In connecting with thousands of people over the past 7 years (since I was diagnosed with FM/CFS), there are a few (similar) complaints that continue to be a huge issue for so many of us:
Doctors that aren’t listening are no help
- ‘My doctor doesn’t listen to me’
- ‘My doctor doesn’t believe in FM/CFS/ME’
- ‘My doctor won’t prescribe medications that I think might help me’
- ‘My doctor just writes everything off as Fibro/CFS/ME now that I am diagnosed…and I am concerned some of the issues I am experiencing aren’t related’
There are several things that you can do about all of the above.
1. Give Your Doctor Reports He/She Will Trust – Firstly, I highly recommend that you download the Health Rising FibroMapp app. Why? Because not only does it track your pain, sleep, other symptoms, flare ups, meds, activities and has a journal. But equally important – it has a REPORTS SECTION. This means that all the information you put into the app is collated into easy to read charts and graphs. Not only does this help you to understand your condition better – and the patterns and triggers; but it also shows the doctor EXACTLY what you are experiencing on a daily basis.
The International Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Month FibroMapp Sale is on…
Get the App for .99 during the Month of May
2. Book a Double Appointment with your doctor. Let’s face it, they are stressed, busy, dealing with a huge load of work and ultimately only have 5-10 minutes max to deal with you. As we all know, there are so many aspects to our conditions that this simply is not enough time to go through all the things you need to discuss. It will not only help you, but also help your doctor, and you won’t feel like you are being pushed out the door!
A nicely organized and formatted Doctor Report could help
3. Send Your Reports In Ahead of Time – Download and print off or email the Health Rising FibroMapp reports and your journal to your doctor at least a week before your appointment. Put a note/letter with it stating that you would appreciate it if they could please take a few minutes to read through your report so that they have a better understanding of what you are going through – BEFORE you arrive for your appointment on x date.
4. Lay Out Your Appointment Priorities – Also state in the above letter/email that you would like to discuss the following things, ie. Medications, treatments, tests for xyz issues. This way you are preparing your doctor for what you would like to discuss – and it gives them an opportunity to potentially look further into your requests and be ready to discuss it with you at the time of your appointment. (This also potentially means that you will avoid having to go back to discuss these things another time after your doctor discusses things with you that is new to them at the time of your appointment).
5. Stress Quality of Life Issues – At your appointment STRESS how the issues/symptoms you are experiencing are affecting your quality of life. Using these key words is generally a trigger for many doctors to take on board that you are really struggling – and need help!
6. Consider Writing a Letter – If you are not happy with how things have gone in the past in regards to your doctor taking you seriously, then write a letter expressing your upset and concern to your doctor! Provide print outs about your illness – or what you think you have – and show them that these conditions DO EXIST and they are REAL and accepted by not only the medical community, but the government as a disability as well (at least in the UK it is!).
If nothing else works – Fire your doctor!
8. Put Your Request in Writing – Request/nicely demand for proper tests to be carried out in order to rule out other issues such as arthritis, MS, Lupus, Thyroid as well as vitamin and mineral deficiencies. So many doctors pawn off a variety of symptoms as being fibro,
CFS/ME – meanwhile there could be conditions that might be lurking.
And last, but not least….
9. If Necessary Find Another Doctor – If you are still getting nowhere with the above advice and actions… FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR! Sometimes it takes trying a few different doctors until you find one that is not only a believer in your condition, but is helpful, compassionate, willing to try a variety of different medications and wants you to have the proper tests to rule out any other underlying issues.
I hope that this helps you! Using the FibroMapp app made the biggest difference for me in regards to the way my GP deals with me. In providing her with my reports and doing the above, she now takes my pain, sleep issues and other symptoms very seriously. In fact, now instead of me going in to the health center
The Google Android FibroMapp app for tablets and smartphones is on sale for only .99 during the month of Mayr
, we either do appointments over the phone…or better yet…she comes to my home and visits me in bed!
STILL!! Only for Android?? Should have been released on iOS by now!
