AndyinPA wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 10:28 pm
Being taken seriously is HUGE; I know from personal experience.
Yep. Over and over again.
I had significant problems after my son was born. I left the hospital and flew home with a fever of 101. I was told it was just some virus, not a big deal. But it was! Things turned very bad - recurrent fevers, extreme weakness, pain, etc. Saw my local doctor who said it was postpartum depression. Two women attorneys with whom I worked and who also used the same doctor went to see her. They said she was wrong and got her to agree to testing for Epstein-Barr and thyroid. She was very angry, but agreed to test me. She told me that after the tests, if I didn't agree to taking anti-depression medication,
she'd notify child protection. However, both results were off the charts. She never apologized.
Then she was mad and threaty because I refused to have part of my thyroid destroyed, requiring medication and testing for life. Fortunately, I called La Leche. I learned that hyperthyroidism wasn't uncommon after giving birth. I was referred to my child's pediatrician, who provided medication to lower my thyroid level and to allow me to continue breast feeding. I felt almost normal within 48 hours. It was like a miracle! (Still had to deal with Epstein-Barr.) My original doctor was royally pissed off. She yelled at me that she was a bottle fed baby and turned out fine. I didn't say anything out loud, but my thought was no, you didn't turn out fine, you're a raging bitch.
Shortly after that I was in Australia and met with an endocrinology doctor. She was amazed that I had thyroid treatment in the US. She told me that women in the US are labelled with postpartum depression without any testing for other causes. (Yep) Post birth hyperthyroidism is not unusual and resolves in 6 to 9 months with or without medication, but US doctors claim that the anti-depression meds resolved the problem without any testing. Over a few months, we reduced the dosage, and my thyroid has been normal to date.
(BTW, that was 2nd time I had Epstein -Barr. It resolved. Then it happened again.)
In our previous forum, there was a topic on misogyny healthcare.