[Serious] Share your story. Have you ever been dismissed as "overly dramatic" or "just menstruating" in the ER when coming in with undefined pain that turned out to be something serious?

I dont usually have health problems, but once I went to the hospital clinic for a uti that had become a kidney infection. Had some issues in the waiting room but no real red flags during the appointment. I left with a prescription for antibiotics and what I thought was something for pain, but was actually anxiety medication.

Since I was in quite a bit of pain, I popped those pills ASAP before doing any research beyond reading the labels on the bottles. Within ten minutes I was so stoned I couldn't speak without slurring much less drive myself home. I had to call my parents for help. Since I was still in pain, and now drugged up, I spent the latter half of the day throwing up into a toilet, which was pretty excruciating considering my kidneys already felt like they were dying.

On account of me being incapacitated, my mom went back and talked to the pharmacist, who I suppose talked to the doctor, and got me a new prescription... for a low grade menstrual pain reliever, commonly given to preteens just starting their periods. Stuff was weaker than Advil.

Anyways, I went back for my lab results a week later and the doctor was surprised when he read them. They were bad enough that they would've gotten me admitted had anyone cared enough to bump me up in the queue and run them that day. Apparently, confirming that everything hurt when the doctor was poking my guts made him think I was being dramatic. Bastard.

/r/AskReddit Thread