Awful Things Doctors ACTUALLY Said To Patients 

My doctor was listening to my chest with a stethoscope that had some kind of electronic amplifier on it. He had forgotten to turn it on, so he couldn't hear anything at first and said "So, how long have you been dead?" before explaining and switching it on. Was hillarious.

At my twelve week pregnancy confirmation, I told my doctor I was having really severe back pain and cramping. She said, “Ok? Pregnancy is uncomfortable.” Lady… I’m telling you because those are symptoms of a miscarriage, and you’re my obstetrician 🤦‍♀️

"If you're not going to look at me then you don't deserve to be here." - a mental health rehab center I was at for PTSD and AvPD caused by severe child abuse. The lady who said that proceeded to leave me threatening voicemails after I refused to go back to the program. I let my therapist listen to the voicemails and she was horrified. My therapist had to call the rehab center for me and tell them that I wasn't going back. She also reported them.

I have CRPS in my whole right arm. The pain is so excruciating that one day I went to emerg in hopes of them giving me something, anything to help with the pain. I explained to the ER doctor why I was there and I told him that I have severe hypersensitivity to any kind of touch to my right arm. He looked at me and said “well, I have to anyway “and proceeded to grab me by the wrist. My arm is also in a sling. The pain was so severe that I grabbed the doctor’s arm with my good arm. I was crying and apologizing and was shaking and confused. I am terrified of hospitals ever since. Full on PTSD now.

I loss my daughter at 6&half mths and the main nurse came in and said that is what happens to unwanted babies. I screamed at her letting her know she was wanted as I threw everything I could put my hands on at her. She avoided me the rest of the time I was in hospital. That was 39 yrs ago and I am still hurt by her words. Some people are just nasty as.

I was diagnosed with depression at 12. We moved, and I saw a new doctor. Turns out I actually had kidney failure.

When I had my ectopic pregnancy in 2015, I asked them to double check where it was if that was possible. The gynaecologist sat me down and said “what do you want me to do, take your insides out and search for the cells that way?” To which I asked if she had ever lost a child. She told me no but that she brought back a child once. Then later on she said to me “Im just the gynaecologist, not the mother of a dying child” and then walked out of the room. She got reported but nothing ever came of it

My husband was in the hospital dying and they told me to prepare for his final expenses. Like he was a bill and not a human. He ended up making it but it was a horrible experience.

A pediatrician was considering testing my baby for iron deficiency. I had heard that if a pregnant mother is deficient then sometimes the baby might also be. So I told him “I was iron deficient during the pregnancy”. He just looked at me blankly and said “this isn’t about YOU” Did he really think I was saying that just to talk about myself? 🙄

Short story. I had a miscarriage at 19. The dr basically said your levels have dropped and youre probably just having a miscarriage. I cried and was devastated. He walked right out. If it wasnt for the older male nurse who sat by my side explained everything and sweetly called me ladybug, who soften the blow i dont know what id had done. ❤

I have two stories. Story one: When I was younger, before I got on antidepressants I used to self harm. The doctors comment when she saw my arms were " well, I can tell you're right handed." Story two: Before I got diagnosed with ehlers danlose syndrome, I went in to see why all my joints were popping out (which took years for the doctors to take me seriously). After a not-so-thorough exam, the doctor told me "well, I believe its all in your head so you'll need to see a psychologist." to which I subluxated my shoulder and told him to come look at it. I was then sent to be tested at a better hospital and finally diagnosed after years of fighting, but he still told me to see a psychologist. I've never seen that doctor again.

We had a Dr basically refuse to even suggest a specialist to try and diagnose my brother for his sudden liver failure. He didn't drink or do drugs and was only 20 at the time. It didnt make sense what was happening so my mom went rogue and found good drs to actually help. It was an autoimmune disease and he's fine now. I also had a specialist tell me my baby that passed at 22weeks wouldn't be pretty if I delivered her and kept pushing for a D&C after I said no. I finally told him I wanted my baby whole and that I needed to bury her and he shut up after that.

I'm paramedic myself and during my formation I had to assist at a surgery preparation, a woman had a dead baby in her belly and couldn't deliver it naturally. The doctor was very rude to the patient who was mumbeling the whole time. I recognized the patient was just praying in Arabic and spoke the prayer with her. The doctor just yelled at us both to calm down. I was near to quit my job!

When I was 21, I suffered a miscarriage. After the obstetrician told me, I obviously burst into tears. He sighed and then uttered the most callous question of all! "What are you crying for? You are young enough to have another". Not what you want to hear at a time like that! Some Dr's should never have gone into the medical field!

Had a friend lose twins that were born prematurely. One of the nurses just offered to wash her hair after the ordeal, purely as a kind gesture. I figured it was good to hear a heartwarming story after so many downer comments.

After having taken time off of work and coming in to do the check-in process: "Oh, the doctor told us yesterday that he was cancelling your appointment so he can eat his lunch during that time." That was the third time he's done this, and after chewing out the receptionist and yelling that the doctor was untrustworthy (I could see him in his office, so I know he heard all that), I haven't been back since. It's been two years. I took the 'three strikes' thing seriously. And no, I did not get a call to inform me that my appointment was cancelled. They waited until I physically came to the office to tell me it was cancelled.

