Missed diagnosis
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I find these types of medical mystery/missed diagnosis stories fascinating.
In 2022, I gained 40 pounds in one year and was tired all the time.
Before these changes, at 47, I biked and walked everywhere in my Los Angeles neighborhood. I wrote articles frequently. And I raised my daughter with ease.
When I told my doctor about my health issues, she sighed, reeled off obesity risks and admonished, “Lose weight. For your daughter.”
I also met with several other doctors, most of whom blamed stress, weight gain or age for my poor health.
It took three years, thousands of dollars and two inches of height for me to get the right diagnosis.
My health journey may read like a medical mystery, but it wasn’t. At least seven doctors saw my abnormal lab results over three years, and only the very last one followed the protocol.
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I feel her pain. 90% of people with my condition don’t get diagnosed. Doctors just assume it’s COPD (if you have a smoking history) or asthma (if you don’t). This despite the fact that both the College of Chest Physicians and the American Thoracic Society both say to test for my condition any patient with COPD.
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I feel her pain. 90% of people with my condition don’t get diagnosed. Doctors just assume it’s COPD (if you have a smoking history) or asthma (if you don’t). This despite the fact that both the College of Chest Physicians and the American Thoracic Society both say to test for my condition any patient with COPD.
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Experience causes me to question every diagnoses and treatment. Had the potassium draining from my body for a few months until I took a guess, googled it and had the answer in seconds. Told the allergist who had berated me for my complaint and received stone silence and a stare. Her practice shrank to one office recently.
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Experience causes me to question every diagnoses and treatment. Had the potassium draining from my body for a few months until I took a guess, googled it and had the answer in seconds. Told the allergist who had berated me for my complaint and received stone silence and a stare. Her practice shrank to one office recently.
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I’ve never been afraid to challenge doctors because do it for a living. It helps that I’ve worked in the field and picked up a pretty good working knowledge, although by no means a physician. One thing I have seen over and over is they have to come up with something or else they can’t bill it. And they certainly don’t want to admit they don’t know.
I went for my ridiculous Medicare Wellness visit a couple weeks ago and was surprised I was not asked the obligatory questions. 9 days later someone I suspect was billing staff called me and asked them. They probably couldn’t bill without the answers.
I should say my beloved primary care is on medical leave so I was with another doc. Needless to say he is not a candidate for my next PCP.
You have to be your own advocate or run a higher risk.
