Thanks, Juanitad.

At least there's a doctor out there thinking about how they're coming across!

While I understand everything he's saying, the part I have a problem with is the ego-centered nonsense about how our chronic illnesses adversely affect doctors.

Why? It shows an utter lack of their ability to change how they respond to and feel about CI patients. And, possibly, an inability to understand that we don't need them to "fix" us.

All I need from my neurologist is for him to listen, respond, interact respectfully, come up with solutions when possible, and be empathetic when there aren't solutions. That alone is what makes a good doctor.

And what makes a good patient is the same; plus having realistic expectations of what a doctor can or can't do for us.

What about end of life doctoring? Physicians can't "fix" death either. Does that mean that the work they do before someone dies is not valuable? No!

So what is in the way of them being able to see us and realize that it's okay that there is no "end point" on which to base THEIR value or success, in my opinion, is simply their own personal desire to be perfect or to say (to themselves or anyone else), "Look what I've done!"

It's that type of ego response that does not have a place in doctoring. If they could realize that medical help is a spectrum that is different for each patient, and not a definitive end point, maybe we'd all get better doctoring—especially if doctors saw us as a "team" and not as a managerial relationship!

Maybe he/they should spend some time with Eastern medicine practitioners!

Annie