After I’d had my first child, I’d torn pretty badly. They sent for the doctor to sew me up. He was one of the most horrible medical individuals I’ve ever encountered. It was excruciatingly painful even after injections, and I screamed a few times and cried non stop. He stopped part way through and sighed heavily at me and said “just stop crying. I’m not going to give you any more anaesthetic.” It took an hour. At one point my husband had to leave the room as he was so upset and couldn’t handle seeing me like that. It had been a horrendous birth (I was induced, much of it was shock I think), but the hour that monster spent hurting me was the worst part of it. He didn’t even do a half-decent job and I had ongoing pain and problems for 18 months afterwards because of his butchery. By the time he’d finished, I was exhausted and emotionally numb, and my newborn had fallen asleep without being fed or me having more than a few seconds with her. They put me in an otherwise empty ward and kicked my husband out, telling him he could come back in the morning. I just half-lay there in this strange room in silence, my newborn swaddled asleep next to me, crying alone. I’ll never forget his callousness. That’s the thing these kind of doctors forget - to them, we’re just another annoying patient they have to deal with and they probably make 50 snarky comments a day without thinking of it. For us as the patient, we NEVER forget that cruel comment. It stays with us. It affects us. Imho

When I was 16, I was having recurrent fevers and unexplained symptoms and was consequently being seen by an infectious disease doctor. The doctor took one look at me and said, “if your fevers were higher, maybe we’d care about them. Stop looking for answers for your symptoms and see a counselor to learn how to cope with them.” Two years and many doctors later I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

I was diagnosed with depression in my teens by my GP. I struggled and was not recovering at all, so my GP eventually referred me to a psychiatrist. Only had one session with the man, he looked me dead in the eye after I shared my struggles and said: “You were never depressed, this is just teen angst.” It was not, in fact, “just teen angst”. My GP and psychologist were both livid.

At a mental health wing in a hospital, Doctors have actually suggested to MY PARENTS in FRONT OF ME, that I might be faking it for "attention", and I have friends who have had that experience more than once. It's scary how far behind the medical and publics view of mental health is

I suffered a corneal abrasion while swimming in a pool. The chlorine made it even more painful. I went to the local ED. I couldn't open my eyes without pain and gushing tears. While waiting to see the doctor, one of the staff people got my info. She asked if I had insurance. I said my card was in my wallet. Without opening my eyes, I took out my wallet and pulled out the insurance card. She said, "Wow, you'd make a really good blind person." I burst out laughing. She profusely apologized. I knew what she wanted to say which was "that was impressive without looking."

About 12 years ago I had a doctor tell me-"you're a hypochondriac, that's your problem." At the time, I was going through a very stress filled time, my anxiety was raging, and my upper left chest felt "hollow" (best description I could come up with) and I would wake up in the middle of the night with a sharp pain just under my left clavicle. The doctor finally agreed to do an EKG. Results in his words- totally normal. I looked at the EKG. I'm no doctor, but I knew it wasn't. Luckily, my insurance at the time allowed me to make appointments with specialists without a referral. I went to a cardiologist. The first thing I did was hand him the EKG results and told him "Dr. __________ told me this is normal." The cardiologist looked at it and almost immediately said "He said this is normal." I said "Yes. He also told me I was a hypochondriac." The cardiologist sat very quietly for a minute and then said, "I've known Dr. _______ for a number of years. Previous to this I'd always considered him to be competent. Clearly that isn't the case. I assure you, you will have the quality of care here that you should have received from him. Let's start with a new EKG and when that's done you can tell me all that's been going on." Ending the long story. Determined I have an irregular electrical path in my heart. It was being exacerbated by the stress in my life. Cardiologist had me do a stress test and an echo. ECG showed my heart was healthy and I had an excellent heart blood fraction- slightly above normal. The stress test, which the Cardiologist watched showed my abnormal electrical flow became normal during exercise and how long it stayed that way depended on the frequency of my exercise (that last part was from a 30 day heart monitor test). What I found out two years later from one of the cardiologists nurses was while I was having that first EKG in his clinic he'd called Dr. _______ and berated him, called his actions and words unprofessional bordering on incompetent, his lack of empathy disgusting, and questioned his abilities as a doctor. He also filed a report about this with State Medical Board.

Also, I had a hydaditiform molar pregnancy at 16 weeks. 16 weeks of being excited about a new baby. No one at the University hospital offered me compassion because "it wasn't a real baby". The first doctor who comforted me was a year later when I moved to another city. I could go on about that story. There were so many more I could put on here from that Hospital visit. The whole episode was very traumatic.

I had post concussion syndrome and had described some symptoms of confusion to my doctor. His response was, "I wouldn't tell people about that. They'll think you're crazy."

