i believe that women are discriminated
against in the medical world. Not by all
doctors but I believe they are the
majority. They don't take womens concerns
seriously and often think that our
problems are emotional instead of real.
Quick to say you are depressed or treat
you as if you are a hypocondriac. For ten
years I was having problems with my heart.
They started when I was 14y.Old and got
worse. I began looking for help at age
18. Palpatations, rapid heart rate(160
bpm) out of the blue and when i'm
sedentary, numbness and tingling mainly in
my left arm and sometimes pain, dizziness,
and shortness of breath. I discussed this
problem with 5 private practice doctors
(all men but even one woman doctor) and 2
e.R. Doctors during a 10 year period.
Only the e.R. Doctors did an ekg. But
all of them said it was panic attacks and
put me on zanax! And a variety of
anti-depressants. 10 years later I go to
work for a cardiologist office and after
awhile (still having problems) I spoke to
a nurse about it and she took my blood
pressure. It was fine. She suggested
that I see one of our 13 doctors. So I
did. They ran tests including an
echocardiogram which concluded that I had
a mitral valve and tricuspid valve
prolapses. Not deadly but life disrupting
symptoms. The doctor knew it was a
prolapse just by listening to my heart and
hearing my symptoms. The echo just
confirmed his opinion. Later I found out
that it is hereditary and that both my mom
and my grandmother have it. (my mom has
one and my grandmother has two like me.)it
is also common in women. Like 1 in 10
women have it. But not all have symptoms.
Tell me why wouldn't these other doctors
have done further testing and be so quick
to put me on zanax and anti-depressants.
Which I did not need. Other experiences
have happened as well that have led me to
believe that the doctor I saw did not take
me seriously and also that when I ask
questions they don't seem to really want
to answer them. As if I don't need to
understand or won't understand what they
are going to tell me. I took a class in
college called fitness for life. It
stated just what I had suspected.Statics
show that women are sometimes discrimated
against because of the male perception of
women. I will find the book and quote it
to you later in another post to update
this one. Well I think we women should
try to do something about this. I'm not
sure what at this time. But I will think
about it. Please share any opinions,
experiences, or suggestions with me.
Thanks. :d
|
bryans_girl
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jul 2005 Posts: 28 Location: grande prairie, AB
My Experience Posted: 07-17-05 16:38pm
I was 16 and had just gone into pre-mature
labour ( 10 weeks early). I had gotten
airflown to edmonton 4hrs away from my
home. I was rushed to a room on the third
floor, and my mother had came with me. I
was lying there all confused and we heard
a nurse and a doctor talking and the nurse
was like " should I get her to fill out a
form for the baby", and the doctor said "
I dont think her baby will live". We were
mortified! Other wise from being 10 weeks
early ashe was healthy, but they didnt
want to give her a chance. Things only
got worse. In total I was in severe back
labour for 5 days. On our first night
there my mom was resting on a chair beside
me, and a nurse came in and tried to kick
my mom out of the hospital. She had no
where to go we didn't know anyone in
edmonton. Eventually after me crying and
my mom arguing the let her stay. The next
morning got even worse. My mom had pulled
2 chairs together to get comfy, and the
nurse ripped them right out from under my
mom. I woke up to a bang and my mother in
pain. The nurse treated me as though I
wasn't human. She did a quick test ( I
felt unbelievably violated), and left me
in tears. My mother was devistated for
me, and when I thought things couldn't get
worse they did. My mom's boyfriend came
down to comfort us, he got a hotel for
them. This would be my first night alone
in a strange place. The nurse came by to
give me morphine for pain, and I said "no"
I do not want any thank you. My mom felt
assured I wasn't getting it so she and her
boyfriend left to get me a drink. They
came back and I was crying my heart out.
The nurse waited until my mother and her
boyfriend left, and forced me to take the
morphine!! I could also hear the nurse
making fun of me to the other nurses
saying I was being a whinner. My mom and
her bf came back and freaked on the nurse.
The nurse upon my mothers demand was
fired on the spot. The rest of my stay
was just as bad. The whole time I was
there the nurses and one doctor thought I
was faking my contractions! It never got
better, and I hope I never see that
hospital again. My daughter did make it
though. On the fifth horrible day in that
hellhole she was born. 3lbs 3 ounces.
She was my miracle baby.
|
zamboni_kate
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 17
Posted: 06-13-06 11:14am
I've been there - had one doctor tell me
that it was all in my head, and another
tell me that the cramps couldnt' be that
bad, he'd had muscle cramps before, suck
it up princess basically. Yeah, all
women know that menstrual cramps are much
worse than a simple muscle cramp. I've
gotten to the point that I won"t go to a
male doctor. The clinic where my family
doctor works is staffed by five doctors -
all female - it's great, even if mine
isn't available, teh one filling in is
female too - much more comforting. And
much less embarassing than trying to
describe a female problem to a male doctor
in my opinion.
