Saturday, February 3, 2018
The Power of Diagnosis - Blog Post 2 - Madeleine Hermans
Ever since I was a little kid I can remember having flare ups of pretty bad pain, to the point where I often couldn't sleep or walk around well. I couldn't figure out if that was just a normal part of living or if it was abnormal but when I told my Mom she assured me that it was not "normal". As we went around to different doctors no one could understand or figure out what was wrong with me, and in many cases it almost seemed as if the medical professionals did not believe me. This went on for nearly 5 years or so until I finally found someone who gave my pain a name. I got diagnosed with a condition, and you would not believe the strange sense of overwhelming relief I felt when she did. Even though it didn't change a thing about my daily life, it changed me, and also how everyone SAW and TREATED me. And you can believe from that day forward whenever I went to a doctor, they sure as hell believed that I was telling the truth, simply because I had a NAME for what I have.
While it is nice to be believed by doctors, having a "condition" also changes the way in which you think of yourself. It can feel as if you are less than others because if you don't have a diagnosed condition you may be viewed as "normal". Or that life is stacked against you because you have something that others don't. This IS true but that doesn't have to mean that it's a bad thing. It can also make you stronger than others who don't have it. The point being that a diagnosis of a condition has great power in every facet of your life, and only you can choose to view it how you wish.
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Madeleine--
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience! I had a similar problem with my right leg going numb, and doctors have yet to find a reason for it. I agree that there is a change between having something wrong with you and having a diagnosis. When you tell people you have a real diagnosis, they think it's more normal than when you tell them you're a medical mystery. How do you think techno-science helped to get your diagnosis and did your diagnosis make your life better?
Madeline,
ReplyDeleteI can identify with the frustration of the stresses associated with dealing with non-diagnosed conditions, both personally and through those close to me. My father suffered for years with unanswered questions about his pain, even though we lived in the most medically advanced city in the nation. It was incredible, ten years later, receiving a diagnosis validating and explaining what was causing so much pain and suffering. The most baffling thing about techno-science is how culturally influenced the advancements are and the impact diagnoses based on those advancements have on the lives of those who are effected.