Minimization of symptoms (Or "Yes, I realize I'm gritting my teeth, but it doesn't hurt that bad.")

A few weeks ago, I had my monthly acupuncture/cupping appointment. Acupuncture/cupping is a regular part of my treatment plan, but it's not always the most pleasant experience.

(Information on Acupuncture and Cupping therapies.)

Don't get me wrong; my acupuncturist is amazing and I always enjoy seeing him.  But the cupping treatments can be painful at times.

At this last appointment, he hit a particularly tender area, and asked me if it hurt.  I made some non-committal comment about it, minimizing the fact that it really had hurt, and realized I did that with a great deal of frequency.  I'm quick to say "Oh, it's just a tender spot" when it fact it hurts like hell. And I tried to figure out why, when I was in a place with someone who'd worked with me for years and helped me with my worst pain, I was trying to minimize it.

The fact is that many people with chronic pain/invisible illness minimize their symptoms, even to their medical team.  There could be a number of reasons for this from the lack of supportive response from society, family, friends, medical community, and others when we try to discuss our symptoms to not wanting to be seen as "complainers".  Unfortunately, it's this continual minimization that hurts our overall care with our medical team (they can't treat us appropriately if they really don't know what's going on with us) and it gives society the impression of "Oh, it's really not that serious."

Let's face it.  The average person who asks "How are you?" doesn't truly want to know the answer to that question.  (Many who ask that question don't even want an answer at all.)  Do I tell anyone who asks how I am, how I truly am?  Absolutely not.

But to the people close to me, I do them and myself a disservice if I don't speak up about how I'm truly feeling.  I strongly believe that one of the reasons I developed these conditions was to educate about them and advocate for all of us dealing with them.  I don't complain incessantly, but I am honest if I'm having a bad day.

With my medical care, I need to be as honest and direct with my medical team, otherwise they can't help me effectively.

There are a few things that can help with this:

• Apps (like the WebMD Pain Coach App) can help track pain and keep a record of it.  With these sorts of tools, I recommend discussing the results with your doctor.  These tools are always best used in conjunction with an approved plan for treatment that works for you and your medical team.  There are other apps out there that can also track other symptoms associated with these conditions.
• If you don't have a smart phone or tablet, grab a notebook and journal.  Start small, but you can jot down notes about your pain level, fatigue level, and possible triggers.  Using Apps or Journals can help you give your doctor an accurate description of your symptoms (and may help you identify triggers).
• With major emergencies--extreme pain, bleeding, or other items that require immediate attention--seek out emergency care immediately.  But if something comes up for you that's a question or comment that could impact your care or provide more information to your doc--that isn't emergent--leave them a message. Many medical systems now offer the ability for patients to email their doctor in a secure system for non-emergent questions.  (And since my memory isn't always the greatest, I can drop her a line while I'm thinking about it at 3 o'clock in the morning rather than risking forgetting it.)
• Before medical appointments, particularly appointments where you may have a lot of questions, write them down.  Brainstorm with your loved ones prior to the appointment.  There is no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to your care!  So, bring a list with you.

So...how are you doing today?

Definitions of conditions listed in my medical chart