hi @Appleblossom @Shaz51 @AuntGlow @Jynx @tyme and others i have missed
sorry i have been quiet on here since Christmas. On Tuesday 29th I saw my dr for abdo pain (upper middle abdo and under my right ribs) he sent me for an xray. He called the next day and said i would like you to go to ED to have a scan done, as the xray showed possible small bowel obstruction. I went to my local ED which is only 5 mins down the road but it is a small hospital and in summer overloaded by the tourists. Got taken to short stay bypassing ED by a lovely dr. Had a CT scan and a few hours later she came to tell me that the scan didn't show anything. But as i was still in pain so she decided to keep me in overnight. So i spent NYE in hospital; ended up in tears as i had plans for our daughter to come over. In the morning the lovely female dr left and this new dr comes in to see me. He says "no you don't have an obstruction; i think you definitely have gallstones". you need an ultrasound. So because it was new years day there were no technicians for the ultrasound which i thought was so stupid. anyway they had to organise transport to take me to another bigger hospital to do the ultrasound. 35 min drive and they put me in straight away as they were waiting for me. had ultrasound - no stones!! so much for that dr thinking he definitely knew. They discharged me with the plan to see my gastroenterologist. But he is away until today.
Friday was my D birthday and we had a nice dinner out; i wasn't feeling 100% but i went and ate very little as i still had pain.
Sunday 4/1 i started getting pain radiating from the top of my abdo to the lower right side. so i started to panic thinking it could be appendicitis. So off i went back to my local ED and the dr i saw said 'there is nothing we can do here as you have had all the tests, but i will call your gastroenterologist. as he was away on leave he wasn't answering calls understandbly so she says to me 'we have another dr who is looking after your specialists patients we will transfer you to a private hospital. so they organised transport and i go to the private hospital which is only 20 mins away arriving at 10pm.
I was put in my room, nurse organised meds and staff were lovely.
No dr came as it was late. All day yesterday i waited and waited still in pain for a dr to come and see me. the nurses were great. Finally at 6.30pm this dr comes in. Now all this time i had assumed that the dr would be a gastroenterologist. But oh no, this dr was a general physician. he was rude and said to me 'i don't know why you are in pain' have no idea. I mentioned that maybe i need a gastroscope with my specialist when he's back. he's reply was 'oh i dont think that will find anything either' and walks out.
At this point i went from a quiet patient to an extremely angry, teary and i had a huge meltdown. i called the nurse and told her i am going home. she asked why and i told her that this dr said there was nothing he could do; didn't know why i was in pain. i was crying so much that i struggled to talk. she went off and told the dr which he was just outside my room and i heard him say 'oh well if she wants to go she can'. he never came back in to validate me or even try to console me or even try to explain things better. he walked past my room 3 times and never once came in. with 5 mins i had my bags packed, changed my clothes and called hubby. I felt so alone, not validated and feared that no one was believing me. it was horrible.
this morning i went to see my psychiatrist and told her the whole drama and she said that wasn't good enough. that a lot of drs don't have good bedside manner. she could see i was still very upset talking about it.
I did email my gastroenterologist yesterday and his receptionist called this morning saying he saw my email and wants to see me on Thursday this week. I will tell him everything and also how i felt. It has truly left me thinking that i will not go to a hospital again. i will suffer with pain for the fear of not believed.
it's been a nightmare. i am still in a bit of pain, it has subsided but clearly something needs to be done. it's going on too long.
sorry for long post. xxx
i am now paranoid that becuse i have mental illness that these drs must think 'oh no she is making this up. but i know what pain feels like it is real.
