"Fobbed off"

Repeatedly discharged without follow up appointments over a period of ten+ years being told that urine retention and pain was all in my head (most recently in 2015), and told "at least you don't have cancer, you'll just live to an old lady having to self-catheterise" (cue big annoying smile).

On my most recent admission, my catheters weren't emptying my bladder fully and I came into the ward in retention. From the start they didn't believe me that the catheters weren't draining properly. They drained a few hundred mls and told me I wasn't in retention and didn't believe me when I insisted my bladder was still full. But then 5-10 mins later an extra 500mls+ drained. The doctor then accused me of drinking loads of water and lying about it. I was insulted and upset by this. Then got discharged AGAIN being told it was all in my head, I was treated as if I was hysterical. Then had further outpatients appointments where doctors again told me my pain and retention were psychological/functional. This had been going on for more than 10 years up to this point with no answers, basic tests and no proper treatment. Each time I went I was never formally discharged or diagnosed I was just never offered follow-up appointments until I was automatically discharged, meaning I repeated the same first appointment, the same initial test over and over, and my problem was never investigated further. Repeatedly slipping through some net, apparently.

Later found I have stage 4 endometriosis and my ureters etc bound up with scar tissue and a further bladder condition - a few months after urogynae consultant said the pain was pyschological and I ought to go to a pain clinic or psychiatrist.

Made me feel like being a WOMAN is a disability in 2015 (and the way the consultant spoke to his poor long-suffering female nurses confirmed this for me).

Re the response to other post above - complain? Ha! ! what will you do? All I ever get in response to complaints is "we're extremely sorry YOU FELT this way, but I assure you we acted completely by the book and did nothing wrong".

...If only you could complain about the complaints department!

I feel as if I have been fobbed off with a non-diagnosis until I couldn't walk or have children? This is the situation I ended up in before I finally got someone...in Birmingham..to take me seriously (I didn't move there btw I had to travel as I couldn't face the Leicester General to be fobbed off AGAIN)...where I had extensive surgery to remove endo and adhesions.