The first: mine. I was 16, and, yes, extremely big. The biggest I've ever been, actually. Anyway, I had an on-off pain roughly where my ovaries are, or a bit lower, and it only hurt at certain angles. Eventually my mother decided this couldn't be right, and took me to a specialist. He was extremely doubtful, and prodded and poked at me very hard while I yelped (and I gave birth at home and actively enjoy getting tattoed; I have a high pain threshold). He even checked for a hernia the old fashioned way. Eventually he spoke to my mother and, with a doubtful downturn of his lip. said "I suppose it's undeniable she's in *some* pain". He scheduled a laparoscopy, in which he found an appendix so infected I was about a week away from peritonitis.
The second: my mother's. Also a large woman, was her whole life. But the bottom half of her body swelled up weirdly, and it felt odd to her - it wasn't the softness of fat, but the weird hardness of fluid. She went to her private GP who'd known her about 40 years, and he weighed her and tutted at her putting on 3st in a year. I had to speak up: "honest, I know how it looks, but she doesn't eat very much" (she didn't). He smiled condescendingly. And I don't remember him apologising when it turned out it was kilos and kilos of fluid from a liver condition that, left untreated, could have drowned her lungs.
Unsurprisingly, I have many, many issues with medical professionals. Especially when they're male. Bah.
Oh god I am so sorry to hear you and your Mother both experienced this BS. It’s not surprisingly though. My heart sinks when I see that a male GP has been allocated to me. I feel bad that I assume they won’t listen but I’m making that assumption based on raw and bitter experience. (Oh and I am part of the appendix almost killed me club due to not being believed by a male GP. FFS).
Write the book. I work as an editor of commercial fiction - formerly in big publishing houses, freelance since I had kids - and would be happy to chat your idea through or look at any of your writing if that might be helpful x
Thanks Hannah. I really appreciate that offer and may well be in touch if I have something worth sharing. I think the worst part of all of this is that I have an agent but I don’t feel able to send a draft of anything to her. She took me on for cookery writing so it feels rude to send her fiction.
Write the book!!!!!! I've said this to you many times - and now you have a real urge, go for it, you'll smash it. It will be super........ 🙈. You're so talented in many ways and being a woman is just one of those x
A tale of two doctors.
The first: mine. I was 16, and, yes, extremely big. The biggest I've ever been, actually. Anyway, I had an on-off pain roughly where my ovaries are, or a bit lower, and it only hurt at certain angles. Eventually my mother decided this couldn't be right, and took me to a specialist. He was extremely doubtful, and prodded and poked at me very hard while I yelped (and I gave birth at home and actively enjoy getting tattoed; I have a high pain threshold). He even checked for a hernia the old fashioned way. Eventually he spoke to my mother and, with a doubtful downturn of his lip. said "I suppose it's undeniable she's in *some* pain". He scheduled a laparoscopy, in which he found an appendix so infected I was about a week away from peritonitis.
The second: my mother's. Also a large woman, was her whole life. But the bottom half of her body swelled up weirdly, and it felt odd to her - it wasn't the softness of fat, but the weird hardness of fluid. She went to her private GP who'd known her about 40 years, and he weighed her and tutted at her putting on 3st in a year. I had to speak up: "honest, I know how it looks, but she doesn't eat very much" (she didn't). He smiled condescendingly. And I don't remember him apologising when it turned out it was kilos and kilos of fluid from a liver condition that, left untreated, could have drowned her lungs.
Unsurprisingly, I have many, many issues with medical professionals. Especially when they're male. Bah.
Oh god I am so sorry to hear you and your Mother both experienced this BS. It’s not surprisingly though. My heart sinks when I see that a male GP has been allocated to me. I feel bad that I assume they won’t listen but I’m making that assumption based on raw and bitter experience. (Oh and I am part of the appendix almost killed me club due to not being believed by a male GP. FFS).
Write the book. I work as an editor of commercial fiction - formerly in big publishing houses, freelance since I had kids - and would be happy to chat your idea through or look at any of your writing if that might be helpful x
Thanks Hannah. I really appreciate that offer and may well be in touch if I have something worth sharing. I think the worst part of all of this is that I have an agent but I don’t feel able to send a draft of anything to her. She took me on for cookery writing so it feels rude to send her fiction.
Write the book!!!!!! I've said this to you many times - and now you have a real urge, go for it, you'll smash it. It will be super........ 🙈. You're so talented in many ways and being a woman is just one of those x
Thank you. I am doing that ‘oh I have too much to do’ thing at this exact moment. I annoy myself. Really ought to just put fingers to laptop.
Write. The. Damn. Book.
That is all.
♥️
Currently using ALL the excuses. Must crack on!
Write the book. Well done on losing 1/2lb in a tough week. A loss is a loss. ❤️
Thank you x
I love your writing, write the book! x
Thank you. I will, I will… just busy procrastinating!! X
Separately: write the damn book. And send bits to me. xx