Took me over 4 years to get a fibromyalgia diagnosis. 5 years is the average diagnosis time, as 80% of the patients are female.
Don’t let a doctor disregard your pain – especially if you’re female. We know our bodies, we know when something’s wrong, take that s— to another doctor (& another, & another) until someone listens to you.
I wrote recently about how it felt to not be believed by someone in regards to my Chronic Fatigue.
However, as painful as it is to hear the words, “I don’t believe you” from someone you love – or statements that imply something similar that those with invisible illnesses have heard in all varieties – it’s far more painful to hear these words implied by the people we depend on most: doctors.
I’ve read more times than I can count that doctors are more likely to dismiss women; women are less likely to receive treatment; are less likely to be believed and often have to fight to be heard.
From my own personal experiences, this is most certainly the case.
When I was a teen, my parents and I had to fight – constantly – with my doctor over whether my period pain was normal or something more sinister.
My doctor…
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