68 Women Recall The Times Their Doctors Left Them Speechless In The Worst Ways Possible

Telling my mom's story:

In the late 90's she had extreme fatigue, unexpected weight gain, and a few other symptoms. She had to drink caffeine nearly constantly just to function. She could sleep for 12+ hours if she didn't have an alarm. She went to the doctor who told her, basically, that her sedentary lifestyle was the problem.

She was busy raising 5 kids (age 9+) as a single mother working graveyard shifts at the airport to make ends meet. Meals were served, laundry was done, us kids were making it to school on time, the house was cleaned - she was not sedentary, but he wouldn't listen. Doc basically said "You're fat. Lose weight."

Years later she went to a different doctor. They did a quick blood check and what do you know it - she has Hypothyroidism.

He told me I was to young for a hysterectomy and might decide I want more kids. I'm 48. I have 4 kids (16,16,25, 28) and 4 grandkids (7,6,2,2). I also have severe PCOS. I'm in the process of getting a second opinion.

Diagnosed with cervical cancer. First meeting with oncologist who wanted to do an internal exam with the speculum. I mentioned I had anxiety and it was painful for me (I mean, it's uncomfortable for all of us but the cancer made it especially worse for me). Without warning, he pretty aggressively grabbed my legs and pushed them to the side, saying "well, you better suck it up and get used to it, because you'll be having a lot more".

I told the doctor I was having pancreas pain as I've had pancreatitis a few times already and knew the symptoms and what it feels like. He said "listen dollface, there's no way you can feel your pancreas you probably have a stomach ache." I was indeed having a flare up.

"You just need a man to take care of you." - Psychiatrist

I was 41 and had been living on my own for 10 years.

ER nurse in my case. 1996. I was 22 years old, visiting my brother who lived in another state. Intense right quadrant pain sent me to the ER, and they needed an ultrasound right away so I had to be “filled up” and not allowed to drink the water. Received catheter on the spot (my first), and writhed in pain during insertion . ER nurse chided me, saying unless I’d birthed a child, I didn’t know pain. It wasn’t necessary a bad thing to say, but it was very unkind, and I was a frightened young adult. Turned out I had a large dermoid ovarian cyst, which I had surgically removed when I returned to my home state.

Not a doctor but a psychiatrist. I was about 12 years old and I was seeing him for medication to treat severe anxiety. I was barely able to eat so I was at least 20 pounds underweight when I started going. We found a medication that worked and I finally started getting my weight back up. I was still skinny but finally in a healthy range

During one of my appointments, he told me that I needed to watch what I ate because I was starting to get fat. My mom was *livid.* We left the appointment early and never went back

I actually ran into him at the grocery store about 8 years ago. He recognized me and at least had the decency to look ashamed.

I have strabismus (cross eye) and he told me, well, you'll scare off all the boys looking like that.

It was a female gynecologist, which makes it worse.

I was trying to explain to her how bad my period pains were, and how I'm bipolar. I wanted to go on birth control to try and regulate things.

She told me, "Well, what would your husband think? Don't you want to have a baby?"

To her, I was just a baby maker and had no opinions. My body belonged to my supposed husband.

I was told to 'stop whining' while I was giving birth for the first time with zero pain meds, she also didn't numb me while she stitched me up AND gave me a husband stitch. That's Catholic hospitals for you though.

She said my feet hurt because I needed better shoes. A little over a year later I had surgery to break and reset a bone that had been broken years before and wasn't treated so it healed wrong. If she had simply done an x-ray she would've seen that my first metatarsal was wrong.

I was having outbursts of anxiety and depression. Doctor told me that I should have two babies (not just one, because then it would be depressed like me) to resolve it.

I was Vitamin B12 and D deficient. Vitamins solved the issue. I had to figure that out myself.

When she told me the fix to my weight loss problems was 'walking 10k steps a day' and I showed her that I get 5 days a week of 13k+ she said "Is that your husband's activity tracker?".

I have frequent headaches and migraines. The doctor asked me if I work in front of a computer…I said yes….”well there you go that’s why you have headaches! Stop staring at the screen!!!” Like I have a choice? How am I supposed to work!!

At OBGYN I was diagnosed with PCOS/PMOS and the doctor told me I need to lose weight and eat basically like a rabbit. I was 125lbs 😩.

That it was all in my head. Turned out to be MS. I got an apology and it looked like he felt really bad about it, but it pissed me off so bad.

"Your pain isn't bad enough for it to be anything worth investigating." As I'm crying on the exam table. Turned out to be endometriosis after I saw a doctor that wasn't evil.

Went to get an STI check because I was starting a new relationship, and had asked my partner to do the same. The doctor was astonished that I was doing this proactively when I didn't have any symptoms. He sighed and said "I guess this is just what 'modern women' are like".

Asked for information about birth control. Told me he doesn’t believe in birth control and that I should measure my temperature every morning. If my temperature is higher, then I should know I’m ovulating…Great, thanks Doc….

Had an endoscopy come back clean. Doc said: well maybe the pain is caused by emotions, as I see you are taking an anti-depressant.

A dentist, unprompted, held a mirror up to my face and went on at length about how much more attractive I’d be if I got lip filler.