Imagine going into the hospital with one set of symptoms and emerging with a very different, but much more debilitating set of symptoms. You immediately go to your doctor, expecting to receive a prompt diagnosis and treatment so that you can hurry up and feel better. You expect to get back to life as usual within a few days.
Seven years and thirty-seven doctors later, you are still seeking the correct diagnosis and treatment for these mysterious symptoms. You can’t work, you can’t drive a car, and you can’t shop in most stores because your brain doesn’t tolerate stimuli. Even without stimuli, you feel like you are halfway between fainting and conscious 24/7. Your vision is dark and flashing, you have hissing in the ears, clumsiness and short-term memory lapses. By this time, your career is long gone and your marriage is deteriorating.
You have been to some of the top medical facilities in the country, where one physician after another can’t find the source of your symptoms. Some physicians have even suggested that perhaps your symptoms are all in your head, and you are subjected to a battery of psychiatric tests. You are eventually told that you are depressed, to which you reply, “Of course I’m depressed!”
This was my life until he appeared - doctor number 38, my hero. This amazing doctor correctly diagnosed me with an autonomic disorder that was most likely triggered by a high fever and caused by a build-up of neurological assaults, including a lightning injury eighteen years earlier. He prescribed a combination of medications that has gradually given me back most of my life during the last eight years. Prior to my diagnosis and treatment, I had trouble walking from the front door to the mailbox. Now I run 25 – 35 miles per week and I drive my car every chance I get!
My amazing medical journey inspired me to write a book entitled Taking Charge of Your Own Health. Because of all the valuable lessons I learned along the way, I feel compelled to share my messages of hope and patient empowerment.
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Thanks, Melissa and Susan. The support on EmpowerHER is great! I just added a link to this site on my Web site under a new section Recommended Resources. This is the kind of site I needed (1995 - 2002)while struggling to find a diagnosis. Imagine someone in a similar situation posting her story on this site and getting tips and valuable information from the EmpowerHER community!
Sadly, my marriage did not survive during that difficult time. My new significant other is a great guy named Beau - he is a beautiful blond German shepherd:)
February 27, 2010 - 10:14pmThis Comment
Hi Lisa,
I agree with Pat...what a journey. Good luck on your book. You will certainly be able to help others.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Best of luck,
February 27, 2010 - 10:48amMelissa
This Comment
Hi Lisa - Unfortunately I can imagine someone getting a wrong diagnosis - I've seen it happen far too many times. It sounds like you went through seven years of horrible experiences until you reached doctor number 38. It sometimes takes a very strong will and a lot of persistence to get the right physician and the right diagnosis, and not everyone can do this. I'm glad you did and that your experience inspired you to help others. Bravo! Take good care, Pat
February 25, 2010 - 10:26pmThis Comment
Hi Pat,
Thanks so much for your kind words! I do hope that this experience can help others. The good news is that people seeking an elusive diagnosis have a powerful weapon that was not available when I was seeking my diagnosis - online social networking. A chance conversation with a neighbor set off the chain of events that led me to doctor #38. Getting my story out there really helped. Imagine the possibilities today with Twitter and Facebook! Someone out there knows something that can help and social networking has made it easier to find help.
I hope my book can help not only those who are suffering, but also those who have their health and take it for granted. We can do so much to protect our health, and the small steps that we take are more powerful than we realize.
Thanks and Blessings,
February 27, 2010 - 10:05amLisa
This Comment