Originally Posted by Frog42

A lot of doctors don't see us as people but as patients. I'm sure they feel they need to do this in order to stay at a professional distance but it's no fun when they treat us like items. Hang in there.

Originally Posted by Natalie8

Sorry to hear you had such a terrible experience. It's always magnified by the incredible stress one feels waiting for a diagnosis. Here is an exercise that might help you feel better: sit down and write a letter to the doctor and /or practice outlining why they treated you so terribly and that you deserve better.

Once I wrote a letter of complaint to a doctor (long story -- she was new to the practice and told me in the hallway with people walking by that I might have tumors on my ovaries and would have to have surgery)--it was a measly little ovarian cyst. Whoops! I cc-ed every doctor in the practice on my complaint!

Sometimes putting it on paper can help discharge the anger, fear, and sadness. And on occasion I have been known to send these letters off! A couple of times I got apologies by phone call from the doctor or head of practice. That won't always happen but it might! It can make you feel better just to vent in writing! And you control the situation -- you never have to mail if you don't want to.

Originally Posted by ginnie

I am so sorry you were treated that way. You do have a right, just as you stated not to have that done by a resident. The treatment you received should be reported to the hospital or facility that did the LP. You also have a right to human treatment, which I don't believe you received. I hope that the LP will reveal something to help you, make it worth what you went through. I don't like being a lab rat either. I was given an infusion (Ketamine, yes it worked) but I was not told what it was, just an epidural which is different. So I do know about feeling like a lab rat or experiment. How about a gerbil on the medical wheel. These doctors someday will be patients themselves, that is what they forget. Let the tables be tuned and I bet compassion will enter into the picture again. I will keep you in my prayers. ginnie

Originally Posted by Hockey

Yes, but would it hurt them to, at least, pretend to care while they're actually treating us? They are getting paid, after all.

Originally Posted by Debbie D

I would go further and write the head of the facility about your experience. I would, however, leave out the PTSD and depression, and just stick to the experience and the horrible treatment you got afterwards. if they read that you have difficulty coping, they will for sure tune out the rest of the complaint...

Whether or not they will reply, you will feel empowered in just writing and letting the heads of what shoddy treatment you received...

Now I hope you can shift your perspective about what occurred and be proud of how you stuck up for yourself!! That was awesome, and I don't think I would have the gonads to do what you did!!