I ended up calling the on call doctor again who suggested I go to A&E. I didn’t want to go as last time the male nurse spoke to me like I was faking my symptoms. The nurse I had last night was so lovely and told me she has endometriosis and feels for me and hopes someone listens soon.
Fast forward, not a lot they could do, gave me morphine and sent me home with a letter for my GP.
Today I attended my GP, to be told the doctor I was seeing had changed my appointment to Friday as she’s not in and nobody told me. I begged to see someone else as I’m in agony, thankfully I got someone.
I brought my list of symptoms (she didn’t care to see them) and explained what I’ve been going through over the last 2 months and how painful my periods usually are. She sat there with a blank face and asked me what I wanted her to do about it. I said I want her to chase my referral to gynae and she turned around and told me “it’s not like you have cancer, they won’t see you as urgent,it could take a year before they do”
This instantly brought me to tears. She spoke to me like I’m making the whole thing up and wasting their time. I am in complete loss. She told me there’s nothing she can do and for me to go home. I cried my whole way home. I don’t know what else I can do at this point. Nobody is taking me serious😓😓😓
On top of this today I’ve started getting bad brown discharge again and the pain is phenomenal. I have a night shift later and have to endure the pain at work. I just feel extremely sad like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.
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Jess_cole
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Jess I'm sorry to hear this, how disappointing for you.
That doctor was completely out of line for saying that and not giving you anything to manage your pain at home. They really let you down today and it's not okay.
It makes me so sad that this is a common occurrence, I've had it similar appointments.
If possible talk to your employer about your situation to try to get some support at work. Do you have someone close to you who can support you by staying over with you or going to appointments with you?
Know that you are not alone in this, and as hard as it is, keep fighting for the health care that you need and there will eventually be light at the end of the tunnel.
I might talk to her that’s a good idea, she’s friendly and supports me. I just worry I can’t have anymore time off as I only got this new job in feb and already had 3 sicknesses. Thank you for saying I’m not alone, sometimes I do feel it. X
A good employer should be able to think of a plan to help you so that absences aren't as common. Perhaps extra break time, more flexible hours or even just her being aware of your health issues would mean she will understand why you're having sick days. It will also save you having to say what's wrong each time as you could just say you're having an 'Endo flare-up'.
Hi sorry to hear you have been treated this way and it’s upset you. I paid for a private consultation with a BSGE consultant, or was £200. You can do this but remain on the nhs for surgery, is this something you can do?
We shouldn’t have to spend our own money when we pay into the NHS but the waiting time’s are unbelievable for the hospital waiting lists as most consultants who work in NHS also work in private healthcare.
I have been told not enough gynaecologist in my area, well that’s not my problem. Too many of us are suffering day in day out with these symptoms, sending you a hug too x
She mentioned private to me today but said I’d still be waiting a long time because I mustn’t forget there’s till a virus about. I told her I haven’t forgotten and that I work in the hospital on the wards, I just need someone to listen and help me. I agree we shouldn’t have to pay but it’s unfortunate how so many do. Thank you for your kind words I do appreciate it. X
Really sorry you’ve gone through this, it shouldn’t happen, ever.
If you feel up to it, you need to call them, say you weren’t happy with what happened and ask to see someone else, preferably your named GP (unless there is someone else you prefer)
They can chase up gynaecology and can refer you to the pain clinic, they choose not to most of the time.
Can you take someone with you, and when you call have it on speaker with someone there. Their whole attitude will change. You aren’t making it up, the pain nurse at A&E is the only one so far to actually say it to me.
I hope you can go back. PALS at the hospital may be able to help with finding out gynae info.
Thank you for the advice. Unfortunately because of COVID we aren’t allowed anyone to come with us to appointments, so I’ve had to do it on my own. The same with A&E. I will look into pals, thank you x
I’d tell the surgery I would be bringing someone, it’s their own fault for treating you so badly. After all someone disabled would require assistance, its still a support function, they wouldn’t turn anyone away.
Very much so. The NHS referral went to urogynaecology, this wasn’t what I was expecting, I knew fibroids were there and enlarged uterus, I cancelled that one.
When I had the consultation, after background, he said Endometriosis and fibroids too small. There are more that showed on scan. At lap confirmed/treated what he could get to and found it was in the bowel as well, ( not treated yet) I sold things to pay for lap, now back on NHS. Best spend in years, piece of mind, proving to all the GP’s that there was a physical thing, not an attention seeking idiot. I didn’t tell them until after, I self referred.
Sorry girl. Try manage the pain in the meantime. Something will soon work out for you.The stupid doctor who has the audacity to tell you it’s not cancer will soon find someone to put her to her place she belongs.
