Chasing a Diagnosis? You Must Do This.

Have you found yourself chasing answers to your health? Are you getting the run around? You just know something is wrong. You are not able to keep up with your normal pace at work and in life.

Maybe you can’t keep up at all and you feel like you are spiraling out of control and you feel like you’re talking to walls not to professionals.

You have all the crazy symptoms that some say is autoimmune or rare disease is sometimes thrown around in doctor appointments, but no one has answers. Maybe it’s something else altogether.

If this sounds like you it could get worse before it gets better and you finally get answers.

Some people are lucky and can find answers in weeks sometimes a month or two. And others… Well we suffer needlessly for years sometimes. 

Sometimes it comes down to geography and where are the good doctors. And other times it comes down to luck of the draw and a random doctor that knows what you need them to know. The right time at the right place.

I found where I was when I got real bad with my health, the doctors were horrendous and wouldn’t make it in any other nation more than a day, before sued into oblivion. But it can happen anywhere. 

I think now days things are drastically different and standards lowered and many doctors really don’t like what they do. Some might be burnt out. I have my theories I might touch on it in the future. 

I myself had such a ghastly time in doctors offices where I was. Unlike any experience I had in many other nations. No interest at all from them other than being paid.

Their charts had lies and made light of things but mentioned juuuust in case something came along and they needed to cover their butts. Instead of just doing their jobs they took the extra time to cover up and write the notes of self preservation. Extra work if you ask me. 

Many were outright lies.

Why not just diagnose and treat or send to a different specialist?  I still can’t fathom why they did as they did. And I suffered needlessly. Many people do. Maybe you are right now.

So  now I am going to jump straight to the point and give you a tidbit of information that can save you down the road. Immensely so. It might save your life. 

Start doing this now it can save you

There are two important things you should start doing now. This can save you so much time and misery. It might seem like a huge chore. When you’re sick it is a chore and a half!

Especially if you are suffering confusion or brain fog that can go along with many vascular, autoimmune and some rare disease illnesses.  But hear me out…

Start to track each and every appointment, be it at a hospital, clinic, doctors office. Collect all your your documents and lab requisitions from each doctor. 

That means write down your appointment with who and time date and address.  Keep track of all lab dates and times . Peek at the time when you actually sit down with your phlebotomist (the person who collects your blood sample) and write it in your little notes book when you leave.

Times are very important.

Keep copies of that lab requisition also. Phones now have a capability to scan documents quickly and you can print a copy at home. Or you can ask the secretary at the lab to print you a copy of your requisition. They are usually pretty good at giving you a copy and they will generally write patient copy on it so you can’t reuse it. 

And keep a record of your chart from each place you visit for your personal records.

Your doctor won’t have them ready when you leave you’ll have to call back at a later date. You don’t even need to do this each visit, you’ll probably tick off the secretary. Maybe once every six months. Or when you know you won’t be in a particular doctor office again if they feel not necessary to see you again. Or you refuse to see them again. Unless of course you really feel something is off in a particular visit. Then give it a week and ask for it.  This is usually the case when you know it’s time to move on only scenario.

Get copies of chart including doctor notes, nurse notes, lab results, including lab printout and written reports, you want both. They should all match up and have no drastically differing information or times.

Each place will have it’s own method of retrieving files. You’ll have to call the office of each doctor or the records department of hospitals. They will tell you their process of how to get them. Whether they will expect formal in writing request or over phone request is good enough if they know you. Each state and nation has it’s own rules and legal procedures. Those rules are there to protect your privacy.

It takes about two to five minutes of your time to request from each location. Note that labs will not share your results. So there is no need to contact them for anything. You have already collected requisitions, dates and times  

There are several reasons to collect your chart and keep track

There are several reasons to keep track of everything. I’ll lay them out here. Some fixable and some very very serious. And detrimental to your health and life in some severe cases. 

1. You can see whether doctors are asking you seriously or blowing you off and are not taking you seriously. You can see if there is a miscommunication of sorts that needs to be addressed. Miscommunication or blowing you off are two possibilities that can happen and do happen sometimes. You’ll know if you see either. If you see communication issues address it professionally in your next appointment or in a call. You may be able to save a doctor patient relationship and save time. Don’t get into a tizzy you’ll cause more problems and you’ll also be able to hold more against them if they are harming you and you were professional the entire time. And it might just be an honest misunderstanding or misjudgment time will tell. 
2. You can share any documents face to face with other specialists that you feel need to be addressed that are being overlooked. For example if one doctor admits you are having difficulty walking, or can’t function with your headaches or whatever scenario, and are unable to do basic household chores or work efficiently but isn’t tackling it, you have documentation. It shows an ongoing issue that you didn’t make up randomly. It may be that another doctor or specialist you are seeing picks up on a symptom that all other doctors have missed. And you may get your answers finally. 
3. The worst case that can happen and did happen to me? Well if you are collecting like I did and you feel something is really wrong and you know you are being harmed but can’t prove it or quite pin how exactly? Well you have the documentation. You can find fraudulent billing while they use you to pay selves while doing nothing for you but massive harm. (you need copies of list of visit print outs. which you can compare to your records you’ve been keeping) You can find fraudulent diagnosis’s because you kept a copy off all your labs and doctor notes and everything else in between. 

