I am pondering trying at some point in the future to see a specialist. This will almost definitely require travel and much more exertion than I normally do. How do people weigh the need to avoid a crash and not overexert with the desire to see a specialist, especially an out of town one, when it seems so much exertion is involved in both getting to the visits and back and then being at the visits?
I'm not looking for tips like pacing during the visit and trip or whatever, but more on how people make the decision about this. Would the exertion required and subsequent crash make whatever help a specialist could give not worth it? I'm particularly interested in how those who are housebound and low functioning manage this decision.
When I've crashed in the past it's been very bad each time and lasted and for many, many months at a time and I've never recovered to my previous level after the crash. So I am very careful with my exertion and pacing now and overdoing it seems like a very dangerous risk because of how long my crashes are and how much worse I end up even after I come out of them. What it would require for me to see a specialist is many, many times more exertion than anything I currently do.
I'd like to see or at least consider seeing a specialist if possible but I wonder if it would actually make me worse and not be worth the specialized care if it means a severe crash with long-lasting or permanent repercussions. Do people who are low functioning/housebound wait and hope they improve first before seeing a specialist, especially out of town? Or take the risk of getting much worse from the exertion and just go?
Is there any way to get info on what the specialists do and try to have a local doctor do those things? I have a cooperative, caring doctor but just have no idea what to really have him test and ask him about. I'm not able to gather all the info from this site as I can't understand much of the medical stuff being said here and there are so many approaches that it just hasn't been possible for me to really be able to organize and apply the information, despite my efforts.
Your input and personal experiences are very much appreciated.
I'm not looking for tips like pacing during the visit and trip or whatever, but more on how people make the decision about this. Would the exertion required and subsequent crash make whatever help a specialist could give not worth it? I'm particularly interested in how those who are housebound and low functioning manage this decision.
When I've crashed in the past it's been very bad each time and lasted and for many, many months at a time and I've never recovered to my previous level after the crash. So I am very careful with my exertion and pacing now and overdoing it seems like a very dangerous risk because of how long my crashes are and how much worse I end up even after I come out of them. What it would require for me to see a specialist is many, many times more exertion than anything I currently do.
I'd like to see or at least consider seeing a specialist if possible but I wonder if it would actually make me worse and not be worth the specialized care if it means a severe crash with long-lasting or permanent repercussions. Do people who are low functioning/housebound wait and hope they improve first before seeing a specialist, especially out of town? Or take the risk of getting much worse from the exertion and just go?
Is there any way to get info on what the specialists do and try to have a local doctor do those things? I have a cooperative, caring doctor but just have no idea what to really have him test and ask him about. I'm not able to gather all the info from this site as I can't understand much of the medical stuff being said here and there are so many approaches that it just hasn't been possible for me to really be able to organize and apply the information, despite my efforts.
Your input and personal experiences are very much appreciated.