Went to a GYN when my periods suddenly stopped at 34, along with horrible hot flashes and night sweats, severe fatigue, and more. I told him it all felt like my hormones were way out of whack and I was worried it was premature ovarian failure. His response was “you’re too young for that,” “you’re just overweight and that can mess with things,” “you’re not in your 20s anymore, you aren’t going to feel the same,” and my favorite “this is normal aging.” He refused to even test for anything. Ten months later, many useless appointments later, another doctor finally diagnosed me with, shock, premature ovarian failure as part of a larger polyendocrine autoimmune disorder, also affecting my pancreas, my adrenals, and my thyroid. Yeah, there was a lot of hormonal things out of whack. I hate going to doctors, and go in anxious about being believed every time. Because I’ll be damned if I’m going to be blown off as a fat woman hysterical about aging ever again.

I have had some bad doctors, but worst I've personally had, was when I was attending rehab after I was paralysed, and as part of my team I had a psychologist. The first time I saw her, I sat there and explained how I became paralysed and she said "I'm surprised you haven't committed suicide already, I would've if I was you" - that broke me

I was in the hospital due to complications from a severe eating disorder ( my heart was starting to give out) I was days away from needing an pacemaker/ICD. The hospital cardiologist came in for daily rounds. My heart had stopped several times for a few seconds overnight. The doctor told me to my face that I weighed too much to have an eating disorder. That comment absolutely broke me. Struggling with mental health issues and being in the hospital sucks at some places! The complete lack of compassion is awful. We somehow become less valuable as humans.

I had biopsies taken in January and was waiting for results. The consultant phoned me up and said "ah yes, as I thought, you've cancer"!!! Like wtf!!!! Didn't even ask if id anyone with me 😮😮I'm still traumatised by the whole thing. I'd an appointment then to go see him face to face. I arrived to find it'd been cancelled (no call then) and new appointment for 11th of March. On 5th I got phone call to say I was in for surgery on the 8th!!!!! So not only was my diagnosis blurted out over the phone but I didn't even get to see anyone before I went into surgery!!!!! I've an appointment now on Monday (if it's not cancelled) and I've a list of questions to ask, some which should have been answered before I even had any surgery!!!! Welcome to the UK and the NHS!!!!!

There is nothing more awful then when a doctor tells you "you're fine" when you know you aren't.

When I was 13, my psychologist told me: "Did you ever consider that your mother don't love you because you are just unlovable?" I never went back, I straight up refused to go back into this doctor's office.

I got diagnosed with severe depression after taking one test like that. I think the highest score you could get was 27... I scored 26/27 but just a couple of weeks after starting on anti-depressants I re-did that test and it came back MUCH lower so thank you to the Doctor in specialist training who finally listened to me!

i’m really lucky to have the doctor i have. she takes everything very seriously. when i was younger, i found a lump in my breast and it took me weeks to convince my mom to let me get it looked at. my doctor felt it too, and had me sent in for an ultrasound, but nothing was found. she felt it over again and still felt it, and had some other tests done. turns out my rib is slightly deformed, in a benign way

I actually had my gynecologist say something that made me feel a lot better during my very first appointment with her. She told me "I'm sure you're very important to the people in your life, but your vagina is not special to me" and as someone who's never been to a gynecologist before, it made me laugh and really relaxed me

I had my first smear and the lady was so lovely, she was admiring my leg tattoos for a while then when she started the exam and lifted the paper covering me, she went "ooh I shouldve expected decorations here too" 😂 I'm heavily pierced and tattooed and was nervous about that but her calling it decoration was kind of adorable! Like she was an older woman, i was thinking she would make a rude comment or some thing but she made it a much better experience than I was expecting

I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, and as a teen I approached my doctor, the same one who diagnosed my ADHD, about the possibilty of me having anxiety so that I could look into getting an official diagnosis for it and maybe go on medication or learn some coping mechanisms or just something, anything. Her response? "Yeah, that happens a lot with people who have ADHD" and then she moved on! She was the same doctor who, when my sister came to her about her chronic and severe insomnia, told my sister to try limiting the amount of time she was using her device at night. She told her multiple times to do this, and my sister would listen at first but when it didn't work after months of trying she gave up and went back to using her devices before bed. And when my sister admitted to our doctor that she had started to use her phone or whatever before bed again, she would be chastised for it and told to try it again because why else would a tween/teen be having issues getting to sleep? Turns out my sister has depression and also her melatonin levels were way off. She now takes anti-depressants and will take melatonin supplements before bed.

Had a doctor once verbally debate me about refilling my 30 day Hypertension Medication that was lost in moving homes after only having 10 more days to refill anyway, but there was ABSOLUTELY NO debate nor questioning of the man who needed a refill on his 90 day supply of medicine in 20 days.

I had a miscarriage and the NP at the hospital told me not to cry "because it wasn't really a baby" and "we aren't sure you even really pregnant. Sometimes people just naturally have high pregnancy hormones." When the doctor came in later he was shocked and said, "no you were definitely pregnant." He was very kind. She was not.

