Day 4 Disheartening things practioners have said to me

What was the most disheartening thing a doctor has told you about your symptoms? In what ways have you kept that in your mind?
I guess the most disheartening thing would be being told when I first “hurt” my back that it was “just” a strained ligament. I told her my anxiety about what if it doesn't get better, as I’d just recently gotten a different chronic illness under control and felt like I was going to lose another part of my life. I also have my mother who has had chronic back pain and sciatica for years as an example. She quite sternly told me that it WILL get better, no if’s and’s or but’s. While it assured me at the time, it also makes me frustrated looking back on it.

More recently, I saw a physio that continued to go on about how I “should” have gotten better and that I was too young for this to have lasted this long (sciatica and back pain at 23/24). He said it at least three times. I told him I knew that, and I’d experienced two other people in my life in this time that were my age and had a small bout of back pain with sciatica that had gotten better in a few weeks. And it’s like… does he think I don’t know that I should have gotten better? That I shouldn’t have to have this so young, or I guess at all. He also went on about being disappointed the McKenzie method hadn’t worked for me and that water therapy hadn’t helped, like he had nothing else to really offer me or try.

 

Hi Nicole,

I see that your physio said that you "should" have gotten better by now. As frustrating as that may be, you might try looking at at it as a positive. To me, it's evidence that you've got TMS and not something in your body that needs to physically heal.

Best of luck!

Jim

 

I really like this way of looking at this, thanks!