Yes - sometimes your doctor doesn't give a damn & etc.

Just thought I'd post something on my hospital experience. Two weeks ago I had a consultation with a surgeon at the provincial govt hospital under which my suburb is registered. I was referred there because my GP thought I had Gallstones. My cholesterol was 5.89 (AND THIS WAS WHILE I WAS NPO)  and my bp was 142 / 97. I don't know what it is now since I have taken meds and changed my diet but yeah, to continue... The surgeon I was sent to turned out to be someone who really just didn't care. Aside from being rather weak in the language of English he also suggested that my illness was psychosomatic and that may I was just having a panic attack. I told him: "Doc, check my file. I haven't been to a hospital in nearly ten years. I have not been this ill for a decade. The common flu or bug I handled with home remedies because I hate hopsitals - why would you claim that it's all in my head if this is the case. My folder is barely a page long." Mortified and a bit irritated the doctor decided to check my symptoms and lo and behold my right side was tender. He put me on an ultrasound waiting of (wait for this) 2 MONTHS!!! I was furious. I was in extreme pain, struggling to breathe and I had severe chest pains and this guy was telling me to WAIT for 2 MONTHS. At least he had me take a blood test as well - which was one point in his favour but he still persisted; "But you don't have jaundice, and you look really healthy. You've even lost weight - are you sure you're sick?" I almost strangled him! Well as it stands I have six weeks between now and my ultrasound appointment and in the meantime I am SUFFERING. Chills all the way from my stomach up to my throat, pain around the upper right quadrant of my abdomen whenever I do something excessive like lift my legs when I walk or exercise. It's terrifying. Lord knows how many times I thought I would die, hemmorage or worse, get a heart attack (and I don't even have heart problems) I have dropped a whopping 25 kilograms since November last year and I am now 86kgs, only 16kgs away from my optimum weight of 70kgs. As happy as I am about this I am concerned about the healthcare professionals we are stuck with. 

I understand that they are human. I understand that they are people that can get ill from overworking just like the rest of us. I understand every human issue. BUT STILL - show a bit more compassion won't you?

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