When I was 17, I was very depressed. I went to the pediatrician's office and they made me do a PHQ, the doc came in and said "your answers point strongly towards MDD, but I don't get that when I'm talking to you, you seem like a happy young girl! Are you sure you filled this out correctly?" This lead me to downplay my own depression and not get treatment. In the same visit she also congratulated me for losing a lot of weight when I was actually suffering from an eating disorder

One thing that I a was told and hated being told is that my pain didn’t exist and that I should stop getting to the ER. It feels so frustratingly sad to not being believed when you’re literally crying because of pain.

once a doctor told my friend “can you just stop? seriously, just stop. you’re really stressing me out right now.” MY FRIEND WAS HAVING A PANIC ATTACK BECAUSE SHE WAS TOLD ABOUT HER HEART TRANSPLANT

As a divorced woman, I really appreciate that Dr. Mike doesn’t apologize. One time someone asked “do I say I’m sorry or congrats?” I laughed and said “congrats” (but that might not be the best response for many people)

I once saw my doctor as I had "jock itch" by my groin/genital area. He prescribed me a antifungal oral medication and lamisil cream. I asked isn't lamisil for athletes foot? He replied it's also great for athletes balls. 🤣

For the bathroom thing, i’ve gone throughout the day at any given time once i hit college, but when I was in middle and high schoolers, unless it was a serious emergency, i only went to the bathroom before and after school and wouldn’t feel discomfort, it was just my schedule, so i totally buy that a teacher has a noticeably expanded bladder

My mom told me about the time my pediatrician asked her if she was afraid I might have AIDS. I was born in 81 in a small town in northern New Hampshire. When I was born I needed a blood transfusion so this is why he asked. My mom just said no because of where I was born and how rural it is. This doctor was known in my area as a quack because he would say outrageous things to people all the time. For instance he told my husband when he was 16 that if he had sex he’d stop wetting the bed! He out grew it soon after that comment!

A gynecologist told me that I didn't love myself because I had gone without shaving and even recommended therapy. I had told her that I suffered from very bad boils every time I shaved and I had even apologized in advance, but she didn't listen or care and assumed that I didn't love myself. I was young and it affected me a lot at the time.

I had a cervical biopsy on March 17 one time, and the doctor looked up from between my legs and said “I bet you never thought you’d get pinched *there* on St. Patrick’s Day.” The med student who was observing looked at me like “Oh, God, this guy’s gonna end my career before it even starts.”

Had a doctor diagnosed me as diabetic after my first blood test with her she then said "Just stop eating desserts and drinking soda and you should be fine once your body adjusts to this medicine you're going to take" When I asked for further details on how i should handle this diagnosis her response was "Just google it" She hadn't requested to see my diet or anything just made assumptions. Her staff when i asked if i could set up another appointment to discuss a health issue related to bad reaction to the medicine i had tried to tell her about responded " You would have to set that up at our other location with one of her PA's. The doctor only has time for 15min per patient" I do not go to her anymore.

The bladder thing is absolutely true. Not going into more detail about my medical history on the internet but it took years to fix a stretched out bladder that couldn’t empty properly

Oh I’ve got one. I found a lump under my left arm that was growing and painful. I went to a surgeon who looked at it and said “we’re gonna have to put her to sleep”. Like I was a dog. Nevertheless he was overdue for retirement 😂

A few years ago, I went to the ER for uncontrollable vomiting (I was projectile vomiting stomach acid) and abdominal pain. I couldn't hold down water and was very dehydrated. When I am vomiting like that, everything hurts. It feels like I've done 100 ab crunches. The ER doctor came in and saw on my chart that I had gastroparesis (paralyzation of the stomach - so a lot of my food doesn't digest and will come up and/or will rot in my stomach because it's not moving normally, andfi you can imagine having the worst stomach flu you have ever had - it's kinda like that) and will come back up, even days later. He also saw me vomiting into a basin with bright red blood in my vomit because my throat was so irritated from all of the acid. First, he thought I was a drug seeker, even though I'm still vomiting and my blood pressure was super high from the pain, and then he told me that GP didn't hurt after half listening to my symptoms. I was in horrible pain and was miserable but, even though I was sick enough to be in the ER, I had to advocate and fight for myself because I did NOY want that in my chart. He didn't even really want to examine me until I said somthing about it. I asked him if nerve damage in the knee hurt (keep in mind, I keep vomiting, no meds on board yet) and he replied yes. I asked him if nerve damaged in someone's back would hurt and again, he said yes. I asked him, then why wouldn't GP hurt if it's vagus nerve damage? He looked at me for a few minutes and replied,"I've never thought of it like that before. " I wanted to facepalm but he did order me meds after that. I know doctors get a lot of drug seeking patients - but they shouldn't judge who comes into the ER. Drug addicts can still have emergencies too. I just don't like to be labled a drug seeker because of my chronic illness and autoimmune issues. Sorry for the novel but it just bothers me to this day, and if I Have to go to the ER, I always go to the same one, who has all of my records. I don't doctor shop or go to different ERs and I really don't like to fight for medical care when I'm sick enough to go to the ER but I learned early on that you have to advocate for youself.

