Well, folks, it IS very sad, and funny, and heartwrenching at the same time!! I think it does help to hear that others have experienced the same level of ...well...let's say "alarmed incredulity", over what their doctors have had to report to them! I've been at this for 9 years now, and one thing is for certain: How I think about doctors and the field of medicine has changed dramatically. That is not to say that I lump them all into one group, I have had some very good, compassionate, competent doctors, and I Thank God for them. But then there are those others.....
I have had many upsetting encounters, from an ob-gyn who told me that I needed to stop wasting the doctors time in pursuit of a diagnosis ( I had pain during an exam, which turned out to be a broken pelvis, but he felt that my need to explain/relieve the constant pain I was in was frivolous, I guess), to having a post -surgical check-up after my electrical stim was implanted where the doc came in with my 5 inch thick file and, with out making eye-contact, asks me when my LAST migraine headache was! (Autopilot?)
It does make a person angry, after many such episodes. You start to feel so hopeless and forsaken! BUT....the good news IS, that there ARE great doctors out there, and more importantly, great PEOPLE, who will lend a hand, and ear, a chocolate chip cookie... So, in the spirit of THANKSgiving, I'm thankful for those people who do understand and who do care. They have made all the difference.

Hi! I'm new here to neurotalk, but saw this post and thought I'd add my tale.

In April, I was diagnosed with a rare complication of autoimmune thyroiditis called Hashimoto's Encephalopathy. It's a neuro disease that can cause a whole host of symptoms. I walked around for years with undiagnosed fatigue, migraines, subtle neuro deficits that came and went, and ataxia. For years I was told it was all from stress/depression/in my head, etc...
It was my 8th neurologist that told me I had HE. She is a very kind, well respected movement disorder specialist. She was so kind in telling me that I was ill and that my symptoms had actually not been psychosomatic this whole time, which is what almost every other doctor had told me.

A few weeks after that appointment, I had a thyroid ultrasound which showed that my gland was full of tiny nodules. The radiologist had told me this...

When I shared my diagnosis with my family doctor, however, she just stood there like it was no big deal. Like I had not been walking around ill for eight years with no answers. To top it off, she did not tell me about the nodules on the ultrasound- all she said was that my gland was normal sized and I did not have a goiter. I think she was trying to say she did not think I had autoimmune thyroiditis, let alone the neuro complication from it.

Her flippant attitude, plus the realization that for years I had been complaining of low thyroid symptoms prompted me to ask for a copy of my chart.

I was absolutely devastated to find note after note that I was depressed, anxious, stressed, etc etc and that was the root of all my problems. The notes stated that my symptoms were psychosomatic. One doctor even wrote that all of my complaints should be treated as "hearsay" and my symptoms verified closely on exam, as I was not to be trusted.
That was truly devastating. I am still working through my anger and working on forgiving these doctors. My main hope is to salvage what I can from the experience and try to help spread awareness about HE so that other women don't have to go through what I just did.

Why are doctors so arrogant?

HEperson, I feel sooo vey bad for you. It is just awfull how alot of doctors don't really listen to their patients. Iam glad you posted I have never heard of HE before.

Morning Broken,

I am brand new here, and your story just made my morning. I would have done the same thing, busted out laughing!

I'm searching for answers and hope someone here will be able to help me.

You're awesome!

I wish there was a way to collect info on neuros regarding their attitude and ability with out getting into trouble. This reminds me of an experience years ago when I went to a new ob/gyn on the advice of a friend. She loved him but I found him really creepy as he whispered when he spoke. I felt like we were doing something sneaky. She got mad when I told her I wasn't going back to see him. So even when you are well intentioned it's all subjective. I guess we all must learn through trial and error when finding a good doc.

keep this up at the top of this list?
Seems there IS NO FORUM for patients to ask, question or complain about doctor attitudes or behaviours in a non-specific or constructive format. The fact that docs can bad mouth or black-list a patient to the point where they do not get adeaquate treatments or even good diagnositics is one heck of a scary proposition...
When I 'interview' a new doc...AND I DO ABSOLUTELY INTERVIEW THEM on a first visit...I tend to look at lots of things...First, does the office staff appear professional, efficient and also nice? Nice is key to how happy they are working there; second, how late to appointments 'run'? - sometimes late can be a good thing, in that the doc actually gives you your 'quality' 7-20 minutes....If late then, and I feel I have the docs' attention during that time...OK, I don't mind waiting. Lastly, I tend to command the call about WHEN and where my blood tests and other testing should be done...because I receive other treatments that can affect blood results, I not only insist on this, but I can also direct test copies to key doctors [many] that I see.
I go into any doc visit with a steno pad and a short list...prioritized given what time we have to address major and/or minor issues. I tick off what was addressed and add notes about how addressed at the bottom...
I guess, like many here, I've learned...the best DEFENSE is a good Offense!
Not one of us is having a 'vacation in the park' with our neuro issues! Not a one of us! To the comment: It's in your head! I go...take a look into your own kind doctor!
PLEASE Other folks? Add your comments! Maybe Doc John and others could learn from our plights, mis-adventures and more importantly MIS-DIAGNOSES! So many of us have medical issues that are not common. But not so uncommon that even WE the patients can't find answers on the internet...?
At times I feel the medical profession, insurance industries and many others have lost touch with reality. For us that reality is pain, and learning to live with it.
Speak up all! Let's hope we can find a forum for talking to the common docs about why they 'brush us off'. If we have a window into their worlds and they ours, we could begin to talk to each other more efficiently. At least, that's my true hope. Good pain-free moments to all! = j