Health Rising’s 2024 BIG (little) End of the Year Donation Drive

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Do you tell a doctor the truth about your medical history? For most people the answer is a no-brainer: of course you tell them everything about your past. An ME/CFS diagnosis, in particular, though, can come with some baggage – baggage that suggests to some doctors that your problems aren’t real (or are exaggerated), baggage that could leave you with a less than comprehensive examination.

baffled  doctor

Can they handle the truth?

You want to tell the truth. You want to be able to trust your doctor.  You definitely want the best medical care available –  but it’s not always clear how to go about it. It’s a tough situation.

We’re not talking about your regular doctor – the one that probably knows you have chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia – but somebody new to the scene.

Here’s the scenario. Something goes wrong.  You have new gut problems, a pain somewhere you’ve never had, maybe a lump you’re worried about – something new that  you feel is not just another weird flare – and you feel you must see a doctor either immediately (emergency room) or later.

When they ask if you have any other conditions, do you lie through your teeth telling them, “I’m fine!” (or mention everything but ME/CFS or FM?) knowing that by mentioning these disorders you could put yourself  into a doctors “psych” category or even, if you’re really unlucky, set yourself up for a less than thorough checkup?  Or do you, feeling they should have all the information possible, make a clean breast of it – and take what comes?

Let us know about that, your experiences with doctors in the past, and how that affects your decisions about when to see a doctor and more in the poll below:




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