Mine was -- as a kid i had "anger issues" due to a disruptive home life and parents not understanding how to parent an introverted almost-teenager. I had a social worker who said that my "anger issues" were caused by a hormonal imbalance and that I should be put on birth control. My doctor then agreed with no tests, after I filled out a depression quiz thing that clearly pointed towards me being a depressed person, that I should go on birth control to help with my "anger issues caused by hormonal imbalance" -- needless to say, it took until my 20s to actually get proper therapy and a doctor that had the time to listen to get properly diagnosed with ADHD, proper medications, and so on.

My primary doctor, who used to deliver babies, diagnosed me with vaginismus after two failed pap smears. After she explained what it was amd how it worked I blurted out, without thinking, "You're telling my vagina has anxiety?" We both had a laugh and she referred me to a physical therapist (who I will be seeing once my health insurance kicks in at work)

I had a gynaecologist suggest I get pregnant to cure my ovarian cyst. I was 15 at the time. When I was 17 and he diagnosed me with endometriosis he again suggested I could get pregnant to fix it, then handed me a pamphlet about endo that said that while some people experience less pain while pregnant that is generally temporary and it can be harder to get pregnant. Even if getting pregnant was a reliable guaranteed cure for either condition, there is no scenario where recommending teen pregnancy is ok.

I self-admitted myself to the ER for mental health reasons. When I was asked how I planned on hurting myself, I said "Most likely with pain pills". The nurse looked at me and he said "Oh that's the WORSE way to do it, organ failure is miserable". I honestly find it hysterical when I think back on it. P.S. I'm also doing better now

Took my son in to the doctors , I was seen by a new doctor. My son was 13 at the time and had a severe case of acne. He had gotten a lump on his neck and I wanted it checked out.The doctor took a look and said ,”well it’s either a boil or a very aggressive malignant tumor. “ My son looked like he was going to faint , and when I told the doctor ,” What the hell were you thinking?” He replied that he felt strongly that we should be honest with children. Told me too but let’s see first if it’s cancer before we scare the kid. Thank goodness it wasn’t cancer but I had to deal with a terrified child for a week while we waited for the test results.

Growing up i uad so many health problems. From chronic insomnia to depression and bad food allergies along with violent mood swings. My mom took me to many doctors and the way she describes it they just wrote everything off because i wasnt exibiting symptoms while I was in front of them and they basically just said she was over protective or exaggerating. Finally a friend of my grandmother recommended her doctor. He actually listened to my mom, and while he couldn't do everything as a GP, he was able to refer me to others who actually helped. He's also the one who first started me on an antidepressant. That man literally saved my life.

“It’s just normal female issues and pain.” -it was an autoimmune disease. “You’re depressed? Just go for a walk.” -I have an autoimmune disease which impacts my brain. I exercise regularly. I just love having my issues dismissed. 🙄. This is partially why I don’t trust doctors and I’ll google how to “fix” myself before I see any doctor

I was in the hospital post suicide attempt, and an older lady nurse stepped in with the most stern expression I'd ever seen. She started asking me "so why did you do it?" and telling me that she had suffered a far worse life than I could ever imagine. I was 16 and unable to breathe or speak through my drug overdose. Only after she was done berating me did she give me an oxygen mask 🙁

At the time I was an ER nurse. I had triaged a patient who had vaginal bleeding. I asked her if there was any chance she was pregnant. She said no because she had an IUD in that had only been there about two years. I did a pregnancy test anyway and it comes back positive! Then the doctor went in all excited and told her she was pregnant. She starts bawling saying she wasn't ready, she was still in college, she was trying to be careful. Doctor comes back to the desk so confused why she was upset. The charge nurse tried to explain to him that the patient wasn't ready to have a child but he couldn't see how that would be bad. I still think of her sometimes, walking out of the ER crying and on the phone with her boyfriend. I hope everything turned out okay for her.

I got off work one day feeling like I was about to faint and my chest and both arms were tingling so much to the point of pain. I was also short of breath and had an elevated heart rate, therefore I was under the impression I was having a heart attack or something else related to my heart. So I asked my mom to drive me to the ER. After several tests and scans and whatnot, a nurse came in and explained that the doctor was busy so he was gonna give me my diagnosis. He tells me the results of everything came back normal and that it was just anxiety. Then he felt it necessary to add, "I was in the Iraq War and watched my brothers in arms die. What do you have to be anxious about?" I was too stunned to speak and my anxiety got worse at those words. I have major anxiety due to childhood trauma.

When i was 16, i was in the hospital for suicidal ideation. The doctor at the time told me that i was being very selfish. That honestly made me feel worse and more suicidal. The worst part was i lived in an abusive household at the time. My attempt was basically a cry for help.

