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Going to appointments (medical)

Max has left the platform (them/they)
10 months ago

How do you do it?

By the time I get to any appointment I'm beyond the point of being reasonable. I can't think, can't remember what I needed to say, become situationally mute, and fail to explain what's going on so 9/10 times I leave without being understood and have a meltdown at home after. That's assuming I managed to leave the house in the first place 

I forget that I've experienced things before and classically don't recall how long I've had the problem. I looked up my medical record the other day and found I've actually been complaining about menstruation problems for  my whole adult life, not just the last few years. 

Now I have to go have a scan.   I get a letter, have to open a website and log in, choose from 6 places 2 have a different booking process, all are miles away and just that makes me meltdown. The last medical apt I made myself go to ended with me headbanging against the hospital wall and the medic wrote a stinking letter to my GP telling her off for not mentioning autism in the referral. 

What suggestions do you have for getting to, staying at and communicating at medical appointments? 

I have no family/friends to take me

I got discharged from community support because I couldn't drive to meet him (eye roll) 

I stopped taking notes into apts because a GP was nasty about it and claimed I was making things up to get attention. (he also said 'people who work don't have mental health issues')

Bottom line, I don't trust doctors or professionals after a life time of being ignored because of how I communicate. 

Parents
  • 10 months ago

    The best approach for me has been to compose a paragraph or two when I am at home, clearly explaining what I want to say, then pass it to the medical professional at the appointment. I found that made the appointment much less stressful, I was more in control of the situation because I was communicating on my own terms, and it didn't matter if I couldn't get many words out. Importantly, I knew I wouldn't be misunderstood like other times. I think most doctors find it helpful too because it makes their job easier. They will probably still need to ask you questions, but it's a much easier way to start the conversation. 

    I know you said no one can take you to the appointment, but another thing you can try is organise for the medical professional to phone a close friend or family member during the appointment, then they can help with communication without needing to be there in person. My mum did that for me once last year.

Reply
  • 10 months ago

    The best approach for me has been to compose a paragraph or two when I am at home, clearly explaining what I want to say, then pass it to the medical professional at the appointment. I found that made the appointment much less stressful, I was more in control of the situation because I was communicating on my own terms, and it didn't matter if I couldn't get many words out. Importantly, I knew I wouldn't be misunderstood like other times. I think most doctors find it helpful too because it makes their job easier. They will probably still need to ask you questions, but it's a much easier way to start the conversation. 

    I know you said no one can take you to the appointment, but another thing you can try is organise for the medical professional to phone a close friend or family member during the appointment, then they can help with communication without needing to be there in person. My mum did that for me once last year.

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