I've been dealing with numerous health issues for a few years. Saw doc after doc and none were any help. They didn't take time to listen to all my "complaints". After all, they hear enough of that crap from their wives. So they never got to the root of my issues. It's been frustrating and I had begun to think this city is just full of quacks.

A friend recommended a doc in a neighboring city. She and her husband have been seeing him for a couple of years. He's an internal medicine doc. And, to hear them talk about him, you'd think he hung the moon.

Well, I'm now in agreement--he hung the moon! He spent almost an entire hour just listening to me ramble about my life, my habits, and these infernal, annoying symptoms. Some are just minor nuisances, not really significant, but I wanted some input on them.

Come to find out, every complaint I had was the symptom of one disorder! I had no idea! I figured a few were related, but all of them? The more I talked, the more the doc grinned and nodded his head and typed on the computer. He encouraged me to talk, asked a few questions here and there, and in the end, he made a diagnosis and prescribed a one-a-day pill to fix it.

I got home and researched the disorder and found that even some of the symptoms I hadn't mentioned to him are also part of the disorder. OMG, all these years of suffering, and all I needed was a tiny little pill! I'm so relieved!

He ran some other tests to check chemical levels because this disorder disrupts the endocrine system. If the chemicals are out of balance, I take a few more pills. But in time, it should all be righted with medication and I'll soon be "normal"... or as normal as I can get.

I'm just so excited to learn that I'm not just falling apart and I had to tell someone!

Way to go TAZ...glad to hear a good ending for a change...and it was nothing bad for you.......

That's wonderful!!

Only one pill? That's unreal!

Now you will have us all wondering what this disorder is....

Congrats....

I was thinking the same thing...do tell!

Shoot, I just saw it said "one-a day" pill...... My bad!

It's Stein Leventhal Syndrome (polycysistic ovarian disease). I'm almost afraid to tell you. When you research it and see the symptoms, you'll think I have cooties!

He actually prescribed a birth control pill to rectify some of the hormones. Apparently I'm producing too much male hormone and not enough female hormone. So gee, does that mean when everything is adjusted, I'll be submissive instead of dominant? Ya think?

But the disease also raises blood pressure, insulin levels, and cholesterol levels. So I may end up on more meds to regulate those until the disorder is under control. He said in two or three weeks, I should notice a big difference in how I feel.

I'm just amazed! In one hour, he had the answer!

Well, that's awesome, Taz! I'm glad you finallly found the right one!

NO on the cooties! I'm so glad you found an answer. And from what I just read, you WILL feel better very soon. Awesome!

Ive been on prozac for a little while, and have found it to have helped alittle. I wish you much sucesss for your problems. I really know whats its like to feel "out of touch with reality". Rock on sista and feel well.....whatever it takes!

I am glad you found an answer. I see a lot of doctors in my line of work and not many impress me. There are a couple that I would have as my own doctor.

It must be such a relief for you!

I agree some Doctors are not the best doctors for one.

Some rush you out cause their next patient is in,
while you sit there with your eyes welled up with tears.

Some just sit there without giving one an examination
and write a prescription hoping it will cure.

There was a female Doctor in town, who people flocked to,
she made her office comfortable, home like, even had a
recliner in the office. You left when you were ready
and not before, if you were stressed out, she would say
come tomorrow if you like and we will talk again.
She left

I went into one Dr surgery room and believe it or not
he was on line on Yahoo chating with a woman from Asia,
typed her a message, hide the chat screen, then asked
why are you here... I could not get out of that office
quick enough.

I am happy that it was found not to be all in your head,
and that you are on the road to recovery.

To be honest, I haven't felt bad, or out of touch with reality. In fact, I went to this doc for the weight issue. I watch what I eat and walk 3.5 miles a day and still I don't lose weight, which is a primary symptom of this disease. The other symptoms were just nuisances but they didn't make me feel real bad. He said something about this disease interfering with insulin and cortisol levels, which causes excess fat to build up around the belly area, which is my main issue.

