I'm so down today. I don't talk about this problem much because it bothers me too badly, but I just need to vent for the moment.

My 10yr old daughter has been having a chronic health issue and we keep going to different doctors, and they keep running the same tests and they'll have us try a few different things and a few new meds and there's never any relief so nothing is working.

Had to go back to the doctor today because my daughter is suffering and they're FINALLY referring us to a specialist. YAY!!!! I thought this would be our light at the end of the tunnel and we'll start getting some answers!!!

...but the specialist doesn't have any availability until December. Seriously?! So my daughter has to suffer for another month now. After suffering for months already.

I'm so discouraged. At this point, I feel like I should trial-and-error treatments for her MYSELF, using the Internet. I'm losing faith in doctors. They haven't been helping. All they've been doing is booking appointments and taking my $$$, and my daughter hasn't improved at all.

As a separate issue, but happening in parallel to this which is making my aggravation so much worse, is a foot injury she received during soccer. She's been in a cast as well as several walking boots since January. She's been in physical therapy (2-3 times a week) since July. And guess what folks, she's STILL in pain! It'll be almost a YEAR now of PAIN!

She's had to quit soccer and gymnastics and hasn't participated in school P.E. since. She's being left-out of a birthday party this weekend because it's for her girls on her soccer team only. My once highly-competitive athletic girl is deteriorating physically and socially.

She's seen 3 different specialists for her foot and nothing they're doing is working! They just keep booking the dr appts, and the physical therapy appts, and taking my $$$, and my daughter hasn't improved at all!!!

Like, I can't keep doing this. I'm basically throwing my money and my time away. It would all be worth it (1000-fold) if I noticed my daughter improve at all. But there has been NO IMPROVEMENT. I'm done. Where can I take her for REAL help?! At this point, I'll try a witch-doctor or voodoo priestess or shaman, ANYTHING else.

I have no hope anymore. Nobody is out there that can help us. We're on our own.

And to compound this belief for me, is my own issues with a chronic headache that I've blogged about before. I've actually quit going to doctors because they've never helped me with any relief anyway. They just run expensive tests on me and never give me any helpful remedies. So, I've already given up when it comes to myself.

I'm devastated about giving-up when it comes to my daughter.