The back pain was not his only struggle. He wrote at times about “brain fog” that had worsened during his college years, making studying more difficult. Doctors could not seem to figure out what was happening, he reported.
“It’s absolutely brutal to have such a life-halting issue,” he wrote.
He also posted on a page for people dealing with irritable bowel syndrome, saying that he had undergone some testing for the condition. He said the testing had been covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield — his only reference in the Reddit writings to insurance coverage.
As someone who went multiple years from doctor to doctor trying to find the cause for disabling symptoms, I can relate that he must have faced lots of suffering.
When you don’t have diagnosis, the medical system really isn’t there for you. You’re treated as a malingerer.
Doctors don’t propose treatment solely for pain in this situation. They’ll refer you to a pain management specialist after washing their hands of you.
I had a neurologist tell me that it can be like trying to address electrical issues after a car accident. The pains are unreliable indicators, and the complication of the issues so unpredictable that no doctor wants to risk malpractice on a hunch.
Yes. I have both of those symptoms as well as several others. Brain fog is a common symptom for people in persistent chronic pain. The nerve I damaged is the second one up from the root, and it services my lower intestines. Gastric issues are to be expected, and no gastroenterologist has offered me anything more than Mirilax once they hear I have genitofemoral neuropathy.
That’s a really good point.
According to the NYT
As someone who went multiple years from doctor to doctor trying to find the cause for disabling symptoms, I can relate that he must have faced lots of suffering.
When you don’t have diagnosis, the medical system really isn’t there for you. You’re treated as a malingerer.
Doctors don’t propose treatment solely for pain in this situation. They’ll refer you to a pain management specialist after washing their hands of you.
I had a neurologist tell me that it can be like trying to address electrical issues after a car accident. The pains are unreliable indicators, and the complication of the issues so unpredictable that no doctor wants to risk malpractice on a hunch.
I’m not talking about the back pain, but the brain fog and bowel symptoms.
He ended up getting surgery and diagnosis for the back issue. Not the rest though.
Yes. I have both of those symptoms as well as several others. Brain fog is a common symptom for people in persistent chronic pain. The nerve I damaged is the second one up from the root, and it services my lower intestines. Gastric issues are to be expected, and no gastroenterologist has offered me anything more than Mirilax once they hear I have genitofemoral neuropathy.
I’d like to read his manifesto. Got a link?