Since resolving some kidney issues a year ago, I've actually felt pretty good. I just couldn't get the weight off. I've felt almost "high" since recovering from the kidney problems. I've had lots of energy and just bounce off the walls. I just wanted to lose the weight, and he had helped a friend of mine lose 60 pounds. Little did I know that the weight and all the other annoyances were related. I'm just giddy with relief. Now maybe we can reverse it all. I'm way too active and energetic to carry around all this extra weight. And it's so nice to talk to a doc who doesn't preach, "Diet and exercise! You must be eating wrong and not getting any exercise!" People just assume when you're overweight that you're just lazy and overeating, but it's not true. And now I have a doc who agrees. I think I'm in love.

I would not worry so much about that,
it would be the daily facial shaving
and the monthly back and chest waxing,
I would be concerned about...

Start getting worried when you find yourself
standing up to pee...

Miss No So, you pretty much described this doc. His office is simple, not ornately decorated. And when I was there, I was the only one in the waiting room. He is one of the few internal med docs around, but he doesn't overschedule and have people piled up waiting for him. He never acted bored, never interrupted me, let me ramble as I wanted, and never seemed to be in a hurry.

In fact, he was training a nursing student, using me as a guinea pig--with my permission of course. So he was allowing her to assess my symptoms and giving her time to come up with a diagnosis and treatment. He would talk thru a diagnosis with her to show her why this one or that one didn't apply. It was actually fun to watch them debate different diseases and treatments.

I've seen docs like you describe, and like you, I can't get out fast enough. I pay my bill and they never see me again.

I also have no insurance. Some docs won't even see me. If I ask for a generic drug or something cheap, some docs roll their eyes at me. But this one said, "No problem." He also charged me half of what he'd normally charge. So clearly he's interested in helping me, not helping himself to what little money have.

Oh, I forgot to mention. His ultimate "ah-ha" moment was when I pulled out a collage of photos taken of the normal-size me, when I was an average size woman. I pointed to the collage and said, "This is ME! Here, and here, and here!" Then I pointed to myself and said, "THIS isn't me. The real me is in here somewhere." And that's when he looked at the nurse said, and together they said decisively, "Stein-Leventhal." Suddenly I felt validated. It was a very dramatic moment for me. Sounds silly, but after hearing all the nasty comments about my weight, finally I know it's not my fault.

So wha'd'you have? What's the pill? Oh, wait! That's confidential isn't it?

Finding a dr who LISTENS to you is such a job! I know I'm not a medical specialist, but I'm not exactly a "box of rocks" either and know when I didn't feel well a few years go. It took 5 years to find someone who listens to me...then she was gone to the VA clinic and I couldn't see her until last week when she went back to private practice! I'm THRILLED! And I 'get it' about how important this issue is!

I was always a big tomboy and often wished I'd been a boy. Standing up to pee doesn't sound too bad.



I've talked with a lot of women who have had a hard time finding a doc that listens. Five minutes is about all you get with them. Damn, I wish I made $100 in 5 minutes!

Galendgirl, I'm glad your favorite doctor is accessible to you again. It's so much easier to talk openly with a doc you respect and feels is genuinely interested in helping you. It's really sad how hard it is to find a doctor with a healer's heart. I wonder what we can do to change that?

TAZMANIANDEVIL... I am glad you have found a DR
that became a DOCTOR for the right reasons.

THERE are some who are great DR's but have no bedside
manner, sometimes we are not so much wanting them to heal
us but made valid all we feel and say.

WHEN learning I had cancer and had to have a radioactive test to see if their was only "hot spots" in the bones...

THE doctor/surgeon was a very brilliant man, damn good looking too came to me and said " if we find too many hot spots I wont operate, you can go home and die"... WOW .... he was not a people person.

LIKE people with depression, most doctors just give out the pill, never trying to get to the root of the problem.

I know some depression is clinical etc, I believe and learned some depression is self inflicked, when one cant or wont face their demons, they hide behind medication, only to learn, the fear is manageable and does fade with time.

I have yet to find a DR who services their patients without clocking them in and out nor one makes my concerns seem important...