I think we're getting off topic but I too wanted to say that i am easily as nervous of the attitudes of nurses/paramedics as i am of doctors. I've had several nurses laugh in my face. I saw a consultant (for an unrelated issue) last week & when the nurse took me in pre-consult to check my blood pressure etc, she started of smiling & pleasant.... she opened my notes & I saw her scan down.... her face visibly changed at one point & it seemed obvious to me that she'd seen the CFS (while i could obviously be mistaken about that - she could for instance despise everyone with my particular gynaecological problem, or from my home town! but her later comments confirmed my suspicion). From that moment her expression became sour & superior, bordering on contempt. The temperature in the room seemed to drop. I wont say what she said as it could be identifying, but there were a couple of snide remarks, and i was only with her 5 minutes. The consultant was patronising but at least not unkind.
I've found nurses to be some of the most compassionate people around, and also some of the hardest, coldest most spiteful people I've ever met. It's extraordinary. In my experience the ones they feel deserve it get kindness in spades, but woe betide you if they think you dont... they seem to hate the so called 'undeserving' (in their eyes).
In some ways that's understandable i guess, they are having to give of themselves continually, for low wages & massive workload & high stress. So i imagine it must really piss them off if it's perceived that a patient is asking for yet more of their efforts when they dont actually 'deserve' it.
Having said that, long before I developed ME i had to have a major surgery, & the nurses on the ward seemed to be split into those 2 categories, some were kindness itself, others were distinctly lacking in any kind of kindness & rather cold, hard with an edge of contempt. My ward mates also were dismayed when these nurses arrived on shift, so it wasnt only me.
So yes, coming back to the OP i wouldnt wonder that all kinds of health professionals would want to hide their diagnosis, but it would be great if more of them would speak out with the facts, i hope a subforum could be developed here as
@Trish suggests.
Good OP
@Graham
Edited - to clarify that it was the nurse & not the consultant that was sour during my appointment.