well, i've had a time.
i’m gonna try not to go off on a 3 page rant, but i cd.
the short version- at 1 point i was subjected to a psyche exam i did not want, and i did not exactly cooperate. i was having trouble w aphasia, that’s it. i think modern psyche is sexist infused pseudoscience. i did the questionnaire, but refused the interview. they labeled me crazy anyway. (against the rules.)
that it all went wrong right there is the only explanation i have for almost a year of medical neglect that nearly killed me.
i had what turned out to be a years long case of chronic diverticulitis. it got rly bad in 2020, when healthcare was complicated, and i was behaving badly. my intestines were barely working and no 1 thought that was a big deal, even tho i’d been dx’d w diverticulosis 30 yrs b4.
the symptoms were not obvious. it quieted down til early last yr. it flared up hard, saw my pcp, got nothing, ended up in the er, and off on a saga. 3 more trips to er, 5 cts, a flouroscopy, a new asshole pcp, 3 gi’s, and 4 preps later, it got tired of waiting.
most of what was going on was not observable by docs. they just didnt believe me. i had some ugly ct’s to go w my story, but they insisted they needed a scope. problem was i was too close to blocked for the prep to even go down my throat. even when i got most of it down, it took days to get out.
but they were sure i was bullshitting and didnt want to do the prep, like everyone ever.
ended up taking 3 tries to even get close, attempted a scope and got 1’. instead of recognizing that that was the problem, they insisted i have a specialty scope. 2 more wks, another failed prep. no big.
this time they relented, told me i needed surgery, but still acted like it was no big deal. set me up w a surgeon who was leaving town for a month. scheduling this shit is most of y it got so dragged out. less than a mo is a miracle, even w an er referral. same w 1st appts. it just dragged into months.
meanwhile a friend helped get me into a different system- northwestern memorial. rly good hospital. i’d seen the gi, who just looked at my images, told me what it was, and had a surgeon reach out to me.
i had an appt on thurs, but i only made it to tues. went in through the er. i’d been puking hard. bad sign.
now, let me tell u about that er. it’s the best in the city, and they also do more than their share of charity care. so it never sleeps. which makes it the 9th circle of hell. i got there at 11a.m. there were probably 100 ppl ahead of me. they take my vitals. grab me 5 min later for an ekg. then 5 min after that, again.
this time they keep me wired, and in the chair. go talk to doc, come back, and say the scariest words i ever heard- you get the next room.
so instead of minimally invasive surgery, i got a full open midline w a temp ostomy. middle of the night. it was ugly. cuz they didnt believe me.
but i came through. the surgeon is sort of a god, apparently. it was a crazy week. it’s a good thing i’m funny. i’d been so sick. i was just close to the edge. the laughs kept it human.
recovery is slower than i expected, but it’s quite a wound.
the reason i post this in this group is because this is what happens when u, and by u i mean doctors, take chronic shit for granted.
= new reply since forum marked as read
The entire medical system is so completely out of whack with our bodies. I’m so sorry you had to experience such trauma because drs won’t listen!!! Then they accuse you of being nuts. The entire way medicine treats us is nuts. Been there done that. So tired of being a lab rat.
Healing 💚 and comfort
