Misdiagnosis

I don't know how close to death my friend was when she started to vomit her own excrement. This is true, I was with her.
This was after being treated for 2 years with IBS. One X-ray would have shown that old scar tissue had adhered to her bowl.
She was in surgery all day and in recovery for a month.
How much did that cost against the cost of one X-ray?
Don't get me started on accountants running hospitals ?

For years I was treated for IBS, piles and wind. I was so weary of feeling ill I made an appointment with a private consultant. He examined me and agreed with the GP but if I did not feel better in another month to go back and see him. I returned a month later and arranged a colonoscopy at the same private hospital, I would not have been referred by NHS.
I had bowel cancer, I had all the classic symptoms but they chose to think I was probably just over anxious.

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and believed that’s what my problem was until another Dr told me it wasn’t, it was osteoarthritis and sent me for bone scan which proved second Dr was correct with his diagnosis.

Oh goodness, NanKate - that must have been a bit of a surprise, to say the least!
Not a misdiagnosis, but incorrect initial treatment for a hand injury. It should have been splinted the opposite way to the way it was actually done at time of my accident. I ended up having surgery after 2 years of unsuccessful (and very uncomfortable) physiotherapy. Fortunately, it did the trick.

We're all doomed!! ???
I'm in the Health Anxiety, plus other Anxieties, Group and this thread is fuelling each and everyone

My heart sincerely goes out to all the posters who have been misdiagnosed though

I was told in 2007 that mu mysterious aches and pains and weird twitches and neurological symptoms was Fibromyalgia - turns out after I lost all my top teeth it has been Sjogrens Syndrome all along ....

In February this year I strangulated a hernia (I had 4!) and ended up in hospital in an emergency and needed surgery - I had a dreadful time in A&E and an incident occurred which I keep having flashbacks to ....
I was admitted with terrible abdominal pain and remember screaming and crying in agony and tried to get off the trolley (the sides were up so had to crawl to the end) so that I could lean onto my tummy to try and relieve some of the pain. When I got my feet onto the floor, the trolley moved and shunted into the next poor patient also lying in the corridor. This is the point where I cannot remember anything else until I was in the x-ray. dept. So have asked for clarification as to what happened next!

During this hospital stay I was given a CT scan, where all was reported as normal. I was discharged home with no help which I should have had but the hospital and SS were arguing over who would pay! I managed for a month with a wet wipe before ending up back in with a raging kidney infection - in patient for 5 days on IV Anti-biotics! Had an ultrasound on kidneys where they found a 'lesion' - discharged being told it was a cyst and it would be sorted in OPD once this Covid stuff was over. Couple of weeks later surgeon who sorted my hernia called to see how I was - mentioned my 'cyst' and me looked at the CT Scan from Feb (whish states in black and white that the liver kidneys spleen and adrenals are all normal), and said he didn't think it was a cyst and would sort it. By mid June I have a Renal Cell Carcinoma and will likely lose my left kidney at the end of this month - fortunately in a different hospital!!!!

I have a complaint in, but doubt anything will come of it?

It may be that it isn't PMR NanKate BUT if you have any eye troubles in the future do not hang about and go and get seen sharpish, just in case!

nannypiano

I was taken to hospital by ambulance. I knew I was having a stroke. I had a CT scan that didn't show up the stroke, even at that point I couldn't stand. They wanted to send me home. My son told them I couldn't walk, so they gave me a test. I was asked to take a few steps and stumbled badly. They decided to keep me in for observation, in an observation ward for a few days. After a more thorough scan, the stroke showed up. It all meant I didn't get the appropriate treatment soon enough and has left me quite disabled after 3 years. I am still not sure whether to take them to task over it. We are told that immediate treatment is essential for stroke victims, to save too much damage. But this didn't happen to me. Even the main stroke hospital refused to take me at the time, so I was admitted to the general hospital. Would any of you on here take this further, if you were me? It's hard to fight when you are not well. But I do feel serious mistakes were made with my diagnosis.

nannypiano I am sorry to read what happened to you. I think there is a 12 month cut-off for complaints about medical mistreatment but it might be worth googling. There are certain lawyers who will take on medical cases.

I was over-prescribed Thyroxine back in 2009-10 and it gave me Atrial Fibrillation, my blood pressure shot sky high and I collapsed and could have had a stroke. I did complain but my then GP lied. I could prove he had lied but it was beginning to get very complicated and I was still so ill after the "Thyroid Storm" I had suffered, plus I have a number of other health problems, and I just couldn't continue with the stress of it all, and wanted to concentrate on recovering.

I changed doctors' practices but I did hear that the GP who had done this to me took early retirement, so maybe my complaint did trigger some response.

I was also told I didn't have breast cancer by a Consultant who had treated me five years previous. He told me to go and read Harry Potter and lighten up a bit! So glad I asked for a second opinion, bi-lateral mastectomy (ies?) still here 20 years on. Always pays to follow your instincts.

Nannypiano my daughter sued, and won her case, after the gall bladder fiasco. Not because they had perforated her bile duct. She accepts that accidents can happen. The refusal to accept that there could be any validity to her claims that something was wrong, afterwards, was a different matter. She almost died, as a result, and was left with some internal damage, which affected her fertility, and huge scars.
Your situation is slightly less cut-and-dried, but It wouldn’t hurt to talk to someone who specialises in medical neglect cases. They would be able to advise if you might have a claim against the hospital.

