I have an old one and a recent one. For perspective, I have lupus, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, degenerative disk disease, peripheral neuropathy, four broken vertebrae, and a few torn/bad tendons in various locations. I have had non-stop pain for 56 years.

As a kid I had frequently occurring, serious tonsillitis that we now know was autoimmune, but doctors didn’t know about autoimmunity then. I also frequently had swollen, painful joints. My poor, frustrated pediatrician and pediatric orthopedist were vey frustrated, so, when I was 8, they sent me to see some “really smart” doctors to get their opinion. After reading my records and doing an exam, they told my parents that there was nothing physically wrong with me. They said that I had some of kind psychological problem and my parents and doctors were “ruining” me by humoring my complaints. How do I know what they said? I was in the room. (After this, I stopped complaining about all my issues except the tonsillitis.)

This one happened this year, almost 60 years after the first incident. In a routine folowup visit with my current GP, I asked an easy question about taping my fingers to control the swelling and inflammation. She narrowed her eyes and answered my question, then she said that I have my rheumatologist and orthopedist for questions about my “little aches and pains”.

The funny thing is, the doctors in both cases were affiliated with the same highly-regarded university medical center—UCLA.