The next appointment on my calendar was with a reproductive endocrinologist. His name had been given to us from a referral made from the helpline at Women's Hospital in Houston. We asked for a hormone specialist and we were given one number. It was the number for a Dr. James Wheeler.
I promptly called his office to make an appointment, but due to my pessimism towards doctors and their ability to help me , I decided to make it clear to the receptionist that I did not want to schedule an appointment if this doctor could not help me. I no longer had the time to humor a doctor and stroke his ego. I was going to stand up for myself and tell it like it was. It is kind of funny as I look back now, like what receptionist is going to admit that the doctor she works for is incompetent?
Either way, I poured my heart out to her, telling her way more details than she probably cared to hear. I told her about my depression, my dip in mood with my period and about all of the medicines I had tried. Sh was very kind and reassured me that I had found the right doctor. She explained that Dr. Wheeler saw lots of women with issues similar to mine and she even fit me into the schedule sooner than normal because my symptoms were so severe.
I only tell you this because I think it is important for you to remember to be honest when you are seeking help and to tell your story to anyone that will listen. So often, we become beat-up by our circumstances that we assume that by telling one more person our "stuff" that we are only annoying them or that we are painting a horrible picture of ourselves to the outside world. You never know who will be the person that can help you or speak truth to you, so don't stay quiet, don't worry about what other people think. Stand up for yourself and be your own advocate.
Wow, ok, sorry about the soap box. It is late and I just came from an inspiring bible study!!
So, where were we? Marlene, that is the receptionist's name, got me in right away. And due to a genuine interest in my well-being on the part of Marlene, I hung up the phone feeling cautiously optimistic.
The day of the appointment came quickly and thankfully Chip agreed to go with me. At this point, I was really unable to go to doctor's appointments by myself. I needed help in articulating my story and I had absolutely no memory. So that meant that I would literally not be able to recall most of the information the doctor gave me...my lapse in memory came from the 7 or so ECT treatments that I had undergone just two months prior. Not to mention the fact that I was on at least 8 different medicines at the time.
To be continued because I am really tired and I still need to clean up the kitchen and get ready for bed.
Just know that I am praying for you and I am so grateful to all of you ladies that have left comments, emailed me and called me this week. Thank you for giving me a reason to write this...although I wish it were under different circumstances for you. Nonetheless, you need to know that you are not alone on this journey, in more ways than one!
I promptly called his office to make an appointment, but due to my pessimism towards doctors and their ability to help me , I decided to make it clear to the receptionist that I did not want to schedule an appointment if this doctor could not help me. I no longer had the time to humor a doctor and stroke his ego. I was going to stand up for myself and tell it like it was. It is kind of funny as I look back now, like what receptionist is going to admit that the doctor she works for is incompetent?
Either way, I poured my heart out to her, telling her way more details than she probably cared to hear. I told her about my depression, my dip in mood with my period and about all of the medicines I had tried. Sh was very kind and reassured me that I had found the right doctor. She explained that Dr. Wheeler saw lots of women with issues similar to mine and she even fit me into the schedule sooner than normal because my symptoms were so severe.
I only tell you this because I think it is important for you to remember to be honest when you are seeking help and to tell your story to anyone that will listen. So often, we become beat-up by our circumstances that we assume that by telling one more person our "stuff" that we are only annoying them or that we are painting a horrible picture of ourselves to the outside world. You never know who will be the person that can help you or speak truth to you, so don't stay quiet, don't worry about what other people think. Stand up for yourself and be your own advocate.
Wow, ok, sorry about the soap box. It is late and I just came from an inspiring bible study!!
So, where were we? Marlene, that is the receptionist's name, got me in right away. And due to a genuine interest in my well-being on the part of Marlene, I hung up the phone feeling cautiously optimistic.
The day of the appointment came quickly and thankfully Chip agreed to go with me. At this point, I was really unable to go to doctor's appointments by myself. I needed help in articulating my story and I had absolutely no memory. So that meant that I would literally not be able to recall most of the information the doctor gave me...my lapse in memory came from the 7 or so ECT treatments that I had undergone just two months prior. Not to mention the fact that I was on at least 8 different medicines at the time.
To be continued because I am really tired and I still need to clean up the kitchen and get ready for bed.
Just know that I am praying for you and I am so grateful to all of you ladies that have left comments, emailed me and called me this week. Thank you for giving me a reason to write this...although I wish it were under different circumstances for you. Nonetheless, you need to know that you are not alone on this journey, in more ways than one!
No comments :
Post a Comment
Speak Your Mind!