Your voices have been heard. I hear that it’s coming 🙂
The last quote we had was for 50k to develop the app. We’re not a big company, just small fry in a big sea! Please know we’re as desperate to get it done as you are desperate to get it and fingers crossed we should have something by late summer.
Given that your sales should increase several times upon release to iOS, perhaps you could get a loan based on the obvious demand?
To date in 1 year we have sold just over 2000 apps…it would take YEARS to make up this amount at that rate. HOWEVER! We have just received payment for another app we have sold…so we are instructing a developer that has come in with a lower quote next week once the money hits our account! 🙂 It should be approximately 6-8 weeks of development…and we will FINALLY have our new iOS version! Woo hoo!
Yes, please! iOS too!
wow what a cool app!!! First I’m seeing this and I hope it does come to iOS soon.
I believe one is coming.
Indeed! One is in the works…we are hoping to see it up and running mid summer early autumn! (Finally!!!!)
Thanks for the special offer!
What’s the difference between the FibroMapp app and the HealthRising FibroMapp app?
It’s the exact same app – rebranded for Health Rising
I have a Kindle Fire HD and an iPhone. While I’m waiting for the ios version, could you release it to the Amazon Kindle Store, Unless I hack my Kindle, I can’t access Google Play. Also, is it too much to hope that the different platforms will sync with each other–much like Evernote does?
Thanks so very much!
Hi there, go to Amazon and you will find FibroMapp there to purchase as an app for your Kindle Fire. A.x
Look for FibroMapp app on Amazon Ellie. It’s there 🙂
Cort, after using Xyrem for almost 8 years, my prescriptive insurer: Humana, is denying payment for this drug. I just don’t know how I can live without good, deep, restorative sleep. Im in the appeal process now. Do you have any suggestions for me?
This is very apreciated, in advance, Abot
I haven’t slept for 20+ years. I now take LDN and melatonin, altogether they run me around $30 a month. A dollar a day to sleep like a baby is well worth it! For more information on LDN and how it helps repair the immune system for auto immune conditions like ours please go to http://www.ldnresearchtrust.org They also have a channel on YouTube with lots of great interviews from people that it is helping. This little known (and cheap!) medication is helping to dramatically change people’s lives. It can reduce pain, increase sleep, reduce fog, increase energy and concentration…well worth investigating! A.
Abot, I feel for you as I tried going off Xyrem for a while and it was rough!
I recently had a stretch where even with Xyrem sleep latency was an issue and, in addition to LDN, Dr. Rey recommended Bioactive Milk Peptides (Life Extension makes them, Swanson and Vitacost carry them). I take a pill an hour before bed and it has helped me a lot. Just FYI as not everything works on everyone. : )
Look forward to ported apps for Windows Phone some day.
Some day Geoff…unfortunately, although the market share for Windows phones is picking up, on average it is still under 10% compared to iOS and Android. That isn’t to say it won’t happen, but our priority right now is to get the iOS version developed first.
Best,
Alyssa
Alyssa,
FYI you forgot to put FibroMapp in the tags on your April 18 article and this article… I was e-mailing a couple of friends about the app and wanted to send them links to articles about it. When searching the site for FibroMapp, your articles come up in the list, but if you’re looking at one of the early articles and click the FibroMapp tag, your recent articles don’t come up. Just letting you know in case someone else uses tags to search for similar articles.
Hmmm….I am thinking that this is something for Cort and he is the one who publishes the articles, tidies them up etc. Thanks for letting me/us know!
A.
I have had this app for months now and it’s great to print off the report and hand it to the nurse for his review before I even get back to the room. It’s been wonderful for me also to remember things I want to discuss with him.
Great to hear Renee – thanks
Fantastic Renee! Reading things like this makes it well worth the 2.5 year development!!! I shall pass this on to the developer (aka my husband!).
A.x
to bad I do not own a cell phone sounds really useful!
You might want to check out Johannes Starkes cell phone blogs on Health Rising. On one of them he identifies a relatively cheap cell phone ($70 or so – Amazon) that you can use for these programs (without getting phone coverage.)