Here's another one...

1. I, the patient, who didn't know what I was talking about!
   
   Started with epigastric pain (severe). Was at work...fellow nurses wheeled me down to ER. Doc ruled out cardiac. I said I thought it was my gallbladder. Per physician, no couldn't be that, the pain was in the wrong place. Sent me for f/u to family doc. I said I thought it might be my gallbladder. Per physician, no no, couldn't be that. Pain in the wrong place. I asked for a referral to gastro. Told doc I think it is my gallbladder. Per physician, oh no, couldn't be the gallbladder. Pain in the wrong place. Scoped me and said I had esophagitis and reflux.
   
   2 weeks later (after several bouts of severe pain) I had to go the ER again. GUESS WHAT! It was my gallbladder! The surgeon said it was shredded from the stones and fluid was dripping into my abdomen!
   
   Why don't physicians listen?!

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2. 

   About webbiedebbie

   Joined: Jan '03; Posts: 771; Likes: 77
   Remote Data Review Consultant
   Specialty: 22 year(s) of experience in OB, Telephone Triage, Chart Review/Code

   19 Comments

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3. 
   Mar 21, '03

   Omg...I'm glad you're ok! I've heard of that alot, same as hot appy's, pain isn't exactly where it should be! Tsk tsk to your doc.
4. 
   Mar 21, '03

   Same thing happened with my daughter. ER physician ($2000 ER fees) diagnosed what the IM doc didn't. Well I guess a $46 office visit wasn't enough?
5. 
   Mar 21, '03

   You'll feel MUCH better now that it's out. I had pain in the wrong place for a year, I hurt in my back in the left just below my scapula. No stones, mine just died. Had 8% function on the HIDA scan but normal U/S. You're right, they don't listen. My surgeon said it took him 30 minutes to fish it out of my navel, it was falling apart as he pulled it. GROSS!!
6. 
   Mar 21, '03

   YIKES Lilgirl. I am glad you both had it out. I had a stone that blocked the common bile duct. It eventually moved but OMG it was painful.
   
   renerian
7. 
   Mar 21, '03

   l was misdiagnosed for 2 years, on average spent once a month in ER in considerable pain. They first said it was constipation and they implied it was in my head.
   
   When the pain got worse l was in ER once a week, they decided to do exploratory surgery, and found it was my apendix and that it had been the whole time, after l had been told they were certain it wasn't my appendix.
   
   l now see a doc with the attitude that they'll get it wrong and l have to get pushy with them, so l don't get fobbed off.
   
   They also misdiagnosed my mum, told here that she didn't have rheumatoid arthritis when she did. This was in the first 6 months of her getting it so they could have done a lot for her. She was 30 years old when she got it.
   
   But the time they realised their mistake it was too late. Now she has had many ops to replace bone that had been eaten away, she on a lot of meds, that have a lot of side effects.
   
   l thought she should sue, because of the mess her health is in now, which could have been prevented if the doc checked the paprerwork properly, but my mum wouldn't sue, she tends to let people get away with a lot.
8. 
   Mar 21, '03

   The same thing happened to my partner about a year ago. We wound up in the ER, at 1 am, and after it took us about 45 minutes to convince the PA that there was no chance in hell she was pregnant, we finally saw one of the ER docs, who ordered an ultrasound. We were later told that she had 3 of the biggest gallstones ever seen at that hospital.
9. 
   Mar 21, '03

   I had problems with my gallbladder for ages before properly diagnosed too....in my case it wasn't stones, it was biliary diskinesia. Epigastric pain, severe....normal ultrasounds (x2, over several months), normal abdominal CT, had an EGD which found I had gastritis, luckily he'd scheduled the HIDA scan the same week, otherwise I might have gone misdiagnosed even longer. My function was low too, like 10-12%. I got the results in, and the surgery was in 4 days. the secretary's like " I can get you in 10 days from now.....or Friday-4 days_ if you want", and I'm saying "Friday, Friday!", I was in so much pain.....What a relief now it's out. I did get a NASTY case of thrush, but hey, I am pain free now and that's what matters! LOL
10. 
    Mar 22, '03

    My friend was a marathon runner. She began having intense abd pain. She went to the ER and the MD did his exam, then had her jump up and down on one foot which she did very well. Said she wasn't sick and sent her home. Her appendix had burst, which is why her pain had diminished and being a marathon runner she had a high pain threshhold anyway?
    She wound up very sick having major, major surgery that took months to recover from. Sigh...
11. 
    Mar 22, '03

    When I was in my twenties, I felt tired and ached all over all the time. My eyes were dry, my mouth was dry, my vagina was dry!
    Went to doctors for five years with these complaints. Every single one said "You're a young mom with two small kids, go home and get some rest".
    Five years later, ONE doctor listened to my complaints. He asked me to tell him my symptoms again. Quickly he diagnosed me with Sjogren's syndrome. Wasn't fun finding out I had that, but it did help to know I wasn't just complaining!
12. 
    Mar 23, '03

    I went through the same thing! I was in agony for 8 months until the docs FINALLY found it was my gallbladder! I am happy to be rid of that sucker! Glad you're better, I know how it feels. Boy, it seems they miss a lot huh?!
13. 
    Mar 23, '03

    I had the same thing......docs kept thinking that I had an ovarian cyst but I had the intense pain after eating a hight fat meal but they didn't believe me. Kept going round and round with doctors and I finally pretty much yelled at my surgeon and asked for an ultrasound....and guess what he found....stones in my gallbladder that weren't going to move. Finally had surgery. Even though I am a nurse sometimes doctors really upset me, you should here the story about my dad but there isn't enough room in this post to talk about what happened with him...Keep your chin up sometime doctors will know enough to listen to thier nurses.
14. 
    Mar 24, '03

    Yea, that's the point I was getting across. Doctors don't listen. And if they don't listen to us, think of all of their other patients who are going through this w/o the knowledge that we have! It's a shame. But I guess I can't put all of the blame on physicians. The insurance companies have tied their hands behind their backs. I guess the insurance companies would rather pay for tragedies. Go figure....

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