<< You know, everyone has some stress in their life so I'm not sure how
significant this would be to developing TM. It's how we handle the stress
that's important. Some stress is good in that it is motivating. Sometimes
statistics can get in the way & can be interpreted any way we want. Just a
thought. Christi
>>
This is especially true.... when you are a woman and seaching for a diagnosis
from a male doctor... Because sooooooooo much emphasis is put on
stress--sooooo much of the time--if a patient is asked, "Have you experienced
high stress recently?---[Well heck! Who hasn't?!] --if a woman honestly
answers "yes"--- Many times, the doctors can get stuck on the acknowledgement
of "Stress" and eliminate from their memory "the symptoms" ---A seemingly
innocent, yet TRAGIC mistake... that totally ignores a churning
illness/problem below the surface.
Sadly, this has become a terrible, common problem for most women [and some
men] at some time in their lives. Because of society's expectation of
women---earning an income, laundry, housework, planning/shopping & preparing
meals, taking care of the kids, running errands, PTA meetings, ballet lessons,
karate lessons, little league, etc.---It seems we as women have already been
"labeled" stressed out, BEFORE we've even been asked about our individual
priorities and commitments. The misdiagnosis of stress serves as a terrible
disservice and injustice to those searching for answers to uncommon
problems/uncommon diseases that doctors have not "encountered" in the past
--Take a moment -- If a doctor doesn't have any answers or explanations for
some "odd occurance/strange symptom" --- Usually [NOT ALWAYS--but usually]
most busy doctors instead of researching the problem --and coming to a "text
book conclusion" ...are pressed up against a wall for answers ---
Remember--all doctors have encountered "stressed out" women [and men too...]
It is much easier to diagnosis stress than it is to diagnosis an unknown
disease.... Most docs will tell ya---stress comes out in every symptom...think
about this... as I was laying on a emergeny gurney--ready to be admitted to
CICU---I had suffered a life threatening arythmia which had cut off my
oxygen...I was going into shock with my hands turning into claws... I
whispered with what I could.. "What is happening to my hands?" I was not
told I had heart problems--which I already knew...I was told I was stressed!
Another example...It took almost 5 years to diagnosis my Lupus... because my
1st doctor had never seen a case--EVER... He said, "I did't have any of the
symptoms" --- Then proceeded to but me on a stress reliever Rx..... It turns
out--he didn't know what the symptoms where...He was tooo busy to do the
research..[We found this out years later after I had changed doctors...] and
for 5 years the disease ate away at my heart, lungs, and interenal organs...
causing permanent damage.....
Please--stress is important--but lets not make it the most important
factor...because then we do others a great injustice...
Just another thought...
Janie