As a woman, what’s the most dismissive diagnosis you’ve gotten? Women tend to worry less than men, yet doctors often overlook their symptoms anyway.
Just casually
A private doctor diagnosed me with tight pelvic floor syndrome after my gynecologist dismissed my symptoms. When I told her I had the diagnosis and wasn’t imagining things, she said, "That’s impossible, I’m over 30 and things only get looser down there by now..."
Complaint
Six weeks after giving birth, I went for a check-up and the doctor asked, why I hadn’t lost the pregnancy weight yet. I filed an official complaint.
Snooze
I complained for ten years about being exhausted no matter how much I slept. Every doctor told me to lose weight. Eventually, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea (apnea), which meant I never really rested. Once I got the device, I quickly lost 20 kilos (44 lbs) because lack of sleep causes weight gain, and with rest, I had the energy to cook for myself.
You have to try
For years, doctors told me to rest. "You have to try to relax, Anna." That was my GP’s go-to line. I always told him it wasn’t easy when my back was cramping and I was nauseous. Rest didn’t help, but guess what did? Removing my full gallbladder. Suddenly, all my problems vanished—what a surprise!
The weight, the weight, the weight
I had symptoms, but every doctor just waved me off, telling me to lose weight. I wasn’t obese—at 165 cm (5’5”) I weighed 82 kilos (181 lbs)—but I lost 17 kilos (37 lbs). Of course, I didn’t get better, and eventually they diagnosed me with FND. Functional neurological disorder isn’t curable; you have to learn to live with it. Now I’m back up to 78 kilos (172 lbs), and when I see a doctor, the first thing they say is to lose weight and my symptoms will go away.
Old hag
I told the doctor my side hurt, and he shrugged, saying I was over 45 and "not getting any younger," that’s just how it is with age. I had a tumor that needed surgery. It’s true I’m not getting younger, but if it were up to him, I wouldn’t have aged at all.
Just nervous
My blood pressure was always high, but no one took it seriously. The occupational doctor said it was just high because I got nervous during the measurement. I told him I work in a nursing home and my colleagues’ readings were high too, but he didn’t care. Neither did my GP, who said at 34 I was too young for it to be a problem. I mentioned my dad died of a heart attack at 58, but he just smiled and waved it off. Two weeks later, I had a stroke. I had to relearn how to speak—it’s a miracle I survived.
Abdominal muscles
I went to the doctor because my belly was bloated and I didn’t feel well. He told me to lose a few kilos. I started dieting and working out hard. I was doing abdominal exercises when the huge cyst that made my belly look big burst.
Easier
While the doctor was putting a cast on my broken finger, he said I’d move easier (in the kitchen where I work) and "wouldn’t have accidents like this" if I lost a little weight. I told him my colleague dropped a cast-iron pan on my hand, but I’m sure that was because I’m overweight.
That darn acid
I felt worse than ever in my life. My husband took me to the ER where I suffered for six hours, thinking I was dying. Finally, I was seen and waited for a miracle, but the doctor examined me and said it was reflux. I couldn’t believe it—I’d never had reflux before. He wanted to send me home with just some antacids. I had no strength left, but my husband made a fuss—and rightly so, because it turned out I was having a heart attack!
