So i'm going to the doctor tomorrow for an injection. And i have scars, i just spent like half an hour covering them up with make up to see if that would work for tomorrow, the good thing is that you cant really see them from far, but the thing is my doctor is gonna be looking right at my arm and you can obviously see make up there and very faint scars. Is it better if i just go with make up, but what would she think of that and will she ask me why i have make up there? or if i just go with the scars not covered up? But if i dont cover it up, will she ask about them, i dont want to tell her what they are. I know its obvious, but if i dont tell her, will she bother me about them or can she put it down on record what she saw even if i dont tell her? Im so scared, i feel so sick about going. Can doctors ask about scars, do we have to tell them what they are from, and can they put it on record??
♥ .I'm going to fall like I don't need saving. ♥
...My smile's just the armour I built when I was alone...
There was some part of me that hurt so badly, that I wouldn't ever be able to forget it.
It faded but the memories could bring it back any second, keeping me in the moment.
It would never fully heal. I could never really be free. I could never really be fixed. Now I just have to work out how to live whilst being broken.
I feel like I'm dying.
It is my experience that if they are OLD scars and not wounds most Drs just tend to ignore them. They may ask you if you have any wounds that need medical attention. They may ask you a bit about it and if you would like some help with it etc. But you are within your rights to say you don't want to discuss it and in my experience the Dr will then drop the subject.
I have gone to the hospotal many times to donate blood and I have never been asked about my scars, although nurses usually stare at my arm.
Anyway, if your doctor asks, you don't have to answer if you don't want to :)
xx
I get asked. They're normally nice about it and will just say 'have you been hurting yourself?' I normally just say yeah and they'll ask if I wanna talk, and then I say no lol.
^This is quite surprising to me - I'd always assumed that they'd press the matter if they could see scars. Would it end up on your medical record if they saw but you refused to discuss it?
The nurse never commented on my scars when I went for cervical cancer jabs.
If they are commented on you should be allowed to say you don't want to talk about them :)
Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you land among the stars
Would it end up on your medical record if they saw but you refused to discuss it?
This is what i'm really worried about, like i don't mind my doctor seeing i guess if she has to, i'll deal with that even though i dont really ever show my scars but only if she acts as if there not there, i'm just scared that she will mention it and even though i will choose not to talk about it that she will put it on record, can GPs do that??
♥ .I'm going to fall like I don't need saving. ♥
...My smile's just the armour I built when I was alone...
There was some part of me that hurt so badly, that I wouldn't ever be able to forget it.
It faded but the memories could bring it back any second, keeping me in the moment.
It would never fully heal. I could never really be free. I could never really be fixed. Now I just have to work out how to live whilst being broken.
I feel like I'm dying.
Can I ask why you are worried about it being on your medical records? They are totally confidential so no one other than your doctors need ever see them. Personally, if I were a GP and saw someone with SH scars I would feel obliged to put it in the notes - documentation is hugely important in medicine.
As for talking to the Dr about them - s/he may ask (tbh it's sort of their job to ask about things related to your health) but whether you want to talk about it is up to you. If the Dr does bring it up it will only be to find out how you are and whether they can help at all. Would you think about letting them try to help?
Always seem to get things just that little bit wrong.
"don't wish, don't start, wishing only wounds the heart"
I was dragged to the doctors by my mum about it a few years ago, and if anything was put on my records then, the doctor I went to more recently seemed surprised when I mentioned it and acted like she didn't already know I did it.
So I wouldn't think they'd put it on if you didn't mention it to them?
Though like Downside says, if they do put it on nobody else will see it and I don't think a doctor would bring it up if you went in for something totally unrelated and they'd seen self harm on your record.
:)
Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you land among the stars
I don't want it on my record because its not theirs to record. My SI is personal to me, i don't want anyone to know unless I feel like i want them to know. I don't think they have a right to put it on their records, especially because they are scars and not cuts. I don't want it lingering over me for the rest of my life, i'm trying to let go. I wouldnt consider talking to my doctor. I can't talk to anyone about it, i spoke to someone a bit about a year ago, and at the time it probably kept me sane but it was a really difficult experience for me, so as much as never talking about it eats me up, its too difficult to talk.
Are you sure no one would see the records, what about employers or if i wanted to work in a medical feild? I'm just so scared, it affects so many areas of life. I'm scared it will never leave me alone :[
♥ .I'm going to fall like I don't need saving. ♥
...My smile's just the armour I built when I was alone...
There was some part of me that hurt so badly, that I wouldn't ever be able to forget it.
It faded but the memories could bring it back any second, keeping me in the moment.
It would never fully heal. I could never really be free. I could never really be fixed. Now I just have to work out how to live whilst being broken.
I feel like I'm dying.
Can I ask why you are worried about it being on your medical records? ?
Because at the moment, when applying for jobs/volunteering posts/internships and going through occupational health, I'm perfectly justified in not declaring any issues with 'mental health', as the only record of those issues is on my arms. If it were to become official, even if it wasn't in the form of a diagnosis, and it was discovered further down the line that I hadn't declared it, I could be sacked for lying to my employers. I don't think this is fair, especially given the fairly sporadic nature of my 'episodes'.