I know what you mean Annsixty some of us with health anxiety will be definitely alarmed. But let’s try and put things into perspective, as usual we hear about things that go wrong not the many many more than go right. Let’s just be aware without dwelling.

I was taken to hospital by ambulance. I knew I was having a stroke. I had a CT scan that didn't show up the stroke, even at that point I couldn't stand. They wanted to send me home. My son told them I couldn't walk, so they gave me a test. I was asked to take a few steps and stumbled badly. They decided to keep me in for observation, in an observation ward for a few days. After a more thorough scan, the stroke showed up. It all meant I didn't get the appropriate treatment soon enough and has left me quite disabled after 3 years. I am still not sure whether to take them to task over it. We are told that immediate treatment is essential for stroke victims, to save too much damage. But this didn't happen to me. Even the main stroke hospital refused to take me at the time, so I was admitted to the general hospital. Would any of you on here take this further, if you were me? It's hard to fight when you are not well. But I do feel serious mistakes were made with my diagnosis.

This thread is scaring me to death.

BIL was diagnosed with leukaemia by GP and admitted to hospital. Had a heart attack there and found to have tuberculosis of the pericarduim (Heart lining) He recovered.

On Christmas Eve 2015, DH was diagnosed with metastatic cancer and given 3 months to live. In mid-January I got a call from a random specialist saying he didn’t! He had lymphoma (Non Hodgkin) and was referred to the specialist clinic. Harsh chemo put him into remission for 18 months - he’s still here, but currently undergoing his 5th course of chemo and been hospitalized 3 times with sepsis.

I know of several cases. My son was told he had a stomach upset, when it was appendicitis. Luckily I followed my instincts and took him to A & E, and they operated just before it burst.
My daughter was treated as a hypochondriac after having her gall-bladder removed, because she said she was in pain, feeling ill and had no appetite. A week later she was in intensive care, with septicaemia and peritonitis, and almost died, after an emergency operation. Her bile duct had been perforated during the first op, and her abdomen had been filling up with corrosive bile.
I was diagnosed with angina, some years ago, after having tests because of strange occasional feelings in my chest, neck and jaw. Eventually, after querying their diagnosis, I was sent for tests and told that I didn’t have angina at all. The symptoms still occur, but rarely, and I still don’t know what causes them, but my heart is fine!

I had a friend who was told she had polymyalgia and put on strong painkillers and steroids for nearly 2 years. Then she was finally diagnosed with cancer, and told she had never had polymyalgia at all, and in fact passed away shortly afterwards. She had had symptoms of spinal cancer for a long time but it was just put down to arthritis, due to her age, and then polymyalgia.

Beware of Omeprazole! Prescribed it 8 yrs ago. Stomach cramps (unbearable) diarrhoea nearly every night started 4 yrs ago. 3 colonoscopies later no better. Googled Omeprazole and found that it's not to be taken long term. New GP agreed- now taking Gaviscon Advance and always Rennies in my pocket!Happy tum!

My sister was told she had a "swollen gland" and it was Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. My mother was told she had hemorrhoids, and it was digestive tract cancer; the father of a friend was told he had a bad case of indigestion, and it was a heart attack... etc etc etc...

Took 5 years of persistance to diagnose my brain tumor then a week to removal of it's

DH diagnosed with Diabetes type 2 - stats test on effects of metfomin & glucloside & reassessment - type 1.

Heart failure as asthma. I and our GP knew but specialist said .... Heart attack settled the matter!

My sister in law was diagnosed as having ibs. eventually having a scan, ovarian cancer was diagnosed and she was dead in two months. She should have been scanned to eliminate other causes first!

Yes indeed...between 2010 and 2011 had various problems and visited numerous doctors. I was told to go away, nothing to worry about. In 2011 we moved to France and in the following years I received treatment and surgery – hysterectomy, partial bowel removal, facial tumour removal and partial kidney removal. All cancer and spotted by the excellent French health system. I think I am a lucky lady.

I was diagnosed by a Dermatologist with Psoriasis being the cause of my weeping spots on legs arms and back of hands. He wanted to put me on Methotrexate, Thankfully I declined and used various other skin remedies and it cleared up never to be seen again. I could have well been taking Methotrexate still, thinking that had cured it.!

I was told my small breast lump was early cancer by the consultant at my local hospital. I went through the usual tests and he said surgery was necessary and needed to be done ASAP.

I got a second opinion from another consultant who had done a friend’s mastectomy. After the same tests he laughed and said it was merely a blocked mik duct and explained why.. He took a biopsy “to put my mind at rest”. It was a blocked milk duct.

I did feel very angry towards the first consultant as I could have had unnecessary surgery. How many others would have just gone forward with this?

Diagnosing illness is not straightforward: for many issues there are no tests. Doctors are not born with a magic wand which enables them to "see" what you and they are dealing with! Granted, some doctors could take more time to understand but since the rules expect GP's to deal with with each appointment in ten minutes ... and have trebled the paperwork it is hardly surprising that mistakes take place.