I spend a lot of time thinking about the medical profession and how to get though to them, how to get past all that arrogance and superior attitude to help them realise how badly they have let us down and it so frustratingly damned impossible because most of them are so frankly in a world of their own in which they are perfect beings and we are so much lesser. I have got to a point of being so angry that I really worry about what I might say at appointments, for fear that if I cause too much offence my treatment or particulary that of my child will be hostile.
There are some lovely doctors in the world on a ratio of about 1 in 10 or even less these days. I have thought about trying to do some stand up comedy to make fun of them and maybe I should do some work on that but I also wondered today about expressing some of what I want to say via anonymous postcards. Unusual idea I know but nothing conventional in terms of communication seems to work with them. I was thinking to put on the postcards these following words'
'I wonder how many lives have been sacrificed at the alter of every doctors career to enable them to keep toeing the line and I wonder how many of these doctors have respected that sacrifice and given it meaning with hard work, kindness, humility and the courage to work for change and an end to the sacrificial slaughter'.
What do you think folks? I could send one to every doctor in a practice. I wonder if it would start a conversation. Make one or two of them think. I think so many of them just too immature to not get defensive and dismissive. It might make me feel better.Perhaps I should work on the comedy instead.
Similar thoughts Hidden , especially to the moron who blighted my life in the first place, but as rosieno1 says, may only bring you grief...unless you use an ancient typewriter, and post from a galaxy far, far away! 😂🤪 Comedy may be the better option...free speech, and all that! Have fun!
Yes I am sure you are right, just a daft desperate idea in the night. I used to have a lot of fun when I worked as a nurse, taking the piss out of them but it s so dark and so not funny in so many ways it is hard to think of ways to present stuff that is funny enough to not send every one into a really dark place if I go into one myself in front of an audience. I do make my freinds laugh though after I have been to appointments and the Drs have said something particulary weird.
Some of my best ideas come in the wee hours...but by the time morning comes what with lack of sleep and brain fog they’re gone! 🙃 I understand the dark places and you're right, not good to send your audience there! Maybe you could make your doctor visits a ‘third-person’ format and put that to an audience? If it makes your friends laugh, it might work? In the meantime, you know people in here understand and see the funny side even through the darkness.
Yes third person might work. I have been having some thoughts for a while about doing a standup and have some ideas, some observational humour. I need to wrok on it with someone. I think I may have some frontal lobe damage and so sometimes say stuff or come up with ideas that people find disturbing/ inappropriate so would need a editor. I was thinking about whether thyroid uk are doing another conference and whether I could do something on an evening there with a like minded and supportive environment. I am sure people would enjoy a good laugh at the expense of some medics there.
Could you try open-mic events for comedy? (Do they have them in UK?) A good place to start maybe.
I’m not sure how TUK conferences work; you should contact the website. I’d be careful about ‘at the expense of’ though, as people invited to such events are usually sympathetic to the cause and it may backfire on you.
Sorry if this is too nosy but how did you get frontal lobe damage? It would be safer probably to have someone edit, yes, but don’t lose the originality!
not sure how I came by frontal lobe issues and not properly diagnosed but I am a bit disinhibited and lack good judgment when it come to the impact of the things I say to people. It causes me a lot of problems. Probably over the years on here I have had about 4 posts removed as inappropriate or possibly offensive and that has never been my intention. I often realise after the fact or am mortified when it gets pointed out but that does not stop me finding a new way to be weird a week or two later. I had a few bumps on the head as a child but I also have disscoaitive identity disorder and some child identitys so also wonder if it is one of them coming out to embaress me.
Oh, my goodness...I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for you. Saying what you want to can be hard enough...saying what you don’t want to obviously makes life difficult as you have written. I read the book ‘Sybil’ in my dim and distant past; is that anything like your life experiences? I’ll be mindful of your responses, though I don’t think we’ve had any problems so far! 😂👍🏻 All that and thyroid problems too...puts my lot into perspective. Hang in there...this is the place to be for help, and a laugh!
