Lived Experience Forum

[JasJac]

@Lemonjuice great job in getting your NDIS paperwork.

Counselling sessions in NSW NDIS come under a support category called Improved Daily Living, this may help for your planning meeting. There's also an online calculator to work out a budget: https://www.ndis-calculator.com.au

Have you made a decision about your counsellor until NDIS comes? Hope you are keeping upbeat 🙂 

[Lemonjuice]

@JasJac Thanks for that.  I didn't know about this. I take it, it's under the  individual therapy option.  Comes in just under $8000 for a year.

I'm seeing my counsellor till the end of November, so I'm ok.  He's arranging for someone to take over in case this doesn't work out.

[Lemonjuice]

@JasJac @eth 

Had this new experience with this now.  I figured I am too uncomfortable with my gp, so I found someone who was recommended by a women's centre which deals with trauma.  I called the medical centre of my current gp to get my medical history on disk, so I can give it to the new gp.  The receptionist told me that I would first have to get the new gp to authorize a request.  I asked her why I needed to do that since it's my medical history.  She said she would talk to the manager and call me back.  She hasn't called me back.  Do I have a right to my medical history or not?  I don't want to leave my current gp, just see another gp for the ndis because my current gp is my family's gp and well, it's embarrassing socially for me tell him.

[eth]

@Lemonjuice I think you do have a right to have your medical file, but in the past I was told I had to do a Freedom of Information request to get it.  Then you can take it to anyone you want.  Or sign a consent form with the new Dr that they can send to the old one and get the file sent to them.

  But having said that, I do think there are advantages to getting support on the NDIS forms from a Dr who's known you longer term.  I had a really hard time with NDIS initially because I'd just relocated interstate, all my Drs were new to me, and my older reports weren't written with the NDIS in mind.  And it was really hard to prove the 'lifelong' part of the NDIS criteria.

Very sorry to hear you find it embarassing to be open about this with your existing Dr.  Even if they see other family members they are bound by a duty to keep confidential anything you discuss with them.

Hang in there mate, it won't happen overnight but it should happen.

[Lemonjuice]

@eth thanks.  Lol, I'm the same with pap smears...never see my own gp for those.  I can't face them on an ongoing basis.  Lol.  He knows I have a tough time, but I have only told him I have depression and anxiety, not that there's a possibility of dissociative identity disorder.  No one but my counsellor knows and that took me six months before I could bring myself to tell him.

[eth]

@Lemonjuice  I def want a female Dr for that.  But I only see female docs and therapists   anyway.  I'm a firm believer that the more you tell them the more they can help you and I also believe in a good 'therapeutic relationship'.  Maybe it's worth a bit of asking around and online for a female dr in your area and give them a try?? You might find you can do everything with them.  I personally wouldn't continue with a Dr I couldn' t  tell everything to.

[Lemonjuice]

@eth you are probably right.  The new gp is female, so see how we go.  My current gp, I like him, he is a good person has taken care of my parents, but everytime I complain about some pain, it's always put down to my being a worrier.  I was telling him for about five years my moods were too extreme and were lining up with my hormones, but he would put it up to my being stressed, this year, I had surgery to remove an ovary cause of a cyst, three polyps and fibroids in the uterus.  The specialist put in a progesterone iud, my moods have been stable ever since.  If he had listened, I would not have had to go through all of that.  Everything is cause I am stressed from being a carer and things at home.  Anyway, I have an appt with the new gp on Tuesday...see how I go with her.  I'll get back to you.  Thanks for your guidance.

[eth]

Good morning @Lemonjuice I'm very sorry to hear what you went through with chronic pain for a long time culminating in that surgery.   And very glad to hear you're exercising your right to a 2nd opinion from another Dr.  Please don't think I've told you what to do, but I can only speak from my own experience and hope that helps you decide what path is best for you.  Sounds like you're hopeful about how it will go with the female Dr on Tuesday.  I usually make a list of what I want to talk to them about so I can be sure not to forget something important.  

My adult child had abdominal pain for many years and was always told the same thing, that it was stress related.  But a new and more thorough Dr did extensive diagnostic testing and they are now diagnosed with irritable bowl syndrome and on a diet that's really working for them, without the pain.  There are so many things pain in that area can be.  Again, just my opinion, but I believe that any pain should be investigated thoroughly until the cause is found.

It's great to hear your moods have been more stable with the iud.

Sounds like you have a lot on your plate what with your own health and being a carer.  I did disability care at home (legally blind child) and at work (massage therapist) for many years with undiagnosed bipolar and complex PTSD happening for me  so I get what it's like constantly juggling and not really being able to ever put your own needs first.  

[Lemonjuice]

@eth You've been amazing for me.  I don't feel pushed or anything like that.  Just being understood, and sharing suggestions has helped a lot and is greatly appreciated.  Sounds like you've been through a lot too.  Glad you were able to find a solution for your child.  It's kind of nuts how we just seem to accept things because it's the doctor.  I've seen them make so many mistakes, I find it hard to trust them now, sometimes to my own detriment. 💓

[eth]

Glad to help @Lemonjuice.  And I know firsthand how difficult trust can be, especially starting with a new health professional and having disclosure with them.  But as I've said, I totally believe in telling them as much as possible about my situation and story so they can help me in an informed way.  I particularly seek Drs who are 'trauma informed'.

Like they say "If you never go, you'll never know".