Dear Doctors of persons with ongoing symptoms that don’t “add up”. Please, look down at the feet of your patients. Please ask them to come in wearing their “every-day” footwear and look at their feet!!!
Back when I went to the Movement Disorder Specialist, one of the things she asked to see was my boots. I thought this was odd since I never had a complaint about my feet; but I am compliant with physicians, so I showed her my boots. Even at that appointment, I did not understand or recognize what she saw. It wasn’t until weeks later at an unrelated physical therapy appointment that the Physical Therapist said, “Oh yes I can see!” that I realized the answer was on my boots the entire time!
While the tops of both boots have scuffs, the top of the right boot is more scuffed than the left.
When you look at a patient, you need to be careful in treating the whole person rather than just treating individual symptoms. Sometimes, especially when the patient has been coming in for years, the problem is systemic, not localized. I know that more than once, I tried to tell my primary care physician that there was something going on, and this “something” involved my whole body, not just my head.
Don’t stop looking at the tops of the feet though, look at those soles too!
When I was sitting in the chair and my MDS asked to see my boots, I raised my jeans so she could see the pretty teal on them. I thought for sure that’s what she wanted to see. She, in fact, did not. She asked me to raise my feet so that she could see the soles. I was really confused by this, but again, complied. I’d never looked at the soles of my boots before, but you can clearly see that my left boot has a greater amount of wear on it than the right. While I stumble and “stub” my right foot more often, (damage on top) I shuffle while I walk, and that is very evident on the sole of my left boot. When I turned the boots over to take this picture, I noticed something else.
You can clearly see that the heel of the right boot is more rounded. It has a very different wear pattern than the left. When a person comes in with multiple symptoms that do not seem to fit a single disease (or symptoms fit a disease that may not be TYPICAL for their age or sex), please, please look at their feet, and do not be afraid to refer to a specialist!
Doctor, we are coming to you for answers to problems we can’t solve on our own. I was never a seeker. I still do not go to the doctor unless I am asked to (for follow-up or annuals), I still try to resolve issues on my own before I “bother” you. I do not call you unless I need help. I know your days are full of people with mundane and run-of-the-mill issues, but I assure you, if I am sitting in your office, it’s because I have a problem that is not “run-of-the-mill”. Listen to your patients. Hear more than just symptoms and fear. Listen to what they are telling you. Know your patients. When a patient does not make an appointment for a year and then comes in because they are experiencing numbness and tingling in their chin, they’re coming in because that is not normal. It’s not typical for them.
Doctor, please don’t think about horses all the time. Especially when a patient comes in repeatedly with the same complaint and has been compliant with your medication and treatment plans. Please start thinking about zebras. Please. I implore you. I’m sick of fighting for my health and quality of life. I’m really tired of having to repeat myself. I’m exhausted from having to encourage others to do the same. You are the one with the education. You must do better.
I spent a good year being angry and having self-righteous rants about the years I lost because my physician wasn’t listening to me, was dismissing me with a diagnosis of atypical migraine and
bipolar disorder, and even writing that on referrals which were written begrudgingly. Honestly, he should have quit me, released me to be seen by someone who could help me, someone willing to think outside the boxes that appear on their symptoms checklist software.
I spent too many months being upset, feeling hurt, and dismissed. I’m done with all that now. Now, I’m just going to start writing letters to any doctor who is willing to listen, to care about their patients. I’m going to spend my time asking doctors to do more in the name of health CARE, to honor the oath they took, and to do their honest best for their patients.
I’m going to keep on sharing my story so that others in this situation do not feel alone, so that someone might not have to fight as hard or as long for a diagnosis, for empathy, for quality care, and quality of life. I assure you, poor medical care does not help restore health or promote healing. Being dismissed and written off does not bring about good. I’m going to keep on speaking my truth because I matter, we matter, and this matters.
Doctor, I hope you know you are a valuable part of our team, and we need you. We need you to listen and look to hear and observe. We need you to work with us toward a better quality of life. Thank you for being a good partner.
Pay attention to the signs! Never accept what you know is not true. Doctors, do better; patients, don’t quit. We must all act justly, love mercy and walk humbly.
Keep the faith and find the blessings in the messy. 🤍
Momma Rich's 