When Doctors Don’t Know What’s Wrong « Happiness in this World

When Doctors Don’t Know What’s Wrong « Happiness in this World: "When Doctors Don’t Know What’s Wrong"

On Tuesday I had a mammogram and my breast ultra sound scanned at The Friarage just a week after reporting a lump to my GP, I had hoped she would say it was nothing to worry about but that was not be. Instead I got an urgent referral to the Scott Suite, an excellent breast clinic at The Friarage Hospital.

The doctor looked knackered but he listened - last time I was made to feel stupid for being concerned about my left breast starting to grow so much that was at least one cup size bigger! He said no-one is symetrical and it had probably always been like that, which was so not true. Indeed, it is now at least TWO cup sizes bigger...

So the doc sent me off for a mammogram, the staff were lovely, friendly and efficient, squeezing my boobs untill paper thin as tenderly as possible, trying to make sure they got all the breast tissue in. I was only flummoxed once when they thought I had had surgery?????

But then....I met her! The ultra sound scanner from hell! I thought I was going back to the doc but was taken to a small examination room with loads of surgical instruments laid out - I didnt have a clue what to expect next. Laid out on the examination table a door opened behind me and in she flounced saying "I am only doing this to reassure you", a phrase she must have repeated at lest 20 times.

Ordered to lie on my side then berated for not being in the exact position she wanted, the lubricant gel was slapped on and the scanner head roughly jabbed at and pushed around my already tender breast she barked "where is this lump?". I tried to put my fingers over it only to have my hand slapped away.

" I don't doubt that there is a lump" she said but it is nothing" so I had to ask "Well, what is the lump then?" Her answer? " How old are you? (50) It is because you are peri-menopausal" I tried to say but my last period was 4 or 5 years ago so I am surely post menopausal...but I was not allowed to finish my sentence as she interupted saying "if I knew why i would be a very rich woman, if i could find a cure..." as she flounced back out behind me.

I was gobstruck during all of this procedure - why as she being so rude and dismissive?

Then the article linked to above arrived in my inbox ( serendipity?) and reminded me to not take it all personally and to pity her and her anger.