Hate bias

I just got out of the hospital for physicals issues that didn’t get resolved. The reason they weren’t resolved was the second they saw I was on psych meds and bipolar they pawned me off on a psychiatrist that wanted to put me inpatient on the psych ward. My mood has been the best in years and now they want to take me off all meds. I hate the bias that people with mental health deal with. I was there for a physical reason that three drs agreed on and the one dr said my labs were unremarkable even though I had stage 3 kidney disease close to stage four and liver problems. He just washed his hands of me. How can we get fair treatment?

I am so sorry, Crook. The surest way to receive inferior healthcare here is to admit we are bipolar. Neurologists are among the very worst. Some of their current textbooks actually promote the idea we are full of sh$@ and to simply ignore us. So sorry.

I often ask my pdoc for names of (hopeful) non-stigmatizers. Maybe try that. Surgical issues are easier, irony, as they are more in your face. All surgeons are jerks, but they are actually just mega honest.

Hugs

Crook, I wish I knew.

I finally realized that either I tell them what "we" are going to do or it will just be a fiasco. Bipolar for decades. Shortage of docs down here in Phoenix. It's not pretty.
I wrote up a timeline on the computer along with my psych history. It helps repeating myself when I change doctors. My latest pdoc actually pays attention, doesnt mind when I get pissed off, and has a dual certification with neurology -great. Still, they really dont have enough time to do much good.

Ugh. I wish I knew

I just had this very experience with a neurologist. I am.very hopeful my tests come back clear of structural issues. However, I am going to want to hear him apologize if there's something there because he treated me like a crazy person and dismissed so much of what I said. Sad really.

Crook, I think it is sad this happened to you. My only thought is to discuss it with your pdoc and ask if they would advocate on your behalf.

When I was still stumbling and went back to him again, he looked st me across the room and announced: "you again! I already told you you were fine!"

Mine theorized that it is unlikely that I am having seizures because I am not convulsing during psychosis. However, there are clearly cases of people who have them and the psychosis comes later. Does he not know this? Does he just think I'm nuts? Who knows.

He spent a lot of our time together discussing how everyone's brains are different and that I may have unipolar mania. Well I know all brains are different all to well. That's how it came to be that I have no diagnosis. And... Unipolar ma ia is not a real diagnosis. Even if it were, I wasn't manic before this last episode. Just psychotic.

I feel like he called my pdoc after my appointment. I got a random email from pdoc asking me to fill out basic mania and depression questionnaires. I scored very low for both. Hopefully he sent that to the neurologist to show there is a reason we are considering physical causes.

And... It can be both. It can be true that my brain is damaged and I have psychiatric issues. Amway, he was kinda a jerk, but he ordered and EEG and MRI. I figure if they come back clean at least we will have crossed that off the list.

Ugh. Well, maybe you are just nest tossed in with the other people we don't know what to do with as psychosis NOS?

My illness is so psychosis-dominant now that I have more in common w the sz folks, but my cognitive issues only occur when down-cycled and that is not allowed in schizophrenia. So, maybe schizoaffective then. Not sure.

It freaks me out how much you and I have in common...

Yeah, you're like a brother

I don't really care about the labels as much as I do root cause. Without that, treatment is a total guessing game. The neurologist did say what he does is mostly art and very little science. At least he admits to it. I laughed and said that the quality of art is subjective.

I told him one doctor labeled me with brief reactive psychosis. He said he could be ok with that. This joker knew me for 5 minutes. How can he make any sort of assessment or agree? He said all of this and then followed it by saying he's been doing this for 30 years. Somehow his resume is supposed to make up for lack of care and decency? I worked with people with resumes a mile long who were 'experts' and absolutely terrible.

The labels suck though. Like in Crooks case they are keeping him from getting critical care. I would like to see provides look at us holistically. Some do, but it is rare.

I'm sincerely sorry that happened to you. That's happened to me, too. My local hospital assumes everyone on psychiatric medications is drug-seeking when they come in with pain. It's horrible, it really is. I guess when we are having physical problems we need to keep going to doctors and hospitals until they believe us, or until something awful happens, but hopefully the former.
I really hope you're doing at least a little better in regards to whatever brought you to the hospital. Sending much love.

In another 100 years it will be better. We are approaching the bicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, here pretty quick--know whatImean?

The more I think about it the more pissed off I get. I spent two days in the hospital with no answer except go psych inpatient or go to a php. My mood was the best it has been in years and that got ripped away from me.

I am really sorry, Crook. We will not discriminate against against you.

My GI doctor a few years ago told me there’s no way I could have gained that much weight from psych meds (look at the evidence, moron) and that I was just fat because I didn’t exercise, when my diet was actually pretty decent. Diagnosed me with a disease I didn’t have any symptoms for and sent me on my way. Had pain for two more years but refused to see another GI for fear of the same thing. I’m having stomach issues again but I was told by my pcp that there’s a new nurse practitioner in the GI office and she’s very nice, so if I have to go back I’ll try her.

Physical doctors are definitely jerks when it comes to mental illness.

I am so sorry.

I hate when that happens. I limped around on a broken ankle for FOUR MONTHS and no one would give me pain meds just because I take a Klonopin once in a blue moon. Now I'm basically blackballed from getting narcotics, and while I manage pain with Aleve and Tylenol, there are situations when I need a little something more...like a broken ankle! Pisses me off, because I know damn well I'm being discriminated against because I'm bipolar and on a ton of psych meds.

Still sick. Had an endoscopy this afternoon. Maybe if the dr at the hospital didn’t throw me aside we would have a real answer by now. Basically they are just throwing tests at me and see what sticks. Waiting on bloodwork because my primary care ordered every test she could think of. I hate waiting for results.

Oh and my mood is getting worse as they have taken me off some drugs.

Hugs..

What meds?

Off lithium and Seroquel. Cut my clozapine in half.