At 25, I was going through months of severe anxiety and a serious mental breakdown... I told my doctor at the time and his exact words were, "To be honest with you, I don't really care." I remember because I think it's possibly the worst thing anyone has ever said to me. Luckily I changed doctors, and now I have an awesome doctor and I have the medication I need to live a normal life again. (I'm 35 now)

I fell off a stepladder, and hit my elbow on the way down, causing three full, and four partial fractures of my arm and shoulder, but I couldn't be put in a cast, because that department was in strike! At my follow up appointment, I was very concerned because I could feel the bones in my lower arm, grinding, (not staying in one place, in order to heal). The Doctor remarked "Why all the fuss? You don't walk on your arms, so they don't need to be a perfectly matching pair"

At 24 years old I found myself suddenly in the hospital. I had a nurse come into my hospital room saying okay we have to get you up and moving around. Mind you I was in a hospital with a DVP and shortness of breath. My mom who is a retired nurse said “I don’t think so seeing she is on heparin shots and we are waiting on the results from her scan”…. Literally minutes later the doctors came in and they rushed me to emergency surgery… I had PE in my lung and they were worried it was going to go into my heart. That nurse is lucky my mom was there. My mom also made sure that nurse was never on my rotation for the rest of the time I was there

I've had that "you're not depressed, it's just your personality" one before too. I've also had "There's a thing on the MRI that we only see in people who have had a stroke but you're too young to have had a stroke" (I was 27). A year later, another MRI and another Doctor tells me I have indeed had a mini-stroke.

I’m a teacher and I’ve heard the bladder comment while getting an ultrasound. Many of us do not get guaranteed lunch breaks, and we cannot use the restroom while we have a classroom full of students, so we hold our bladder the entire workday. One of my colleagues got a kidney stone in her mid twenties, and the doctor said that he sees many kidney stones in teachers and nurses for this reason.

My family doctor that I went to most of my life always said I was severely overweight/obese every time I stepped on the scale. Keep in mind, she also said this to my brother who has ADHD so much and high metabolism that he is literally a stick. She gave me so many body insecurities that I even gained an ED. I think, even if I was 30 lbs. underweight, she would still say I am obese, that's the kind of person she was. I had also talked to her about a concern I had with my breasts and she just said it was fine and I would grow out of it. I was 16 at that time and, the next year she saw me, she just said, "Oh so that's still a problem huh?" And didn't say anything about it. She was never a good doctor but seriously...She at least shouldn't be working with kids. I wonder how many other kids she has given insecurities and EDs to.

Anyone else's heart drop the second he started reading the one mentioning a miscarriage?

I went with my plus sized wife to the Dr about an issue she was having with her knee after an injury. He was dismissive and invalidating of her pain and instead told her "if you are carrying around the equivalent of a teenager in excess fat, you have to expect some pain". For the rest of our marriage, she refused to go back to any Doctor again after that hurtful and disrespectful interaction. He made the whole profession feel unsafe for her. I was so livid on her behalf.

So to add something positive... I had the same primary physician from age 4-20. Small town too, so I'd see him at church, around town, etc. I'm 26, just left my ex-husband, kids and i just moved back in with my parents. I come down with bronchitis, so I of course go to see him. He diagnoses me and gives me a prescription, then asks me "So what happened? Are you ok?" I tried to blow him off but he sincerely cared. He was the first person who told me that what I had been experiencing was abuse. ❤️

I’ve had stomach problems most of my life. My first gastroenterology visits after leaving my pediatric doctor, I was explaining symptoms and treatments I’d had thus far. I don’t remember what was said but we were talking about my use of antacids. She said, “well you can either get esophageal cancer from your stomach acid or your antacids, which one do you want?” A decade later, I still don’t have real answers for what is wrong with my digestive system. But, I’ll never forget that.

I had a quadruple bypass in June of 2022 and on the second day after surgery all the doctors who were in the OR during that operation made their rounds. One of the doctors who was in there to pull the vein out of my leg stopped by. I thanked him for his work and also told him that I was so surprised that I had a bypass because I started having pressure in the center of my chest a couple of years prior, but just thought I was out of shape. He stood there with his arms crossed. Looked at me with a disgusted look on his face and said, "this had been going on for decades, not the last few years". He then turned with an irritated posture and walked out. I was stunned because at this point, I didn't even know that I had Atherosclerosis let alone what it is. I now fully know what it is and how I got to that point, but really?

I was an RN and had an older patient who had just undergone a lumpectomy. The doctor came in to tell her and her family the results and it was positive for breast cancer and that the patient would need a mastectomy. Of course, the patient began to cry and the family members were all highly emotional. The doctor then told the patient, “I don’t know why you’re so upset. It’s not like you’re using them anymore.” Then he left with a shocked and pissed off patient and family.

You’d be surprised how many doctors have said to me during an exam “looks fine, your tonsils aren’t swollen” I had my tonsils taken out 12 years ago

I decided to subscribe because you are fun and informative. I worked as a medical assistant for an Internist for 18 years and find these questions not just funny but for real people ask these things. Lay people don't know much about medicine. I loved my work and the dr I worked for. She is now my personal physician and I am so thrilled to have her as my dr. She is so smart and we have a great time, I know she truly cares about my health

A student Nurse Practitioner this most recent Tuesday told me she didnt think I am Autistic because Im too intelligent and dont meet all the markers. This was our first meeting, we had met ten minutes prior and I had brought up my belief of being Autistic in passing because I also believe I have EDS and had started with telling her about that. She never once commented on EDS, never told the NP I saw after her (with her in the room) and dismissed all of my concerns as mental health issues. I seriously hope someone teaches her Autistics can be intelligent and MASK.