Sybil was the only person anybody had ever heard of when I started my psychiatric nurse training. It is now considered not so rare. I trained in a lovely hospital where the nurses and management were fabulous. The funny thing was that after a very traumatic incident involving myself I very much became the center of attention for a while, the head psychologist got involved who was a lovely elderly lady and she wrote a report together with my mum on how to support the rest of my training and it was decided that the best way to do this was for me to be treated like every other member of staff and develop a responsible adult personality. The spanner in the works was nearly every doctor in the hospital thought they had a great idea about how to cure me and kept going to see the psychologist to talk about their plans for me. She was furious as she had these 23 year old telling her that she was out of her depth and that she couldn't possibly understand my needs. So Elsa wrote a letter to the management raising a concern that I was not safe with them and for the rest of my training I did not work with a doctor and any that tried to break the embago were sent to work else where. It was like an injuction, they were not allowed in the social club, the nurse home or on the ward while I was there. It was very pertinent as on one ward , encouraged by another nurse I asked to work with the junior doctor. The school of nursing made an exception, gave him strict instructions to not give me any special attention and shared the psychologist report with him, that included my mums observations inregard to what triggered me regressing to a child identity or becoming really ill. This junior doctor then used this information to come up with a plan to do the opposite to everything he was told as he decided everybody else had got it wrong. I was so ill after a week with him.
The moral of the tale is that psychiatrists just cannot be trusted with the mentally ill.
Yes it is a tad difficault realising that you have done something really daft again. It was much easier when I just used to black out and have no memory of what I had been doing but not a safe way to live or helpful interms of growing out of issues.
I’m in awe that you’ve done so much in your life, and in turn helped others. It’s amazing what our Mums can do when their child faces adversity, but sometimes we’re lucky to have an ‘Elsa’ too. What is it with doctors - and men in particular, especially with women - that they automatically ‘know better’ even when fact is put in front of them!!! 🤬
I trust you still have a support network that look out for you, especially when your identities surface? I hope so! As you say, not a safe way to live.
Do you have any control (not sure that’s the right word, sorry) over when an identity is going to surface? Like, say, when epileptics sometimes ‘feel’ a seizure coming on?
Genuinely interested, honestly! I’m intrigued in how people react to their environment, and the factors that determine direction in life.
As an only child I’ve only ever had myself to relate to, and then having a daughter who is effectively a five year old in an adult body (28) is a whole different ball game! Great fun watching the world through her eyes though!
Sadly, there are people who seem to have so little ability to laugh at themselves - the one huge sign of being a confident human being - if they didn't harm so many, I'd pity them.
I used to write comedy - in an amateur way - in fact, I was considering a career change to stand-up comedy when all this hit me really hard. Now, I can hardly stand, let alone be funny!
Anyway, I did an evening of sketches, with two other writers, that was put on by a local amateur dramatics society - a very prestigious one, naturally. And, I did one about a medical visit, the type we're forced to endure in France when we work. The doctors are the lowest of the low, the ones that are so bad they couldn't get a job anywhere else, thick as two short planks. The sketch went down very well with the audience, I think they could all relate. Everyone has stories - some funny, some horrific, some a mixture of the two - like when my son's dentist was so drunk he fell off his stool! And I think that doing the comedy would bring it all out into the open, how we suffer at the hands of these people who have the power of life and death over us! Literally. So, I'd say go with the comedy, and good luck to you! Just don't do a Lenny Bruce on us, OK?
How about we did a series of utube sketches called 'GPs behind closed doors' gather stories from here and turn them into something funny for our own and public consumption. I cannot even bear to watch the BBC 'GPs behind closed doors' because it is going to be so far removed from most people experience so we could do a funny counter balance. Even some of the surly faces could be fun for a laugh.
'GP's behind closed doors' is such a farce, they filmed at a surgery near me and whilst the filming was on everyone in the local area laughed (but were also angry) at how quickly the surgery changed just for 15mins of fame; the receptionists were suddenly polite, there were appointments available, they got new lighting, new staff, spruced the place up!
Then, the filming stopped and it all reverted back to before, unfortunately including the receptionists not being very pleasant to patients...
I have no idea how to do a utube sketch! lol But, it sounds like a wonderful idea. Perhaps call it 'Real GPs behind closed doors'? I've never watched the BBC series because I don't live in the UK. But, from what I've heard of radio doctors, I can imagine. There was on one Woman's Hour in the 60s. He handed out advice like:
Patient: I have trouble with constipation. If I can't go as soon as I feel the urge, I can't go for days after.
Doctor: Well, go as soon as you feel the urge, then!
Like, if the poor guy is in an under-ground train, or serving a customer in a shop… Doctor just didn't understand that you can't always just drop everything and run for the loo! There was loads of stuff like that.
