my life, I was also diagnosed with a few other autoimmune diseases which will be covered in the blog posts more thoroughly. Since that scary day in the ER where I found out my life was going to change forever, since being diagnosed, I have also developed an unexplained facial rash that won’t go away, Arthritis, G.E.R.D., Fibromyalgia, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (a Parkinsonian Disorder), Liver Disease, and of course Depression. So to say I have experience dealing with autoimmune disorders would be a bit of an understatement. I am also the parent of a daughter with an autoimmune disease, an uncle to a young niece dealing with Crohn’s Disease and the brother of a two-time disease holder as well. I am tired of seeing these diseases destroy people, they won’t go away, but they don’t need to ruin people’s joy in life. Despite the fact that all of this is going on in my body and affecting me every day of my life, I have made it through. Every day is a battle, sometimes I fight well and accomplish my goals for the day, other days I don’t. But, just like the Stock Market rises and falls each day, the trend over the long term has always been upward. These diseases are lifelong battles. I have found that with the right treatments, support, resources, doctors, and of most importantly ATTITUDE I believe I can have more good days than bad days. If you or a loved one is suffering and don’t know where to turn, I want to share my insights and experiences with you, while hearing about your success stories, concerns, and questions. I want to join your support team and coach you on how to keep your chin up, what to watch out for and most importantly how to find joy in your life again. I don’t know everything, but I do know that there can be hope and peace in the midst of this storm.
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