I was diagnosed with Lupus at the ripe old age of 14. Due to my circumsdtances, I qualified for for disability payments through the SSA and some services through Medicaid. I don't take any of that for granted... I know there are others who aren't able to get the help they need. Anyway, one day I was at my primary care physician's office. After my exam, she turned to me and said, "Don't you think you've used enough of the disability payments? You should really stop having this pain and let someone else use these services. Plus, you should really stop being depressed." It was such a hurtful and bizarre statement, I didn't know what to do. She was quite cold and hateful. I turned to her and said, "You don't know what the hell you're talking about. You just lost yourself a patient." I left and never went back.

One of the worst doctors I ever got referred to was a pain management specialist who had received relevant medical files about my health conditions but didn't read them. Instead, he questioned me about my medical history, kept asking me "How do you KNOW you have that", and then started asking me some of the questions one would use to diagnose anxiety. Unfortunately for him, I was in my fourth year of my honours degree in psychology, and my specialization was personality and behaviour disorder diagnosis, so I knew exactly where he was going with these questions. I listed off all of the diagnostic criteria for anxiety and how I didn't meet it, and then told him to focus on the reason I was there: pain management.

I developed EOE (an allergy-like condition) when I was four. Despite my screaming and crying in pain, along with intense pain and anxiety around eating, no doctor bothered to refer me to GI until I moved to a different state. None of them believed me, and my mother was told every single time that I was manipulating her in order to get my favorite foods and special treatment. My new doctor was shocked at the other doctors' behavior, and explained that I had a likelihood of being put on tube feeding if the condition persisted without treatment.

I lost my favorite neurologist as a kid he was sick of the insurance companies telling the doctors how long you stay in the hospital so he went to the medicine side of things

I went in for my 40 week check up with my first baby. He checked my cervix and said I was only at a one and that I might not dilate more because I had a “lousy cervix” 😂 I discontinued my care with him so fast and found a different office to take me. It was kind of hilarious to call and ask if they were accepting new patients and when they asked my due date I had to say “today”. They laughed so hard when I told them my last OB diagnosed me with a lousy cervix! Long story short, I had a 9lb baby vaginally a few days later. My cervix was a rockstar! 😂🎉

One time I went to a gynaecologist who asked if I ever considered plastic surgery in my labia. I asked if anything was medically wrong with it and she said no, it just could look prettier. Yeah, thanks. I’ve never thought my labia was not “pretty” 😂

While at an appointment for something, the doctor asked if there was anything else worrying me. I said, well I eat pretty healthily and go to the gym but I never lose weight. He said well it's all about eating, no one in a concentration camp was overweight. While I was processing the idea that he might reccommend starvation and hard labour as a lifestyle plan, he proceeded to say wait till menopause, women can work out at the gym as much as they want then but it will make no difference. So that was a delightful conversation.

I had a surgeon say to me after the pre term loss of my infant daughter (I had been very sick w chronic pancreatitis and needed a port during my pregnancy) he says I can’t understand why they LET YOU try to carry her. I kicked him out of my hospital room.

When I inquired about a hysterectomy after a decade of agony from endometriosis and my first loss, my gyno refused it as an option because, "my future husband might want children someday." I also have seizures and the combo makes the odds of me ever carrying to term nearly impossible, which she knew at the time.

I actually had a urologist (at the University of Minnesota) “jokingly” tell me that if I masturbated, it would make me go blind. I wanted to raise serious concerns with him about a range of topics like postcoital dysphoria, but after that frat joke I wasn’t in the mood 🤷‍♂️😳

When I was having heavy menstruation for two years straight after my second and final child was born, and abdominal pain so bad that I was passing out and throwing up, I went to the OBGYN that had delivered that same child. They said nothing of a diagnosis, but did an ablation. When that didn’t correct the issue, but instead made it worse, I was told “well you have two children and went through multiple miscarriages, and your a woman, so you should be used to that type of pain.” No further tests. Went to a new OB and was tested and diagnosed with a pretty significant case of endometriosis, that was in both my uterus, and my bladder as well as my ovaries. They did a hysterectomy and repaired what they could of my bladder and I have never felt better. I did find out the problem the old OBGYN ignored, was also a main reason for the multiple miscarriages we had. The new OBGYN took my first appointment within three days and told me I have lived in pain long enough, and shouldn’t have to just live with it some more.

My pediatrician noticing asymetry in my face and commenting on it to my mother was precisely how I was eventually diagnosed with SCC in my submandibular salivary glands when I was a child. My dad said my mom looked like she was about to murder a doctor until he said that it made him want to perform some further testing. Then she got worried. This was back in the 80's (I'm old) so thankfully it was caught very early and I was a kid so I bounced back quickly after treatment. Basically my pediatrician possibly saved my life there as I don't think prognosis of that type of cancer was nearly as good then as it is now and it's not that great now. Even then I was very lucky because the cancer had not yet spread.

