Going Undiagnosed: How I Found my True Calling
By: Libby Sarto
Going undiagnosed as a teen meant a lot of time at the doctors. This is what I am doing so that no kid goes undiagnosed.
In the span of 15 months, I got diagnosed with six chronic illnesses, and I am still getting tested. Before getting my first diagnosis, I always thought that doctors knew it all. I put 100% of my trust in them and never questioned what they were doing.
I quickly learned that doctors do not know everything and unfortunately, many of my doctors are clueless about my conditions. I have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Gastroparesis, Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, and many others that I am still in the process of diagnosing. When I was 18 years old, I failed multiple treatments and had every symptom of another condition, which I ended up having. So I asked my doctors to run some diagnostic tests and many of them dismissed my symptoms by saying that my conditions were “too rare” and that I “don’t look sick” and that I “couldn’t possibly be in that much pain”. As a result, I quickly lost trust in many of my doctors.
I have always had a passion for medicine, but my experiences have added a whole new drive. I have spent countless hours researching my conditions so I can teach my doctors. I have yearned for a doctor who understands my conditions and believes everything I say. My goal is to become the doctor I wish I had. The doctor who doesn’t stop looking until they figure out what is wrong. The doctor who thinks outside of the box until they find a helpful solution, even if it is only a slight improvement. The doctor who believes their patients. The doctor who understands.
With all this being said, if I was given the choice to get rid of one or all of my conditions, I would not get rid of them. While they definitely make my life much harder, they have really influenced my decision to become a doctor. I wanted to become a doctor before my diagnosis, but spending all of my time in a doctor’s office has changed my reasoning for this. I will be able to tell my patients that I believe them and understand what they are going through. Give them the mental support they need. Show them some of my “battle scars” and explain to them how powerful they are. My illness taught me this.
No one should go through life being dismissed for years. Hence, I plan to be a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, so no child has to go through the years of pain and tests like I did. I will listen to all of my patients and their concerns so they don’t end up undiagnosed for years due to a dismissive doctor. All I wanted was to be a normal highschooler who could do what the rest of my friends were doing. While my friends were going to sports games, parties, dance classes, and just hanging out, I spent my time at home with too much pain to go out or at the doctor's office. My hope is that no child in the future will go undiagnosed.
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