15 Memes That Nail What It's Like to Go to the Doctor With a Chronic Illness

For many people, going to the doctor for the flu, a minor injury or even just a check-up is often fairly routine. The doctor diagnoses the issue, provides you with medication or a course of treatment, and soon you’re back to feeling healthy. But for those with chronic illness, doctor appointments can be a much different story.

First of all, having a “chronic” illness unfortunately means there’s no cure, and certainly no easy fix. Different medications and treatments may help you manage your symptoms, but often this requires working with your doctor to go through a great deal of trial and error. But this assumes your doctor is familiar with your condition, and has ideas about how to help you. In reality, many doctors aren’t super knowledgeable about every rare, chronic condition out there. It may take multiple visits to multiple specialists to find a medical team that can help you manage your illness.

Although going to the doctor is necessary, it can sometimes be a bit frustrating. But some aspects – like knowing more than your doctor about your condition – are so ridiculous you just have to laugh.

If you’re a regular at your doctor’s office, you may enjoy the following memes:

1. When your doctor has never heard of your illness:

2. When the doctor is never on time:

3. When it would be easier to ask what doesn’t hurt:

4. When the waiting room is basically your second home:

5. When all that internet research pays off:

6. When the doctor asks you to describe all your symptoms:

7. When you’re trying to remember everything the doctor is saying:

8. When you have to explain your health issues to a new doctor:

9. When you have to brace yourself for the doctor’s prognosis:

10. When your doctor has to Google your illness:

11. When your lab results don’t reveal how you really feel:

12. When the doctor doesn’t really understand your struggles:

13. When your doctors can’t figure out how to help you:

14. When the doctor asks for all your medical records:

15. When you find a doctor who listens to you and believes you: