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The only times I go to the doctor is when I feel something is seriously wrong or I'm pregnant. Though in that latter case, I go to a homebirth midwife rather than an OBGYN. However, for the last 15 years I haven't had a primary care physician that's done diddly squat for me. Every time I've gone in my symptoms perplex the doctor. She usually ends up admitting she doesn't know what's wrong and then I go home and fix it myself. i.e. the excruciating sore throat (that wasn't strep) that I fixed by temporarily going off wheat. Well, we moved to a new town last year. I now have a new doctor. And since I've been struggling with nerve issues in my right foot since my last sciatica flare in December, I thought I'd go in and see if there was anything that could be done before the damage became permanent. First visit: I explain how I had a horrible case of sciatica during my last pregnant, mere months before. I could hardly walk to the bathroom. I couldn't lie down to sleep for 2 months because the pain was so bad. I had gone to the E.R. 3 times (twice for pain, once to rule out blood clots). Doc nods, looks at my foot, and then proceeds to tell me that I've "gained a lot of weight recently". Uh, yes. Yes I have. Because I just had a baby 9 months earlier and my sciatica flare up kept me in bed for 4 weeks and I'm afraid of hurting my back and causing another flare so I haven't exercised like I usually do after baby is born so...what can I do, doc? Lose weight. Come see me again in 3 months. Because you've really gained a lot of weight this last year. I think I told her 3 times the weight gain was from pregnancy but she didn't seem to be listening. Second visit—3 months later: Doc asks how many kids I have. She mentions my weight again and again I tell her that I had a baby and that I also had a BAD case of sciatica while pregnant. This time she acknowledges the reason for the weight. I tell her (again) about my sciatica flare up in December and how since then, my right foot (pinky toe to heel) has been slightly numb. Should I be worried? Will the damage be permanent? Doc says: 1. People with diabetes often can't feel their feet. But I don't have diabetes so how is this relevant?? 2. The sciatica isn't affecting your foot. Sciatica would be on the other side of your foot (big toe to heel). Bull snot! When this first hit my foot it made ALL my toes tingle and go numb. Everything I've read says or shows sciatica CAN affect the foot on the side I'm dealing with. Now if we were talking about the L5 nerve, doc would be correct. But since I'm feeling the issue in my little toe, the S1 nerve would be aggravated. It didn't take much Googling to figure that out. So why is my doctor oblivious? 3. I'll order a nerve test for your foot...oh, you've had anxiety issues in the past? Well, I'm less inclined to order the test now... Implying this numbness and lingering sciatic pain is all in my head, right? Despite having 3 E.R. doctors, a myriad of nurses, my midwife, and a chiropractor all confirm I have sciatica? Despite all research showing sciatica "can travel from the lower back, through the buttocks, down the leg and into the foot"? Of course! You're right, doc! All this pain this last year has all been a symptom of my anxiety issues. Riiiiight. 5. Take vitamin b. It might help your nerve issues... Finally, some helpful advice! 6. And you should lose weight because you've really gained a lot this past year... Wow? Really? Imagine gaining weight while PREGNANT! 7. Come back in 3 months and we'll see how you're doing. No thanks. I'll probably be just as fat and "anxious" next time. I think I'll just stay home and pay the minions kids to tell me I'm overweight thankyouverymuch! Have you noticed a growing trend in unhelpful doctors or do I just keep ending up with the incompetent ones? |
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