[FreedomFighter]

So on Friday, I was out with my friends and started to feel extremely weak and tired, I had to sit down and at points I even lied down because I was afraid I would pass out and fall, then I started having this tightness in my chest and was having trouble breathing. In addition, I had this really severe pain in my stomach for a while.. So when I was driving home with my friends I decided that the whole chest pains/tightness and trouble breathing could be serious so reluctantly I went to the hospital. To get from parking to the er my friends helped me get around, with them on each side of me. So I went to the desk, registered and then got into triage. My blood pressure was around 150/78 I believe which is pretty high for me. Anyways then I waited for hours to actually get a room to see a doc and my friends had to leave before I got in because it was so late. Tons of people who came to the er after me got in to see a doc before me and left hours before I went in (a boy with just a simple sprain). Nobody checked on me while I waited. Finally I got into a room and talked to I think a med student, she asked if I had any health issues and I said other than mental health problems just anemia. Then she went on to ask me about my mental health issues, why I was bipolar and off meds, more about my mental health and then wanting to know about emotional stuff till I told her that it was irrelevant to my current situation. I tried to talk about my iron levels which is important because it could be relating to the issues I was having but she dismissed it. Then left me in the hospital room and closed the curtain, nobody checked on me for an hour or more (I could be dead and they would have found me cold). Then I overheard the nurses talking to dr (I had him once before for mental health and he's a jerk) said that my something or other levels were high but the dr said that BBC their one other test was fine (EKG) that he's sure I'm fine. Then the dr went on a rant about how id been there tons of times for mental health and basically you shouldn't take patients with mental health issues seriously if they are complaining of physical problems. They only ever did an EKG and urine sample(my urine sample was the one with high levels), no blood work which is odd especially when it is likely my hemoglobin/red blood cells are low. When the doc finally came to talk to me he barged in and asked me why I was on bipolar medication and that he was reviewing my recent psych charts etc and then said that he thinks I'm fine and just check up with my gp. Yesterday (Saturday)I had to sit and lie all day because of weakness, was very fatigued and had a loss of appetite and still at times it was harder to breathe and chest tightness. I feel there is something really wrong but when I go to the hospital I am not taken seriously because I have bipolar.. I'm scared because I have never had any health problems (except related to mental health). Everybody seems to be dismissing this as anxiety but I know what that feels like and this isn't it.

[Curiosity77]

That definitely sounds like discrimination. I work in health care and i've seen this kind of thing happen to patients with mental health concerns before. I have some really bad stories, but i can't tell them because of confidentiality. At any rate, can you see your primary care provider tomorrow? They should be able to do a proper work up. Sorry that that happened to you

[Secretum]

Wow, that enrages me. Just awful. We deserve better than that.

Please see your primary care doc tomorrow to get this checked out. It could be serious.

Maybe you should write a letter of complaint to the hospital about the negligence you experienced? They put your life in danger, and their f-ed up attitude probably harms lots of other patients too.

[Trippin2.0]

This is exactly why I go to a GP instead of the hospital, even after hours. The GPs in my area already have all my relevant info so I don't need to fill out forms and answer unnecessary questions about my MH when I infact need medical assistance.

Can't say this has happened to me, but I know that over here being triaged means HOURS of waiting time if I'm not bleeding from the head, add possible stigma and discrimination, and its more than enough to keep me from going to any kind of hospital for assistance.

I'm sorry this happened to you, definitly sounds like discrimination.

[BipolaRNurse]

My story isn't anywhere near as sad and infuriating as yours, but I do know a little about what you're talking about. I HATE having to go to a doctor who doesn't know me. Last winter I broke my right big toe and had to go into the urgent care center to have it checked out. Unfortunately the doctor seemed to be more interested in my psych history because he read off all five of my psych meds---JUST the psych meds---from the list and said "You're on an awful lot of stuff here". Pissed me off. It had absolutely nothing to do with my busted toe.

Then I was at the hospital ER on Friday with severe right-sided belly pain, and of course the psych meds came up for discussion but thankfully they left it there and tended to my actual complaint. But they know me at this place---I worked there off and on for 5 years---and it didn't feel like such an invasion of my privacy. They also didn't ignore me or try to lay everything at the feet of my bipolar; in fact, I got the full-meal deal, complete with an IV contrast CT scan and Dilaudid for the pain. (Turns out I have cysts on both ovaries, which could be a problem since I'm well past menopause.)

That's why I'll wait for treatment sometimes until I can get to my own primary care doc or at least the health system I know. I'm sorry you were treated so poorly, OP. Nobody deserves that, and yet it happens all too often. But you can get a measure of revenge when they send out that survey form which asks you to describe your experience at the ER.....make sure you mark that thing, make some comments, and send it back! Patient satisfaction scores are all the rage nowadays, it's how hospitals are judged by the feds who hold the purse strings. Believe me, bad reviews bring the hammer down on institutions that don't measure up.

[FreedomFighter]

Thank you all for your replies and concern.. I went to urgent care today and saw a really nice, caring and good doctor (bonus he was good looking and it seems that my only issue is my anemia so I'm trying my best to eat healthier and more iron and am going to see another doc on Thursday and get iron pills. He said another possibility is an ovarian cyst which is what may be causing the lower stomach pain. All in all, everything should be fine and I am feeling better and reassured! I will be sending in a complaint about the other doctor. This whole experience makes me wanting even more to advocate for mental health rights! Thank you all for making me feel like I wasn't just some crazy, overly sensitive, mental patient! We all need to take a stand against discrimination and show them we are people too.