{"id":142897,"date":"2022-10-24T05:40:51","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T00:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centralrecorder.com\/i-was-fobbed-off-as-anxious-by-doctors-but-the-truth-behind-my-tummy-pain-was-devastating\/"},"modified":"2022-10-24T05:41:08","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T00:11:08","slug":"doctors-dismissed-me-as-anxious-but-my-stomach-pain-was-a-terrible-sign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centralrecorder.com\/doctors-dismissed-me-as-anxious-but-my-stomach-pain-was-a-terrible-sign\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctors dismissed me as “anxious” but my stomach pain was a terrible sign."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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TEENAGER tells of her struggle for diagnosis over two years after doctors dismissed her severe abdominal pain. \u201cjust anxiety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lara Fox-Hill (16) was given a leaflet on mental health care after seeking medical attention in 2019.<\/p>\n

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\"Lara,<\/a><\/p>\n

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Lara, 16 years old, was in agony before her June final surgery.<\/span>Credit: Lara Fox-Hill<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\"Pain-free<\/a><\/p>\n

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Lara was pain-free and returned to school in September, for the first time since 18 months.<\/span>Credit: Lara Fox-Hill<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The excruciating pain she felt was due to endometriosis, which was eventually diagnosed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to medics, the pain she felt was caused by her mind playing tricks.<\/p>\n

Lara said: \u201cBeing gaslighted by medical staff was quite isolating.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey tried to make me believe I had anxiety and that was causing me physical pain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was 14, I was just becoming a teen and building my confidence; it was quite a scarring experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the schoolgirl, she also claimed that she was given two paracetamol tablets when she returned to Wexham Park Hospital in Berkshire on March 20, 2021.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cIt was during lockdown and I had to go alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had packed an overnight bag because the pain was so intense I thought I\u2019d be hospitalised.<\/p>\n

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Most read in Women\u2019s Health<\/h3>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cInstead they gave me pain killers and dismissed me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI dragged my bag to a bench and then I sobbed until my parents arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lara claimed that staff members would not believe Lara was old enough for endometriosis.<\/p>\n

One in ten women suffer from this condition. It is caused by tissue that looks similar to the lining in the uterus growing outside of the abdomen and then bleeds.<\/p>\n

Some common symptoms and complications are heavy periods, pain during intercourse, infertility, excessive menstrual cramps, and heavy periods.<\/p>\n

Lara was treated with three operations and took her 18 months to recover.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cThe doctors would say that I was too young to experience such a grown up woman problem, or that I didn\u2019t have the \u2018right\u2019Type of pain<\/p>\n

\u201cBut at some pointI was continuously bleeding and fainting 3 times per week. I couldn’t walk..\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day I would get no sleep, get up and take up to six baths a day to be able to manage the pain enough to read a book in the afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter consulting numerous experts I received my final surgery by the NHS in June and it was like I was reborn.\u201d<\/p>\n

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I was bleeding 24\/7, fainting three times a week and was unable to walk<\/p>\n

Lara Fox-Hill<\/span><\/cite><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Lara\u2019s mum, Diane Fox-Hill, 54, also suffers from endometriosis.<\/p>\n

Despite her knowledge, she was unable to find the help she needed for her child.<\/p>\n

Diane said: \u201cBecause Lara was under 16, we needed a competent paediatric gynaecologist, a paediatric surgeon and a paediatric theatre for the operation, which are not easy to find.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is so much work to do in the UK to allow young women to be diagnosed at an earlier stage and give them a pain-free life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lara refused to let her pain stop and she bravely recommenced school work that she had neglected.<\/p>\n

And in September she returned to Sir William Borlase\u2019s Grammar School in Marlow.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cBeing back in a classroom was like a prize.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI went on a journey and my body didn\u2019t feel mine for so long.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited that my new classmates will get to know me pain-free. I am myself again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, which manages Wexham Park Hospital, said: \u201cWe are sorry to hear about Lara\u2019s experience and would encourage her and her family to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team so we can review her case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Endometriosis UK<\/a> said: \u201cSadly, we often hear stories of those experiencing symptoms of endometriosis being dismissed, or told that they\u2019re being overdramatic or that it\u2019s all in their head, and having to visit their GP or attend A&E multiple times before finally being believed and taken seriously.<\/p>\n

“Endometriosis awareness and understanding grows. We hope comments like these become pass\u00e9.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s important that anyone reporting symptoms of endometriosis is listened to and believed, and offered the right care at the right time, which could include mental health support if they want to access it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeriod pain that interferes with your life is not just ‘part of being a woman’ and something you simply should be expected to put up with.”<\/p>\n

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What is endometriosis and how can it be treated?<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Endometriosis UK said: “Endometriosis can affect all women and those assigned female at birth, with the disease being most active from puberty to menopause, although the impact can be felt for life.”<\/p>\n

This is a condition in which cells that are similar to those found in the womb are found in other parts of the body, most often within the pelvic cavity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These cells react to each month’s menstrual cycle, building up and breaking down. This blood is not like cells in the womb which leave the body as a period.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This causes inflammation, pain, scar tissue formation (adhesions), and can lead to chronic inflammation.<\/p>\n

The disease affects one in ten women and those assigned female at birth from puberty to menopause, although the impact may be felt for life \u2013 that’s 1.5 million in the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Endometriosis can be treated with medications, but there is no cure.<\/p>\n

Some endometriosis sufferers may only experience mild symptoms, others may have severe and persistent symptoms.<\/p>\n

These symptoms can include painful periods, pain on urination, pain during pregnancy, fatigue, and chronic pelvic discomfort.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n