Before I get into this storyI just wanted to update folks that I have ankle surgery planned next month. I will likely do another charity donation after surgery :)
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Trigger warning: Medical misogyny/denial of care to female patients.
This story is not mine. It is a story of a woman I know and my FIL who both recently had a similar diagnosis. Again the difference is staggering.
Medical misogyny is systemic and needs to be addressed. I am fuming mad on behalf of this woman.
For the sake of the story I will address her as Sharon but that is not her name.
About a 3-4 weeks ago my FIL noticed he was having dizziness and vertigo. He went to his doctor. They found extra fluid behind his ear.He got an ENT referral. He was given steroids and something else, I believe motion sickness medicine.
A week or so after he goes to the ENT doctor. His symptoms had not improved. He was immediately sent for imaging. He got a CT scan and then a week later got an MRI. He got the MRI because they found the cyst but wanted a better image of it .
Turns out he has a cyst (a fluid fulled sac not believed to be cancerous) in his sinuses.
Unfortunately he has a tooth that is in the way so they are first scheduling dental surgery, then will be doing surgery on the cyst.
The time since he first went to the doctor to get this diagnosis and treatment plan was slightly less than 2 weeks.
Sharon''s story is different. Sharon has had pain and symptoms for months. She had to fight to get a CT scan and then wait 3 months to see a specialist about it even though the scan clearly showed she had a cyst in her sinuses.
Her ENT said she needed a referral to a psychiatrist. A PSYCHIATRIST because she asked about treatments options and is in "distress" (she is in a lot of pain).
My FIL is also in "distress" he has a history not obeying doctors orders ,taking meds off schedule etc. I am in no way implying that he does not deserve treatment, just giving context. Doctors have never denied him care because he was "being difficult" or "in distress"
It took less than 2 weeks for him to get a proper diagnosis and testing. Sharon has been in agony for months.
FIL is getting treated immediately. He has not been referred to a psychiatrist for his distressing symptoms. He is getting treated. Not once did doctors gaslight or minimize FIL symptoms.They believed him from the start.
There is no treatment plan for Sharon besides a psych consult for a cyst. What the actual fuck?
I wish I could say this is a surprise , that this is the exception not the rule. However I can't. This is the norm. The default is to not believe women (or at the very least minimize and gaslight "it's not that bad" etc)and say that their physical symptoms are psychological.