A Conversation With My Doctor

Today's National Health Blog Post Month topic is about a conversation with my doctor.

I'm going to cheat again here.  This is from the book I'm writing on life with lupus - about my first meeting with my rheumatologist.

Dr K will never win an award for his people skills. In that first appointment, he fired question after question at me about my medical history. 

“Have you ever got a rash when you go out in the sun?”

“Oh yes, since I was a kid, I’ve gotten…..”

“Stomach problems?”

“I have irritable bowel and reflux.”

“Ever have an endoscopy for the reflux? What did they say?”

“They just said ‘some free floating reflux’.”

“Means they didn’t know what caused it. Hair falling out?"

"Yeah, at times it comes out by the..."

"Tiredness?"

The rapid-fire questions continued, and I was quite sure Dr K wasn't listening to any of my answers - until, after about 10 minutes, although it seemed much longer, he summarized everything I said, looked at my blood test results, and told me I had lupus.

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I've been nominated for the Best in Show: Blog Award for this year's Health Activist Awards. (How exciting is that??????)

You can nominate your favourite health care activist here.

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

I've just ordered a handmade bracelet (made especially to suit the person I'm giving it to) from Annie at Bracelets, Beads and Bling.

When you buy from any of the businesses listed in the Business Directory, you are making a difference in the life of someone with a chronic illness.