Awh it just made me cry and she had a blank face the whole time, no compassion or anything towards how I felt. I just hope someone can help me in the near future
Some of them are so rude. I'm sorry you experienced this I know the feeling.... I had my own consultant whos doing my surgery next week speaking to me like crap yesterday afternoon, think some of them don't realise how they may speak to there juniors they can't speak to patients like this. Unless someone is suffering the same or similar way they can't understand especially a male doctor in a and e that's really prob used to emergency situations and think we don't have the right to attend with severe pain. I get you.... Its so so frustrating. I had 10 years of this before they agreed to my hysterectomy and im only 29.... its awful cxxx
It’s not fair that people in the health care sector lack compassion and empathy, something you need for a job as such!! I would hate to have a hysterectomy before having children. Sorry you had to have one x
Hi Jess I’m so sorry you are having to deal with this. I’ve had to go through the same kind of treatment as well. I think the only time I was actually taken seriously was just because they were worried I had cancer. Basically Jess you have to be one of those patients that refuse to go anywhere till someone helps you. I’m a nurse and I know that sadly you have to stamp your feet the most to get listened to. It’s not right that you have to though. I know how it makes you feel too. I used to cry so much. Try going to A&E again and refuse to leave till you see someone from gynae. Also have they done a recent ultrasound scan on you? Your GP can make a referral for that but likely you will have to ask like I did. You may have endo but they should still be checking nothing else is going on too. Don’t give up. Sending hugs and here if you need any support of advice x
I went in with a list yesterday and she refused to look, I said I have pictures of the tissue I’m passing and she said she’s fine thanks and didn’t need to see it. They did a internal ultrasound when I passed a big clot when I was in A&E and apparently everything was normal although one doctor mentioned a missed miscarriage. The pain I’m in is unbearable and the discharge for 2 months straight can’t be right. I just feel like nobody will listen even if I stomp my feet. I would definitely call gynae if I knew who to call! They don’t have any gynae places down by me, they shut them so we have to travel 50 miles to the nearest hospital that treats it x
I would definitely send a letter recorded delivery to the Practice Manager of your surgery and ask not to be seen again by that particular insensitive and unprofessional lady GP. You could send a copy of the documentation you had with you yesterday with your complaint letter and ask for it to be placed on top of your file, so they can't say they don't know.
Unfortunately, for all of us, this behaviour, nastiness and their level of ignorance and insensitivity happen too often and when we are at our most vulnerable.
Thank you, I was thinking of ringing and asking to speak to the lady GP who knows a lot about gynae issues tomorrow. I just need someone to take me serious and not fob me off! Thank you x
I was told several years ago that if your GP won’t see you and you end up in A&E the hospital will bill the gp surgery for the time they’ve spent seeing you. If you end up back at A&E make sure to tell the staff who see/treat you that even after their letter the GP sent you away without even advice on pain management. I’d bet your GP surgery will sit up and pay attention if a hospital cross charge lands on their desk.
Hi Jess,I am sorry to hear you’ve had such a nightmare getting someone to listen to you.My heart goes out to you,it’s so upsetting when you’re in so much agony.Yet the professionals that are there to help,treat you with such disrespect,in your time of need.
There’s been too many times to remember where I was blown away by the cruel insensitive replies like what your GP said.Its sadly something that happens a lot within gynaecology.Dont take it personal,Keep strong sweetie.
One thing that’s doesn’t sit right besides her cruel comment, is the fact that your GP dismissed your pain.What did the letter to your GP say from A&E?Were u able to read it?A miscarriage?Did they do a blood test to see if your hormones were still high proving you were pregnant?What did you GP say about that?
Have the hospital mentioned that you need sufficient pain meds like morphine when you bleed,considering that’s what they offered?
Actually,What pain medication have you been taking while suffering through this,before your A&E visit?
If I were you I would ring up tomorrow and speak to someone who deals with complaints,you might find that they may listen to you more and offer a different GP and a female one at that...because what your GP said was out of order and highly unprofessional.
If they are unhelpful then I would proceed to file a complaint.I have some traumatic stories but one being,I called a GP to my home as I was unable to walk,he came in with such an attitude..and was vile.(I found out that I had a severe infection affecting the kidney and fever from a rupture by another GP)
Anyway to cut a story short,I rang the office to stress how awful he treated me and an hour later he rang me to apologize talking to me with contempt and said he was having a hard day and he’s sorry he took it out on me.
He’s retried now,but since that experience he took me seriously from then on.
It doesn’t make it better,but this GP should not speak to you like that.You don’t go to the doctors to get verbally abused.
I’ve read through your message/replies to others and I just wanted to mention that the brown discharge could be related to a ruptured ovary cyst or choc cyst/old trapped blood mixed with your natural secretions?Especially with the excruciating pain you’re having.Do you have a history of cysts?How long have you been suffering and how long have you been waiting for a gynea appt?