I had a hilarious conversation with a GP in our surgery a few years ago with her sat there, miserable, bored face looking at the computer screen. I sussed out when nursing that some, if not a lot of doctors think that they are so vastly more intelligent that they say utterly stupid things to phob you off and think that you wont notice My little trick when working with them was to get them to elaborate until their stupid excuse until it became more and more ridiculous to the amusement of every one around. The doctors name was DoDo and the conversation went like this.
'I am wondering why on and off during my life I have been lactating despite not having had a babie'.
'I can take bloods to see if your prolatin levels are high'.
'No they wont be now. It has not happened for a couple of years. I just want to know what might have been causing this'.
'It is perfectly normal before menopause, most women lactate until then'.
'Well I never knew. Does that mean most of my female freinds have been producing breast milk'
'Yes'
'And they never mentioned it. Do you lactate?'
'No'
'Sometimes I have produced quite a lot of breast milk'
'Its normal, most women do'.
'People like for their babies to be breast fed dont they'. Am I still perimenopausal?'
'Yes'
'So if I wanted to become a wet nurse I would probably be only able to work for a couple of years at it'.
'Yes 4 or 5 at most'.
'But some of my younger freinds could do it, get together and form a wet nursing circle and maybe even sell their milk on the internet'
'I suppose so'.
'Well I suppose I ought to head home and talk to them about this possible business venture. There is no need to be concerned about my pituitary function at all then'.
Gosh you have managed to keep away from them all that time. Well done but having read the conversation it does not surprise. It is their silly high income that bothers me the most. Well that and the belittleing attitudes combined with incompetence and ignorance.
Dr Do Do was glued to the computer screen but sometimes they really think they can say anything no matter how silly and we will just believe every word they say. I used to experiment on a particular consultant I worked with to try and assess how thick he thought I was. I remember pointing to the corner of a piece of paper in the corner of some medical notes and asking 'What are those funny marks in the corner'. He nearly blew a gasgit. I liked to see him get all red in the face and upset and he said 'That is the number 14 you stupid girl. I dont expect the nursing assistants to know their numbers but you are qualified'. I loved working with him. He was a vile man but I had a great time getting him to say things like that. I interrupted a conversation he was having with another doctor once and he said 'you cant possibly understand a conversation between two doctors'. So I said 'But you can help me cant you doctor, explain things to me'. This was followed by weeks of my asking him to 'put things into words I might be able to understand'. He used to get in such a frustrated little tantrum trying to rephrase everything for me. Everybody even the other doctors all knew I was making fun of him, he was horrid in so many ways. I did alsorts to him for about a year but had to move wards because he was so upset when he found out that I was not quite a stupid as he thought and had been having a laugh at his expense. He used to sexually harass me a bit, I suppose it went with the dumb nurse image, nothing too serious, horrible creep. He can up behind me once wrap his arms around my waist and said 'my god I can hardly get my arms around you'. So I said 'thank god for obesity; and then I said 'sometimes I feel a bit guilty about taking the piss out of you but moments like this make me feel better about it'. His response was to let go of me and to march off to the room next door where they were having the ward round where I heard him announce to the room full of others doctors and nurses 'that stupid girl thinks she taking the piss out of me'. Followed about 5 minutes later by him saying 'why are you all still laughing its not that funny'. One of the registrars had to leave the room to compose himself.
I don't know what it is that bothers me about them the most. But, certainly the high salaries - totally unmerited where most of them are concerned - doesn't help!
Thank you, DD. That's very kind of you. Glad you enjoyed it all. Yes, I should continue but I've just run out of steam. It's not even writer's block, it's just total apathy! Sigh.
My hysterical conversation with a female endo went along the lines of me making myself hypo by taking thyroid medication when I explained it relieved my hypo symptoms. . She didn’t have a clue about pituitary issues, prolactin, or the vaguest idea about secondary hypothyroidism. None of them seem to, even the latest “pituitary expert”. 🤬
I have just been to an endo appointment with my child. He was thankfully a pleasant man but had never heard of SIBO which I am sure is very mainsteam theses days and he tried to convince me that a genetic marker of obesity issues was very rare, less than 5 %. He had also not heard of another condition re zinc deficiency. they should all spend a day every week trolling the internet or are they scared they might learn something.
