Doc's opinions of online support groups

August 25, 2006

The NFA is great. You can subscribe to their newsletter, which is

just full of the latest research, and so much more. When I

subscribed, I also ordered the " back pack " , which is basically all of

their back issues. I have a huge FedEx envelope bulging full of

issues dating back to I think 2000. And if you don't have Fibro,

another great place is the American Pain Foundation. If you register

with them, they will send you a monthly e-newsletter letting you know

what they have done to fight the war on pain, against the lack of

adequat care, etc.

I'm not trying to take away from the group here, just wanted to give

the people who are having trouble with their doctors some more options

to " back up " what we all know to be true. We have the illnesses and I

don't know about a lot of you, but I have spent countless hours doing

my own research, and cross research, I know more about Fibromyalgi

than a lot of doctors do!

I think a doctor that is afraid to hear knowledge gleaned from a site

full of chronic pain patients, who never diagnose, is afraid the

patient may become his or her own advocate, and therefore, he/she

loses their stance as the one to call all the shots, and the patient

is going to question, suggest, and heaven forbid, knock them off their

self-imposed pedestal. He also knows that I only get my information

from reputable sites. We had that talk a long time ago!

My doctor knows that I am very well informed, which means less time on

his part explaining things, giving me more time to ask questions or

discuss alternative treatments. He knows that I come to this group,

and will disect any information I can on my conditions, and weigh the

options of it with him and by myself, before I make a decision.

My opinion, you may not be able to tell your doctor that you got your

information from our site, but you can tell him you got it " through

careful research " instead. If he still feels threatened by that, I'd

say it's time to have a heart to heart with your doctor about who

exactly is in charge of your body!

All my best,

Jen

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