"My 20 year journey and recent discovery"

I reside in Northern Ireland UK and was diagnosed with psoriasis approximately 20 years ago.

I have recently discovered, through experience of living with the condition, some effects which are relatable to each other and other scientific findings. I am not an expert and do not proclaim to have all the answers but I know my body and have a logically thinking brain. I am simply requesting the time be afforded to review my findings and consider.

I have tried to convey to GP and hospital doctor but to no avail and without courtesy to listen. I am two years waiting to see a dermatologist but my body is suffering as a result.

My recent experience with Lagan Valley hospital was horrific. I was made to feel inhuman. I went with pains in back, shoulder, abdomen and strange sensation in chest area. I believe they relate to what I have recently discovered as the source of my psoriasis. Now I have made the root cause discovery all the ongoing effects make sense but unfortunately for me, my health is deteriorating and I can pinpoint it all to the root cause.

I tried to portray this to a doctor in Lagan valley A&E. I know it is a long-winded and sometimes odd explanation of experience but I know my body and before I discussed with the doctor, I specifically asked for patience and relative understanding with an element of an open mind - I was afforded none of this. Within a minute of explaining the doctor visibly switched of and made a judgemental conclusion to question my mental health! I have never felt so humiliated or alien in my life.

I tried to portray further but this only accentuated my shock and disappointment at the query (without listening or gauging my intellect) as to whether I was hallucinating! This judgement without foundation is a disgrace. This was from a doctor who appeared to have just left school, perhaps they were a trainee?  How dare this person make a mental health judgement without any understanding or knowledge of a patient?

Just asking my background with regards to employment would have highlighted my logical and rational thinking - electrical engineering.  Surely an open mind is required of all medical professionals? As ailments evolve and alter continuously with new issues a regular occurrence - Covid, ever changing bacterial infections, the ongoing misdiagnosis of bacterial issues with viral conclusions etc.

To make matters worse, the doctor contacted a mental health team after making their judgment and refused to listen to my issues further. I was then encountered by two mental health professionals who had also made conclusions before speaking to me, simply by looking at some recent history of anxiety & depression - they judged the book by a cover and if they had asked any meaningful questions e.g. why have you recently experienced depression? They would have quickly discovered much of it is derived from recent events! Instead they chose to ask seemingly idiotic and demeaning questions and then poured scorn on any explanation I tried to give, despite them not being anything near experts in dermatology and me knowing through experience more about my psoriasis than they try to know about mental health.

Before talking to these professionals, I made a request to simply speak with a more experienced doctor. Thankfully this was upheld and at the end of the 4 hour horrifying experience, I got to explain to a senior doctor, a lovely person who took the time to try and understand, who looked at what I was showing and whilst openly admitting to not being an expert with regards to skin had the open mind required to ask me follow up questions that would challenge my conclusions and that I welcomed because I could answer with clarity and confirm my conclusions.

We both agreed of the complexity of the organ in question and they reassured only a dermatologist could answer with definitive diagnosis. I had stated I had hoped a dermatologist would be on site, but unfortunately this was not the case. This doctor offered to expedite my referral and I was grateful - this is how to treat a patient with something they are unsure or fearful off, well to a degree anyway, because I still experience the same pains and I still need to see a specialist!

I have referred further through Benenden, to try and speed the process. I also have an upcoming  appointment with a different GP.  Hopefully the pains, especially the internal ones can be taken seriously.

I don’t like to mention this, as I done it without the wish for gratitude or favour, but when my health may be seriously affected by inaction, I feel I have no choice. I donated a kidney as a live donor in 2011, benefitting a relative and the NHS. Am I asking too much to have some benefit returned to address my health?

Kind Regards