“In the middle of the night, when I woke in the dark with my heart pounding, what really terrified me was the conviction that my doctors did not believe me, and so I would never have partners in my search for answers—and treatments. How could I get better if no one thought I was sick?”
—Meghan O’Rourke, The Invisible Kingdom
O’Rourke chronicles how she eventually found a doctor who believed her, diagnosed her problem, and gave her a treatment plan that actually helped. I think the lesson here is not to give up. Sadly, the burden is on patients to advocate for themselves; the medical bureaucracy certainly won’t do it for them. And that means trying and failing and trying and failing and trying again, all while you are feeling sick.
Folks, I’m once again trying to find a concussion specialist who can diagnose my problem—i.e., determine why my brain is not following the “normal” course of concussion healing. And what, if anything, can be done to treat the problem.
Wish me luck.
In the meantime, stay well, and keep the faith.
