I ended up seeing about four different doctors when my IBS-D was really bad in high school. I went from being diagnosed with an intestinal parasite to having Crohn's Disease to having an internal ulcer to finally just being diagnosed as having IBS.
During this process I had blood work done (to see if I had Crohn's), stool samples (to see if I had an intestinal parasite) and then I had x-rays of my colon after ingesting some white sulfuric gunk (to see if I had an internal ulcer) and then finally I had the camera swallow-thing before my fourth doctor finally just said I have IBS.
The thing that was frustrating for me was that they couldn't just say that I had IBS from the get-go, they had to diagnose me with all these other things, things that to them were curable. In some ways I think maybe it was so they could feel useful and powerful over me, like "hey, you have this intestinal parasite, and I'm the one to figure it out! Now here, take this magical medicine, and you'll be cured, and I can feel good about myself because I cured someone!"
Another thing that was frustrating for me was my parents' drive to "cure" me. I was 16 and 17 when all this was going on so my parents were the ones taking me to the doctors and signing me up for additional testing and getting second and third and fourth opinions for me. It was very emotionally draining, the feeling that I was "broken" and that my parents were putting me through all this so that I would be "fixed" and I would be the perfect, healthy son they always wanted. (ugh).
But at the same time I'm extremely grateful that I took all these tests and went through all the different doctors... Because now I know, for certain, exactly what my affliction is. And I know for certain that it's not something else entirely. I know exactly what I have and exactly what I don't have. Ultimately, this is the biggest source of relief when it comes to all the medical treatment I've recieved.
As for your lonliness and depression, do what I do: get addicted to a good TV show. Veronica Mars, for instance. Go buy seasons one and two on DVD. It does a person good. 
Why do you need other people to make you happy? You are ultimately the only person that can make you happy. Just be happy being you and doing what you love to do.
Hope you feel better! It's the holidays, you should feel happy! 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Posts
Re: confused and frustrated