Yes I have been diagnosed on purpose to harm me while an doctor paid his mortgage, secretaries, got benefits for writing prescriptions plus appointment billing. Denied me a second opinion, and all other MDs ignored me as if I didn’t know anything. He sent me to doctors I did not need for my serious symptoms. And included two doctors who helped him. And one who was honest and couldn’t figure out why I needed a sleep apnea tests for vasculitis/lupus symptoms serious vasculitic rashes included, petechia and many more serious symptoms etc. 

He sent me to a friend who didn’t ask me one question but told me a wrong diagnosis to keep the scam going along for their friend. They sure told me what was wrong without any patient history and it was opposite what my labs came out. It almost killed me more than once.

Where I was I couldn’t get any help. And it took so long. I was so sick and barely able to get through a day never mind research my files which I had eventually put in storage safe from damage. I knew something was so wrong.

I found fraudulent billing. I found notes. I found notes proving harm. I found other patient labs with numbers switched to make mine mixed in with mine. From an entirely different hospital. I found so much. And I was purposely prevented a proper diagnosis because these MDs were paid handsomely harming me. And no other doctors would listen to me because the arrogance of the area and lack of give a crap out any patient never mind a gold mine. And the ones who did this I assume figured in my shape they knew I was truly in would be dead soon and they wouldn’t get caught. 

But they did and I am in process of decimating dirt in a system that chose to harm me because they could. 

I know when you are sick it’s hard to do anything never mind keep track of things like this. But in the end it may help you tremendously. It may help prevent harm to others in the future also. 

I have traveled a lot and lived in several different nations. I have never had doctors take a woman alone in a medical crisis as a benefit to harm and not get caught as I did where my hell on earth happened. Most doctors were very good to me when I needed care elsewhere. Whether for dengue or whatever comes up in life. I’ve never had them look at my weakness in health as a benefit to harm as these ones did to me where this happened to me.

But it does happen and it can happen to anyone. Anywhere. You probably see it when researching trying to get answers. I have. And I see how women are sent away as menopausal or delusional or whatever else for serious and horrendous symptoms that are beyond dangerous. It does happen to men too but I think it is more common for women.

Even female doctors participate in the gaslighting. It shows character of a person. But I don’t have the time to learn character of a doctor when chasing a diagnosis. I should be able to trust someone with that licensing. But that isn’t always the case is it? Like everyone else they need to prove themselves.

But I’m glad the moment I realized something wasn’t right I started to collected files and back tracked collecting hospital notes from an emergency surgery and all the crap that I endured up to it. There was no way they couldn’t fix me and there was no way it could take so long to figure it out factually and I was not their bank account imaginations and wishes. And there was no way my diagnosis was correct that they gave me yet ran away from each time I brought things up. I fired the doctor who was doing me wrong but never got answers elsewhere. 

But you hear about doctors diagnosing cancer when it is not, epilepsy, and whatever they need as patients but don’t have enough in their practice to make a living apparently. Imagine how much money a doctor without ethics can make? Their title is a clear go ahead to bad apples. Just google it and you’ll see.

Always keep a physical copy of your files

Always keep a physical copy of your medical files. First phones and laptops die and crash. You’ll lose everything if yours crashes or gets lost! Doctors offices do not keep all files indefinitely. 

Keep a note book especially for your appointments and labs only. You don’t want to look through any other information if you need to find dates that don’t match up. If someone is scamming your insurance or your pocket book you want to be able to cross reference all appointments and billing and diagnosis discrepancies easily and quickly. Insurance, lawyers and police will probably be grateful for less work, points if able to see it quickly too. Unless you find a newbie that just loves paperwork. Like never. lol

And if you keep a physical copy you can do what I ended up doing. Once I had the wherewithal to actually think clearly and function, I saw things that made me chase these people from the beginning, I saw some things that made me think what I was thinking but couldn’t point out easily when getting one by one while sick. I need to be able to look at absolutely everyting. Again I couldn’t find enough to take to police in my condition. I was also very sick and weak. The doctors counted on that.

But when I placed them side by side because small things here and there weren’t enough. Wow, I notice one after another after another. I looked very in depth at everything on every page. Compared those to other pages side by side. Lab number beside lab number of labs and I saw just how harmed I was and what they wanted for me. 

Physical notes that you can place side by side can make a world of difference! I placed lab numbering side by side and saw the switches. I read two doctors notes and both lied but one included the other. The other had a completely different story. So they outed themselves. I saw false billing while stating in chart that I did not come in. (I didn’t, but that didn’t stop billing) 

So please keep physical copies. Buy a set of paperclips so you can keep files together to make easier if you need. Keep a box for medical files only. And keep adding as you go. You just never know.

I feel that those of us that have this happen are rare. But not as rare per say as we all think. I just think people like this haven’t been caught. Because patients aren’t taught what to look for.

And always always do this

Always always do this. Always listen to your gut. If you feel you are being done dirty there is a good chance are. If you feel your doctor isn’t listening and doesn’t care. Get a new one. Get your files though.

Trust is needed, this is your life and you only have one no matter how much it can pay a horrible doctor.  If you feel you are diagnosed improperly fight for that second opinion. And don’t stop until you know for sure. You know your body and health more than any doctor who gives you five minutes of time.  You know if their plan of action is helping you or hurting you. 

You have one life only. And you need to protect it. There are some bad wolves out there. I hopefully remove a few successfully and permanently from ever having opportunity to do it again. (as usually long drawn out process)

I hope this post helps you. Let me know in the comments if you have had your own false diagnosis whether on purpose or by accident.  Let me know if you feel completely blown off by your search for a diagnosis so you can move on in life also.