Member-only story
The Doctor’s Don’t Believe Me
This isn’t the first time that it’s happened but this time hits particularly hard.
I went to the doctor at 20 and complained about heavy, painful periods. He referred me to a gynaecologist who told me that some women who haven’t had children jus have really painful periods and it couldn’t be that heavy if I was using a cup and a pad. A woman with a really heavy period only uses te thick overnight pads. At 21, I went in for an ear infection. The doctor demanded to know why I came to see him if I knew what was wrong with me, gave me a child’s dose of antibiotics and told me not to take them. Both times, I waited until things got worse and then went to see another doctor. Both times, I was correct in seeking a second opinion.
This time is a bit more of a challenge because I’ve already had a second, third, and even fourth opinion but the doctors that make the decisions don’t seem to care. I donated a kidney two months ago and one of the potential complications is an incisional hernia. When they cut through the abdominal wall, it leaves an area of weakness that can allow the intestine, fat layer or other tissue to protrude. If the protrusion becomes trapped or pinched by the surrounding muscles, it is classified as incarcerated or strangulated. If the protrusion happens to be intestine, this can lead to loss of blood flow, tissue death and overall death. Doesn’t that…
