Help! I need to find a private doctor!!!

I’ve been struggling with my weight for quite a while now—like, the last few years have been a nightmare because I’m chronically underweight. Nothing works to help me gain any weight at all. Every single time I go to see my doctor, she just brushes me off like, "Oh, you should be happy, tons of girls would kill to be that thin..." HELLO ???? I am definitely NOT happy when I look like a walking skeleton. I’m about 5'6" and only 99 lbs. She just tells me to eat more (which is impossible because I have zero appetite) and blah blah blah...
So, two months ago, they found a cyst on one of my ovaries and my CA125 levels were high (50). I went to a private clinic to get some blood work done (metabolic panel, CBC, urinalysis) and took the results to my doctor to see if everything was okay. She barely even looked at them. 😲 😲 Then, when I asked her, like, what it actually means that my sodium is low, she just told me I need to eat more salt...🙄 And I swear, I already eat a ton of salty stuff...😕
Basically, whatever I ask her, she just says, "Oh, it's nothing serious," etc., even though there are six different things flagged as abnormal on my labs. I asked her for a referral (to wherever you go for specialists) to check if maybe I have parasites or something—someone told me that could be why I have no appetite and can't gain weight—but instead of actually looking into it, she just immediately wrote me a prescription for Pfizer.😲 😲 Like, why would we even bother investigating if I'm just supposed to pop pills? I mean, HELLO ????

So, please, if you know a good GP or family doctor who will actually listen to my health concerns and sit down to talk through my problems, please recommend them to me. It’s not even about the money; I just want to hear a smart explanation, an actual opinion, or some real advice because I’m losing my mind with how much she dismisses me. If she weren't so useless, I wouldn't be a walking skeleton with these crazy lab results.

Please help, I'm seriously desperate. On top of all this, my gynecologist is sending me in for surgery to remove the cyst, and being as skinny as I am right now... I'm terrified I'll lose even more weight after the procedure...
🙂
Thanks in advance! 🙏

Amanda White81 said:I’ve been struggling with my weight for quite a while now—the last few years have been a constant battle with being chronically underweight. Nothing seems to work to help me put on any actual mass. Every time I go to see my doctor, she just brushes me off like I should be thanking her; she acts as if I’m one of those girls dreaming of being thin... HELLO ???? I am anything but happy about this when I feel like a walking skeleton. I’m 5'6" and only weigh 99 pounds. She just tells me to eat more—as if that’s easy when I have zero appetite—and that's where the conversation ends.
So, about two months ago, they found a clear cyst on one of my ovaries, and my CA125 levels were up at 50. I went to a private clinic to get a full blood panel done—everything from biochemistry to hematology and a urinalysis—and took the results straight to my doctor to see if everything looked normal. She barely even gave them a glance. Barely. 😲 😲 So, when I finally confronted her about it—like, "Hey, what exactly does it mean that my sodium levels are low?"—she just looked at me and said, "Well, you clearly need to start eating more salt."🙄 And honestly? I have a massive salt habit.😕
Basically, no matter what I asked her, she just brushed it off like it was nothing—totally trivial. But there are six different things flagged in my lab results that clearly aren't right. I actually asked her for a referral (to some specialist, I don't even know where) just to rule out parasites or something similar, since someone mentioned that could be the culprit behind my lack of appetite and weight loss. Instead of actually listening, she immediately just scribbled me a prescription for Pfizer.😲 😲 Why would I even bother watching that? I’m just here to take my pills... I mean, HELLO ????

I’m looking for recommendations for a solid GP—someone who actually takes the time to listen. I need a doctor who won't just brush me off, but will sit down, hear out my health concerns, and have a real conversation about what's going on. If you know someone like that, please let me know. It isn’t about the money. I just want to hear a damn intelligent explanation, an actual opinion, or some kind of useful suggestion, because her constant dismissiveness is driving me absolutely insane. If she wasn't such a nightmare to deal with, I wouldn't feel like a walking skeleton, especially since my lab results are actually looking fine.

I really need some help here—I’m honestly spiraling. My gynecologist is telling me I need surgery to remove a cyst, but given how thin I already am, I’m terrified. I’m scared that going through this is just going to make me lose even more weight...
🙂
Thanks in advance! 🙏

Look, honey, just go ahead and ask your doctor to run some thyroid hormone panels. Honestly, I’m surprised she hasn't ordered them already. If she gives you any pushback, just grab your medical records and find a new physician—there are plenty of them out there. I have this gut feeling that once she starts handing out Vera like candy, she’ll suddenly find the time to write that referral too. If those levels are spiking or crashing, you’ve found your answer for why you can't keep weight on. You'll get some pills from an endocrinologist, things will level out in a month or two, and you'll finally put on some pounds. Then your doctor can sit there acting all proud of herself for "finally" figuring out what was wrong.😉
That ovarian cyst, given the elevated CA-125 levels, is most likely endometriosis. By the way, your marker isn't even that high—mine hit 135 when I had endo. You're probably looking at surgery to get this sorted, but don't sweat it; your gynecologist will walk you through everything. Oh, and if your primary care doctor won't give you a referral for thyroid hormone testing, your OB-GYN can handle that for you.

