[tealBumblebee]

(Sorry if this is in the wrong thread...not sure exactly where to put this).

So a while ago (months) I posted about how I went to the Gyno and he found some of my cuts. What he doesn't know is that was not nearly close to all the cuts I had, and theres a whole lot more where that came from. I digress... Anyways, he had to have a "talk" (where he pretty much bashed my T) and he put in a referral to a pDoc. I told him I didn't need the pDoc (which apparently I did a good job of convincing him because I never got a call) and asked him not to document it in my chart (which he hesitated on because he said he thought GP should know).

Today, I went to GP (nothing big). Everything was cool and normal. He dx'd me; wrote a cheap prescription - same old same old. At the end, when he was entering diagnosis, etc. I noticed he hovered over the computer a lot longer than normal. In fact - he's ALWAYS out of the room before I am but when I left he was still on the computer.

So, I look at the printout thats much bigger than normal (new system so it combines all doctors together in one chart) and under diagnosis list I find depression and self inflicted injury. I was shocked for a long time. I kept looking back at the chart like No. He. Did. NOT. I mean, I get why he put s.i.i. and I can't argue that because he saw the scars (and I do think he overreacted because I don't think he would have been any wiser if I had not told him I was the cause of them). But depression???

I definitely don't want either in my chart because I, working in the medical field, know the problems that can cause down the line. But what I want to know is - how can he put depression down? He's never evaluated me for it. He's never prescribed meds for it. Hell - he never told me I was depressed. (Being real, I already know I have depression...and more - but he doesn't know that.) What did he just eyeball me and say "Yup! She's got her hair in a ponytail - she's depressed." Did he just assume that self harm equals depression? It could, but maybe i'm just kinky like that. He doesn't have any basis for that diagnosis to be in my chart except for the self harm scars and to me - thats not really enough.

Maybe i'm not even mad about that. I just feel like me and GP have a good thing and I don't want gyno to ruin it. Stick to the lady parts gyno! And leave the non female diagnosing to the GP.

[venusss]

Today, I went to GP (nothing big). Everything was cool and normal. He dx'd me; wrote a cheap prescription - same old same old. At the end, when he was entering diagnosis, etc. I noticed he hovered over the computer a lot longer than normal. In fact - he's ALWAYS out of the room before I am but when I left he was still on the computer.

Diagnosed with what and prescription for what?

[ArthurDent]

oops. Wrong thread...sorry.

[IrisBloom]

Teal, I don't know much about it, but I'm pretty sure any institution can only get your records by a signed medical release. You can go to the Dr's superiors and ask what you can do about it. I understand your feelings about this, I would be PO'd too.

[tealBumblebee]

Originally Posted by venusss

Diagnosed with what and prescription for what?

Ear pain (wisdom teeth issues), rash (apparently I have an allergy to the aluminum in deodorant) and a mouth sore. Unrelated, not the result of any kind of possible self harm and not something that would take a long time for him to document at all. I also don't want him wondering if everything I come in there for now is a possible result of self harm. I don't want a reason to be uncomfortable to go to him specifically. We've established a safe mutual gp/pt relationship, and I can tell him what I need; he listens and in most cases gives without questions. With all my practitioner's (even the gyno still), we've come to an agreement that I have ultimate control over my health care and I don't want them to ever feel that I'm incompetent of making those decisions for myself.

Originally Posted by IrisBloom

Teal, I don't know much about it, but I'm pretty sure any institution can only get your records by a signed medical release. You can go to the Dr's superiors and ask what you can do about it. I understand your feelings about this, I would be PO'd too.

Nothing illegal was done in this case. I see all "in network" providers and they've got a new system in which everything is compiled into one electronic medical record. They can each enter their own diagnosis, visit information, etc. but they have the ability to look back and see all the meds I may/may not take (to avoid mixing anything unstable; except I only take allergy meds so no big deal), each others notes, etc. I actually think it's a useful system. And if I were to tell anyone - it would have been the GP not the gyno because the GP is slow to call a problem "serious" and knows my preferences in meds, the types of people I like to be referred to (personality counts), etc. I just don't want one overzealous doc influencing the other.

[IrisBloom]

I understand. I went to MD yesterday and they have a new system where you get a printout of all your Dx's. I had a long list. I knew about all of them, but put together it looks huge. lol

[EsotericNonsense]

Your gyno knew that you had cuts on your body which w were self inflicted that you were ashamed of. Honestly people who are just kinky are very careful about not leaving Permanent marks during play.

[tealBumblebee]

Originally Posted by EsotericNonsense

Your gyno knew that you had cuts on your body which w were self inflicted that you were ashamed of. Honestly people who are just kinky are very careful about not leaving Permanent marks during play.

I'm not really ashamed of them; I just don't think that everyone is open-minded enough to see them. And since I don't do them for other people but myself - I keep them hidden. Still, I don't think that would hold up in court as "reason to diagnose as depressed". I did not know about the part about the kinky people not leaving marks lol. Good to know.

[EsotericNonsense]

I put cloths pins on my body sometimes to deal with anxiety and physical pain. It's not sexual but I want to stop doing it as often because I'm worried that now that I've used pain to deal with anxiety I will start getting anxiety when playing with a partner and I don't want that.

[The_little_didgee]

Originally Posted by tealBumblebee

depression and self inflicted injury.

Self-injury is not a symptom of depression. It is a way of coping. One doesn't need to depressed to self-injure. A physician who is familiar with mental illness knows this. Unfortunately most gynecologists don't.

In the 1990s if a psychiatrist learned of any self-injury they would automatically diagnose BPD even if the patient didn't meet the minimum criteria. I'm glad that isn't happening as much today (and to you).

[StressedMess]

Is there a way to challenge this depression diagnosis and have it removed from your medical records? I was given an anti-depressant to help me quit smoking in my 20's. Every doctor visit after that I was asked how my depression was. I can't count the number of times I had to repeat that I'd never suffered from depression.

Now that I do suffer from it and am diagnosed with it, if still makes me mad. I have not been depressed for 20 years. I've been depressed for about a year and a half.

[tealBumblebee]

Originally Posted by StressedMess

Is there a way to challenge this depression diagnosis and have it removed from your medical records? I was given an anti-depressant to help me quit smoking in my 20's. Every doctor visit after that I was asked how my depression was. I can't count the number of times I had to repeat that I'd never suffered from depression.

Now that I do suffer from it and am diagnosed with it, if still makes me mad. I have not been depressed for 20 years. I've been depressed for about a year and a half.

I completely understand. I'm kind of scared to challenge it because I had a mild enough time convincing him that I was okay (he was sensitive bc a friend of his had just committed suicide). I feel like if I were to push the issue, I'd talk myself into a trap and maybe things would get worse than ever.