I wanted to try a hormonal IUD. Not something I want to insert on my own. I found a pretty big UK study that says that for women with PMS that doesn't respond well to five different hormonal birth control tablets, doctors could try a hormonal IUD and it might work better.

Honestly? I didn't think asking for that was going to be a big issue. Apparently before I do something so "drastic" as "use a wholly safe form of birth control that millions of women use anyway for a variety of reasons" I need to get talk therapy to see if it can't be managed that way.

Also I had a bunch of tests I was going to fight for, but after the IUD fiasco I decided to just leave it.

Yeah, I'm always waiting for them to say that. I started taking my London Marathon finisher's medals along to doctor's appointments. Only thing I've ever found that makes them shut up.

I have to wait 30+ years for that.

Those most classic example of this is how I went permanently blind in my left eye from chlorpromazine while two different psychiatrists just told me I was having visual hallucinations and upped the dosage. ****ers. Nobody once thought to refer me to an opthamologist just in the *off chance* that I was experiencing a known side-effect of a drug they were giving me.

Doctors don't know very much, actually -- they're just incredibly arrogant about it! I think it's part of their training. I've seen plenty of nice, smart kids go in for their medical training and come out the other end arrogant little ****ers.

Oh -- it could. But you have to pay them handsomely. That's been my problem for years.

I'm cynical too. I pretty much only see doctors when I need emergency birth control after a rape (or I guess an IUD), or if I have an infection or some kind of broken limb/digit. ETA: They actually are quite good at mending broken limbs!