Thanks so much. 😘 I guess I’ll have to hunt down my GP to get a new referral because the one I have right now is totally useless. Seriously, I don't even know who to turn to... Last time I asked for a thyroid referral, she just sent me to some guy who basically just poked my neck and told me everything was fine. He didn't run a single test, let alone check my hormone levels... or even do an ultrasound.. 😕
Honestly, I'd rather just pay for a private specialist. Is there really no such thing as a private family doctor?? 😕

- You can switch your primary care physician whenever you want!
Just find a new one, set up an appointment, pick up your medical records, and update everything with your insurance provider.
- Your OB-GYN isn't the one who handles those referrals.
- What kind of specialist did you get sent to, and where?
For thyroid issues, you usually need a referral to an endocrinologist or a nuclear medicine department; they'll run blood work for your hormone levels and perform an ultrasound.

Honestly, seeing a private doctor might not save you much money since they can't write prescriptions or official insurance referrals, and all those out-of-pocket tests really add up.
For example, a thyroid ultrasound will run you about $67
. The T3, T4, TSH, fT3, and Ft4 hormone tests are roughly $23 each, and testing for thyroid antibodies (two types) is about $260.
Once you add all that up, you're looking at a pretty hefty bill.
On top of that, you still have to factor in the specialist consultation fees and follow-up visits.

In my experience, once you know what's going on, the best move is to balance using a private specialist with staying within the insurance network for the basics.

By the way, your OBGYN handles the referrals
—for hormones (not just reproductive ones, but thyroid too), surgical procedures, ultrasounds, and any other specialized tests related to women's health

As for private specialists, I’d suggest checking out places like Mayo Clinic or Mount Sinai

But honestly, you don't need a private doctor for general checkups
There are plenty of great primary care physicians out there
Whereabouts are you located?
Regarding lab work, I wouldn't bother with private labs; for instance, if you're testing a thyroid hormone at a private facility$50

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. My doctor sent me (I think it was about two years ago) to see an endocrinologist over at MD Anderson—but the guy who actually saw me just gave me a quick look, poked my neck, told me I was fine, and kicked me out of the office!!😢 He didn't even run a single test. 😲
Honestly, I’m just so fed up with doctors lately because my husband is dealing with the exact same thing. Over the last year, he’s developed at least 20 of those fatty lumps—hard bumps, really—all over his body. When he finally went to see a doctor to ask about them, she literally just said, "It’s nothing—do you want surgery or not??" 😲 I mean, seriously?! I barely managed to talk him into seeing a doctor in the first place since these things popped up so fast, and they aren't just tiny little dots—they're big, noticeable lumps! And her reaction was just... that? Of course he isn't going back to her, but now he won't go to anyone else because he has no clue who to trust.
Anyway, we live over in the Brooklyn area, so if anyone has a solid recommendation for a good doctor who actually listens and talks to you like a human being, please let me know. At this rate, I'm ready to just grab our medical records and move to a different state.
Thanks again for all the advice. 😘

I'll look into it and let you know
Dr. Petrovic, Knezija is great, but it’s probably not exactly your cup of tea.

I’ve honestly lost all faith in doctors lately. My husband is going through the exact same thing—over the last year, he’s developed at least 20 of those hard, fatty lumps all over his body. When he finally went to see a physician to ask about them, she basically just shrugged and said, "It’s nothing, do you want surgery or not?" It took everything I had just to convince him to go in the first place, especially since these aren't just tiny bumps; they are large, noticeable lumps that appeared incredibly fast. And her reaction was just that? Dismissive? Naturally, he isn't going back to her, but he hasn't seen anyone else either because he just doesn't know who to trust anymore.

Your husband likely has lipomas. They're just benign clusters of fat tissue that can be removed if they're causing issues. Unfortunately, there's no clear understanding of what triggers them, and they tend to keep coming back. My boyfriend is covered in them; they started cropping up right after his father passed away. My own theory is that this is a psychological issue manifesting physically. He has a tendency to suppress his emotions and avoid conflict at all costs. He bottles everything up inside, and then his body reacts by pushing these lumps out. Every time life hits him with a major setback, new ones pop up immediately.
Usually, these lipomas are removed in an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia, and you get to head straight home right after.

Thanks, sweetie... I'm feeling a little better now. Look, I'm not asking for miracles or anything, but a little bit of an explanation would go a long way. It shouldn't just be "here, take these pills" or "get ready for surgery" without anyone actually telling me what's going on...
thanks so much 😘
And honestly? Based on what you just said, my husband is the exact same way as yours 🤣