"wrong diagnosis"

Anything else?

I should have written this last year when it actually happened but never got round to it. However, every time I relate the story to someone I get cross all over again at the pathetic treatment my daughter was given by professionals.

My 10 year old daughter was suffering from stomach pains so I took her to my doctor and she in turn suggested I take her to hospital with the prospect of an accurate diagnosis for her condition, as the pain would not go away. After waiting for 4 hours in A&E she was finally seen. We saw a trainee doctor saw her at first to make notes on the symptoms, whilst another doctor felt her stomach and made her diagnosis of Mesenteric Lymphadonitis, a common childhood complaint, I believe. She called for a second opinion and that doctor too felt my child's stomach and agreed with the diagnosis. They told me to give her calpol, which I had already given her from time to time to ease the pain and sent us on our way. Needless to say that didn't work. They arranged for no further tests to be carried out.

What bothers me is how can anyone make a diagnosis of what causes such tummy pains by simply feeling the stomach. They are not magicians. I feel these doctors just made an assumption that it was Mesenteric Lymphadonitis and that was that.

The pains of course did not go away so I had to take her to a private paediatrician who was fantastic. He organised for three tests, gave her three antibiotics and within 2 days the pains subsided and shortly after that, completely disappeared. It transpired that it was a gut infestation, probably something she picked up in a swimming pool.

That must surely be a common childhood complaint too and probably even more commom than what they diagnosed.