"Please do better."

I was referred to the Gynaecology Assessment Unit (GAU) by my GP following the discovery of a cyst down below that was extremely painful and created a constant urge to urinate.

My GP had tried to manage this in the community with strong painkillers and antibiotics but the cyst only grew and got more painful. 

I was seen at GAU on the Friday following my GP calling on the Wednesday, and my obs were taken by a lovely student nurse. I was then seen by a registrar in training and a medical student. Both lovely and took a thorough history with me - there was a lot  as I'd fallen unwell while away and then discovered the lump, and also have a history of endometriosis. While on the ward I could hear nurses badmouthing others but dismissed this - we’re all human at the end of the day.

I was advised they needed the opinion of a registrar but they could feel the lump. The registrar came in, and gave a disparaging remark about my medical history to the student. I honestly felt awful for the student, they were lovely and was clearly embarrassed by this. There’s a time and a place to bring students up on this kind of thing and that was not the time.

They then criticised my own GP for prescribing co-trimoxazole for the lump - had they let me speak they'd have known that I had a UTI following a gastro bug which was why I was on this antibiotic, not because of the lump. I was then told it was too minor to operate on, asked if I shaved down there as if that was the cause, then dismissed me with another two courses of antibiotics as they thought it might be a perianal abscess. I was already on a course and was told to get my GP to contact general surgery. 

The following Wednesday I was admitted to general surgery (Ward 7) after my GP contacted them following me going in again in tears.  They did an MRI after 2 days, I was on hourly oramorph and the lump was confirmed to be in fact gynaecological. I’d been told to pack my stuff up and prepare to go to the gynaecology ward. I was in immense pain and crying and the porter took me over - it was sore to walk. Again, back to GAU, yet again staff badmouthing patients. The consultant felt around, and I was very distressed, the nurses chaperoning didn’t offer a hand, there was no compassion. I’ve never been so distressed and sore getting an examination in my life.

The consultant said it was swelling, and that there was no lump or anything there - despite the MRI confirming this? they gave me a prescription for naproxen and omeprazole. They then tried to give me instillagel local anaesthetic, saying I just needed good pain relief and didn’t believe me when I said it had lidocaine in it which I'm allergic to and carry epi pens for. They told me it would be fine and not to worry. I’m sorry but which part of anaphylaxis is fine? I strongly declined and I was then told to go back to ward 7 on my own.

It took me 45 mins to walk back there with the pain, and I was in tears. I was readmitted - luckily there was a bed available or I’d have had to go home as they’d discharged me to gynaecology so realistically I should’ve been transferred back by them because they didn’t expect me back. I have done a separate feedback for this ward as their care was faultless.

The general surgeons decided to operate anyway due to the pain and discomfort I was in - which led to discovery of a Bartholin's cyst. which is completely gynaecological. I had instant relief following surgery and am so grateful for ward 7.

Ninewells gynaecology have a lot to answer for. I’m used to not being believed when it comes to my endometriosis because you can’t physically see it, but when it’s something that can be felt and is showing on scans I thought it’d be different.

This ordeal has left me genuinely traumatised; my mental health is significantly worse and I’m begging my GP not to send me here for further endometriosis follow up as I’m terrified.  Please do better.