After seeing my doctor for chronic diarrhea, he literally told me that I was just overweight and should stop going to the fridge every half hour. When I told him I ate like a squirrel, he said "Well something's not adding up", implying that I was lying. Meanwhile, I'm sitting there thinking "Yeah, something's not adding up. Why do you think I'm here?" I was later diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Doing research, it was thought at the time that about 25% of Celiacs present as overweight with difficulty losing weight. (Research since suggests that that number may be much higher.) Had he suggested that as a possibility at the time, he could have saved me years of severe GI problems. I'm happy to report that after a number of similar issues were reported on the then-fledgling RateMDs, he went into research.

My grandfather had suffered with chronic abdominal pain for a while and lost a lot of weight without trying. He kept going to his GP and was constantly getting turned away. On his final visit to the GP he was told “Mr Harding, your problem is you’ve lived too long”. I say final appointment because a week later he was dead. He had cancer in his stomach which spread everywhere AND leukaemia. He was 76 and could’ve lived much longer if he’d been seen.

Positive interaction: I have great veins... every time I donate blood the nurses get so excited... The best one was a very gleeful "OMG look at those beauties... let me see the other arm... OMG spoiled for choice!!" it kinda made my day 😊

Former teacher. Yes, we get a (usually working) lunch break; yes, we get a planning period; no, we don’t have time to pee. I would go 8+ hours without going to the bathroom, while drinking coffee and water all day. It actually took me several years to be able to force myself to pee more often once I left teaching.

For YEARS I was told by multiple doctors that I was too young for the symptoms that I was complaining about. I now know that I have had a genetic condition since birth that caused all of those problems and no I wasn't too young for it. It took 10 years of fighting to finally get my diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and I sometimes think that I wouldn't be as sick as I am if doctors had listened to me when I was younger.

When I was a teenager my doctor put that I was hot in my files. I was 14. I found out later after I had them transferred elsewhere. That's not the worst thing that has ever happened with a doctor, but from an early age, I learned not to trust male doctors because of the way I was treated after going through puberty early (about 12 years old).

For the longest time I struggled with infertility and loss, one appointment that followed closely behind one loss the doctor said "congratulations, you ARENT pregnant!" I called my sister bawling in the middle of the night...

I had neurological issues due to an assault and couldn’t move my hand properly Had numbness down the whole left side of my body To the extent that initially I fell over sometimes just walking 10 years later symptoms are reduced significantly but still some residual issues The neurologist said I was making it up As his tests didn’t show anything

In this case, the doctor is the patient. I used to be the lab manager for an independent lab and collection facility. During the pandemic, 80% of what we did was take samples amd run tests for COVID-19. I was called to the front because this guy was yelling at the woman who worked the front desk saying that we were trying to give him the wrong test. He screamed, "I am a doctor! I know what I'm talking about! And the airline clearly requires a NAAT, not a PCR?" I shot back, "You mean a nucleic acid amplification test, which is a category of molecular testing that includes polymerase chain reaction?" "Um, well, um..." "You are a medical doctor, I am molecular scientist. Stop yelling at my staff; you are not allowed to speak to anyone here except me. I might be still willing to take your sample personally, run your PCR which is a type of NAAT, and give you the results in time for your flight." The amount of doctors during the pandemic that had no clue what they were talking about regarding COVID-19 was truly staggering.

I love how the comments have become a continuation of it. So, heres mine: Im deathly allergic to eggs, the whole egg. All of them. I can't even touch the shells. I've been like this my whole life. I have learned how much and when I can handle eggs in food, but I was told by my pediatrician I'd never be able to have medications with any egg proteins. It's a battle with some people every year eith the flu vaccine, but this story is when I was sent for emergency surgery because of acute appendicitis. The nurses in the ER told me to make absolutely sure when I transferred to stress not to give me propofol. I did. My surgeon said "Oh, we've had people allergic before with no reaction. You'll be fine." I even explained that I am a SEVERE case. He was hearing none of it. Thankfully, the nurse that was getting me prepped not only knew it was my first surgery but saw the stark fear at his callousness. She fetched the anesthesiologist, who was expecting to side with the surgeon, and went "nope! No propofol for you!" after he heard my reaction was anaphylaxis. There was a LOT wrong with that surgeon, but that interaction stuck with me above them all.

I decided to watch one of your videos after not really watching for a little bit because my chronic illness, which was thought to be under control, has gotten bad again and I used to watch you in some of my worse times to make me smile while waiting for my doctor's appointment. You made me smile as much this time as you did during my worst flare up years ago. Thank you for that, I needed it.

Had a new family doctor (female btw) who said, after I shared my concerns about family history of addiction, that I didn’t want strong codeine pain meds while I was waiting for a surgical referral to have my gallbladder removed, “normal people take the painkillers” & proceeded to write the script. This was enough for me to know I could never see her again & I dropped her.