Sorry for the questions just want to help if I can.
Its horrific pain,brown discoloured discharge
with tissue ,huge clots while bleeding.
It all depends how far you are on a rupture as to whether something shows up on a scan(from my experience)Sometimes I’ve had the ruptured show,others times I had nothing show.
It could be something to mention when you eventually get to a gynaecologist as well as Endometriosis.But for now you need to get help with sufficient pain medication while you’re awaiting your gynea appt.I met a GP once who asked me what medication I have,I told her morphine and she proceed to tell me that all women with excruciating Endo should have morphine access so they can self treat instead of ending up in A&E every month to only get given morphine and refered back to the GP after a ultrasound.
Of course if something isn’t right it’s always best to go to hospital.
I really do hope you can muster up the energy to push forward because you deserve proper medical care.Let us all know how it goes,good luck and I hope you get somewhere.
Wow thank you for taking the time to reply in full. I am sorry you’ve had awful times with some health care providers as well. I don’t know what’s going on. I did read the letter from A&E and it said investigations to be completed on referral to gynae, morphine given and sent home with medication and they listed it. The scan and the missed-miscarriage and clot was 4-5 weeks ago so this wasn’t mentioned although they can see it on the system anyway, I never had a positive pregnancy test and we have no idea how far along I would have been, it all happened so fast. This time I did receive a letter at the hospital and the doctor took it off me. They gave me volterol suppositories and codeine and this was written in the letter. I don’t understand why I’m in so much pain still. You could be right about the cyst as they did see one on the scan on one of my ovaries but said most women have them and they cause no issues, but everything else was normal. So she said if it’s all normal what did I want them to do. I’ll be ringing the surgery again tomorrow morning and will he asking to have a phone call with the other female doctor. I hope she can see me and I’ll explain that I want them to look into this more like a CT scan or smear test and provide proper pain relief. I only have codeine and ibuprofen left and it’s not touching the sides of my pain!
I don’t want to be a nuisance but at the same time I want to be helped! Thanks for your kind words x
pregnant then had a missed miscarriage without knowing.So sad ☹️
My heart goes out to you,I am so sorry.Im not surprised you’re still needing time to get your head around everything,as it all happened so fast.
Just to throw it out there..and I know it’s not helpful right now,and the waiting times are ridiculous but you could talk to your (new) GP about the possibility of being referred to a pain specialist.
However,if your GP wants you to wait for your gynaecologist referral,you should definitely mention it to the gynaecologist on your first visit.They might not even think you need to see one and prescribe you more sufficient pain meds directly from themselves.
Thats where you’d get even more help with medication in the long run.Its a long waiting time so it makes sense to get the referral in motion.Normally 18 months and over.Shocking I know
I have suffered with all of this since I was a young teen so as time went on the pain and damage got consistency worse and the likes of codeine or tramadol didn’t even touch the sides
So I know exactly how scary it feels and how rough it gets,to the point of needing hospital treatment.
I really do hope you don’t have to wait too long to see a gynaecologist.Fingers crossed it isn’t too long from now!
I recently had a awful experience where I managed to get a referral
and waited a whole year only to get fobbed off with no tests,scans and what not.He had no interest in my case because of the previous surgeries and hormone treatments I’ve had.I was distraught to say the least.This was at a bsge centre too.
So,I’m back in limbo not getting any help at all even tho my GP and other specialists support me.
It really is an endless battle.So many unneeded hurdles to get over.
Do make sure you take time to do some self care,to look after your happiness and always know you’re not alone in this.
Ah yes ’Ovary cysts tend to not cause women problems’ is the biggest myth ever told.Id be rich if every doc gave me a quid when they said that hehe
I have had so many problems with excruciating pain from both ovaries for many many yrs,and know many others that also suffer who don’t have Endo,just cysts.
I think if you were to see a gynaecologist they will have more knowledge as to what their looking at ,on your scans.Things can be missed.
The waiting game truly sucks!
I know what it’s like not wanting to be depicted as a nuisance etc I’m guilty of not being forceful enough and I can say it only hurts you as a suffer.Its not our fault that we have a debilitating chronic illness.We only search for help yet we get hit with cold hearted gaslighting appointments.
Yikes,You also work nightshifts ,damn....I feel for you.I reluctantly had to give up work in the end due to the constant agony.
I wish you all the best,and I truly hope today went well for you.And if it didn’t go well always remember that when life gives you lemons,you make scrumptious lemonade!Never stop the good fight!We will all be cheering you on!If you’re ever in a bad state u can always message me via pm here,if you need someone to chat too!
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I'm feeling so overwhelmed, I don't know what to do now.
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