I think SIBO & nutrient deficiencies would be ignored by anything other than functional practitioners. The mention of is sort of thing or genetics would be poo-pooed by most doctors as cranky patient talk & quackery. They only seem to follow the misinformation they're fed at university which could be many years out of date. There doesn't seem to be any requirement to do obligatory continuous professional development or training as there is with genuine quakery practitioners.
I will look up SIBO on NHS. I think they did bring in a ongoing training obligation for doctors a few years ago but the only training they ever do is put on by drug companys so they dont really learn anything. They should me made to do one day a week on the internet.
Yes, but I was talking about Lenny Bruce particularly, and what happened to him. He started out very popular, but with his own agenda, got obsessed and ended up boring his audience to death. They all walked out. It could be possible to do that with any subject that totally consumes you like his did him. Can't remember what exactly it was about - taxes? Social services? Something like that.
Ha, I was referring to his hay days He died in the 1960's?? Any public audience can become very fickle - seems to be what it's all about - even more so now. But, as we know, variety is the spice of life Yes, seems he had a rather chequered life but don't so many of them?
wasn't there some Irish guy as well, always making fun of the catholic church. He was so laid back and dry. If I inject myself with B12 I might remember his name.
I showed one of your replies to my dr. To convince him I needed T-3 to my treatment. I can’t thank you enough. What a difference it had made in my life. You are amazing!
This is what always comes to mind when I see/hear of doctors' responses & terrible attitudes to their patients:
Surrendered doctor
1. Accept that when it comes to the side effects of treatment the patient (or the in-laws) are likely to know best.
2. Accept that my job would be more interesting if I learned to co-ordinate the research efforts of my patients rather than continued to dictate to them.
3. Accept that patients continue to come to me not because I am good at my job but because society has made it impossible to get medicines except through people like me.
4. Accept that my actions are dictated by ghostwritten articles and inaccessible data mediated through guidelines that I haven’t the guts to stand up to.
5. Recognize that far from being founts of wisdom and compassion my colleagues and I can get incredibly nasty if questioned. I am an obstacle to work around more often than a source of support.
6. Medically Unexplained Symptoms point to limitations in current medical knowledge or perhaps my medical knowledge. The term is not a euphemism for hysteria.
I post - to GP or endo - that one + more, with my letterhead of a woman being lowered into a river in a ducking stool... when I've been treated like... PLEASE let someone get a page put together.
Better to leave a negative review of the surgery, either on their own website or NHS one. Never be abusive, threatening or name individuals. Type in a document and then paste it in when you’re calm and have re read it a few times.
in reply to
This is not a matter of one individual surgery or doctor but a life time of abuse from them. Reviews are useful though for other patients.
Just my 2 cents - but my rule of thumb about anything you write or post (if it is negative) is the following: write it and wait 24 hours at least; and then, have someone else read it before you send it off. If nothing else, you may edit out some things that didn't hit you as offensive the first time around, and another opinion will help with editing what you are planning to send. The postcard idea is not great - as someone said, you may get the police at your door, and that would not be fun for sure.
Sending you best wishes today.
Yes it was just a daft idea in the night. For me 24 hours is not long enough. I have to do four days, antipsychotic medication and then check it out with a friend.
I realise that is genuinely what you have to do for yourself in such circumstances, but your remark "I have to do four days, antipsychotic medication and then check it out with a friend" would fit very well into a stand-up routine!
I know how you feel. I haven’t given up. I actually got my dr. to listen to me. I showed him a few posts from this site and he actually took notice. He was actually wrong about something and I fought him on it. I am in USA maybe it different but not much. It’s pretty hard to get through but I eventually did. Keep trying don’t give up.
When we see posts from other countries - such as yours = excellent. Also seen, "Fire your doctor"... we simply don't have that freedom here, or there would be so many 'firings'.
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Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
And, I did one about a medical visit, the type we're forced to endure in France when we work. The doctors are the lowest of the low, the ones that are so bad they couldn't get a job anywhere else, thick as two short planks. The sketch went down very well with the audience, I think they could all relate. Everyone has stories - some funny, some horrific, some a mixture of the two - like when my son's dentist was so drunk he fell off his stool! And I think that doing the comedy would bring it all out into the open, how we suffer at the hands of these people who have the power of life and death over us! Literally. So, I'd say go with the comedy, and good luck to you! Just don't do a Lenny Bruce on us, OK? 
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