The Medical Zebra

   Because I have chronic illness and rare conditions, I have to work with doctors a lot. I have had good experiences with doctors but I have also had some really bad experiences with doctors and the medical world as a whole. I often don’t feel heard or seen as a patient and as a person.    It is incredibly hard for me to learn to trust doctors. And even more so, to not lose faith in them, once I have learned to trust them. So when I find one that I feel seen, heard and validated by, I consider them rare. Almost as rare as my conditions. I value them. They are like the tiniest of lights in an often overwhelming darkness that is chronic illness.   But here’s the thing, those doctors, that I do trust, and have a good relationship with, have also gotten it wrong.   I feel sometimes that the look I receive from them is “Gosh how can this girl have so many mysterious symptoms? It’s probably just in her head”. Nothing that I haven’t quietly thought to myself, if ...

  In the world of medicine, healthcare professionals are taught this sometimes logical thinking when it comes to diagnosing a patient, ‘when you hear hoof beats, think of horses, not zebras.'  What this simply means is when a patient shows up with symptoms, even if those symptoms are more unique in nature, they most likely are not going to end up being a zebra and being diagnosed with a rare condition. However, what happens sometimes, some of those patients do end up being a zebra. Most often doctors focus solely on their patient "having" to be a horse and dismiss all their zebra stripes. This can lead to more misery, prolonged and worsening of symptoms. Emotional and mental agony can also occur, which is also known as medical gaslighting.   I understand what this feels like. I understand every part of this. I was never the damn horse. I was always the zebra.   For many years, I felt this way due to having chronic illness and facial pain. One of the many ch...

Blog Author, Laura (Laurie Girl)    Hey there, thanks for stopping by! Nice to meet you! Let me introduce myself! I often introduce myself like this, “Hi, I’m Laura!” What that all includes is I’m almost thirty, an identical twin, I am dorky as heck, I’m unique, I am a lover of all things llamas, alpacas, and cats. Okay I love animals (even if I am skittish around some). I'm a music fan. I love getting lost in a TV show, especially period dramas and romances. I enjoy reading (when I can concentrate). I love trees, the sky and nature. Getting lost in my own thoughts. I volunteer with a nonprofit that I am passionate about. I enjoy the little things in life.   Oh I forgot to mention, in the chronic illness world I am also known as Laurie Girl. Speaking of the chronic illness world…I’m part of it. And even more unique, I am a Medical Zebra. Yup, I am rare. I have chronic and rare diseases and conditions. Some of my main medical zebra stripes are Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) a...