Mahsa Pazoki, an IgG4-related disease patient advocate, shares advice for patients who feel unheard by their doctors. Read her column, “IgG4-RD Life.”
Transcript
The advice that I have for patients who don’t feel that they’re being taken seriously by their doctors is get a new doctor. Go for a new doctor. Change it.
Unfortunately — I know it’s not easy. I know it’s not easy to make that switch and to go forth looking for a new specialist — but it is very crucial that you have a doctor who’s not just willing to listen to you but who is curious enough to want to learn more and to want to figure out what else is going on with you and your body.
So, don’t be afraid to change your doctor.
And another advice that I always give all patients is to trust your gut. You’ve been living with these ailments for a very long time — and a two hour seminar that a medical professional has taken is not going to do it justice.
So trust your gut — advocate for yourself — and don’t be afraid to find a doctor who’s willing to listen to you.
