Autism question

[Ginseng]

Do y’all have a hard time defining and explaining your symptoms when you are sick? I find that so frustrating when I go to the doctor. I have learned to try to prepare ahead of time literally spending hours trying to identify what my symptoms are. They don’t understand that I am trying to tell them my symptoms, but I cannot find words to describe them.

 

[disconnected]

Ive actually written them down so I can remember. My mind tends to go blank, than I panic and can’t remember whats going on.

 

[Pats]

I write them ahead of time, too.

 

[the_tortoise]

Yes, and I also try to write them down....it doesn't always help me but it can.

 

[Mattymatt]

Do y’all have a hard time defining and explaining your symptoms when you are sick? I find that so frustrating when I go to the doctor. I have learned to try to prepare ahead of time literally spending hours trying to identify what my symptoms are. They don’t understand that I am trying to tell them my symptoms, but I cannot find words to describe them.

Yes, at times I have experienced this very same thing. It is particularly difficult for me to describe belly pain and discomfort on days when I have a bad stomach. I had gastric bypass because I was in really bad health. Of course, it really screwed with my already wonky digestive system. So it basically put my diabetes in remission and I am down 80 pounds but other things developed.

 

[Loren]

Same difficulty, here. Ask me a series of pointblank questions and I am able to answer them. Ask me to explain/ describe my symptoms and I am at a complete loss for words. Strange how that happens.

 

[Pats]

Yes, and I also try to write them down....it doesn't always help me but it can.

Yes, we do have to 1. remember to bring the list with us and 2. be willing to look at it while we're there. lol (I have those problems).

 

[the_tortoise]

Yes, we do have to 1. remember to bring the list with us and 2. be willing to look at it while we're there. lol (I have those problems).

Exactly.

Also what we've written down has to make sense to/be correctly understood by the doctor....that doesn't always happen for me.

 

[Progster]

Yes sometimes, if it is an internal sensation... things like a runny nose or a sore throat are easy to describe. What I have trouble with most is understanding other people's descriptions of symptoms, such as 'heartburn'... I recently learned what causes this, acid in the stomach entering the oesophagus, but it doesn't have anything to do with the heart. And things like a 'tight chest'... what does that mean? So if my doctor asks me if I have this symptom, I don't know, because I don't undertand what it means. I often experience things in a different way, or the way that I would describe the sensation is different to how the doctor describes it.

 

[Ginseng]

Exactly.

Also what we've written down has to make sense to/be correctly understood by the doctor....that doesn't always happen for me.

Exactly! I have never understood why this was so difficult for me before. Everyone's input has helped a lot! Thanks.

 

[Fino]

I have trouble describing the "type" of pain when something hurts. My neck hurts and they ask what kind of pain is it, and I have no clue what to say and then they give me options and then I pick one it sounds like maybe it is.

 

[Autistamatic]

I have to write everything down too, but then so does my NT wife