15 Minutes for Women's Health

Telling It Like It Is

I am sharing some very personal information in the hopes that another woman might benefit from my experience. Doctors, who should be our advocates in the health care system, more than likely are rewarded for NOT ordering tests. For this reason, women suffer from hypothyroidism, perimenopause Hepatitis C and heart disease without being diagnosed.


Past Health Issues

Hypothyroidism

My mother had hypothyroidism, so I knew it ran in my family. Yet, I had to demand that my doctor, who had also been her doctor, test me for hypothyroidism. He did not want to write the order for the blood test. He said I did not have any symptoms. I insisted. I DID have hypothyroidism.

After I was on medication for hypothyroidism, the doctor never ordered any blood work for my thyroid levels. Three years after I started the thyroid medicine, I went in for thyroid surgery. They did blood work as part of normal pre-op procedure and my thyroid level was so low the surgeon did not want to operate.

Afterwards, I told my primary care doctor about my blood levels. and he said, "Just double the dosage, you will be fine." I told him I needed blood work so that WE would know my blood levels and HE could prescribe the proper amount of medicine. Double the dose would have been too much.

Perimenopause

This is the same doctor that let me go through perimenopause without treatment for 5 years because he believed I was too young to be entering menopause. I finally demanded a referral to a specialist and she required that I undergo an immediate D&C to stop the bleeding. I had bled so much that I was seriously anemic.


Current Heath Problems

Hepatitis C

I have recently been diagnosed with Hepatitis C. I have no idea how long I have had this disease nor how I acquired it. This is one of those diseases that people do not discuss and doctors do not normally diagnose.

I was extremely ill over a year ago and went to the emergency service at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in San Antonio. Evidently, they did a blood test for Hepatitis C, among others, but NO ONE followed up on the test results, including my primary care physician.

I was not seen for a year in the VA system, even as follow up to emergency service. Instead, I was treated over the telephone until my normal appointment time. A YEAR LATER, I asked my primary caretaker about the results from all the tests during that emergency visit. The doctor is speeding through my test results on a computer screen that I cannot see. I made her slow down and explain each test result.

Thank God I did because the next thing she said was, "Well, you know you have Hep B and Hep C. Wait, you have Hep A as well." No, I did not know. I freaked. Then, reason reigned and I made her order new blood tests. After one month of waiting, I found that two tests were wrong. I do not have Hep A nor Hep B but I do have Hep C. Next, I was scheduled for a liver biopsy and over a month was gone waiting for the results. Next week, I will receive the results of the biopsy and will be started on treatment if I want to undergo 28 weeks of Interferon and Ribavarin.

I wonder how I got Hep C and why no doctor has ever diagnosed it before. I hate to think it has to do with the costs of blood tests and the state of insurance in the USA. I thank God that I evidently do not have a bad case, or I MIGHT BE DEAD BY NOW.

Heart Problems

No, thank God, I do not have heart problems. However, I have two girlfriends who have suffered heart attacks because they were never tested for or diagnosed as having heart problems. One friend survived; the other did not. I have heard of many other stories of women and heart disease.


What Is Going On?

Disturbing Trends

After the I had found another doctor than the male physician talked about above, I found out that under certain insurance plans, doctors who do not order excess testing and procedures are monetarily rewarded each year. That is why I was allowed to suffer with thyroid disease and perimenopause for years without treatment.

As for the Veteran's Administration system, I do not know what to tell you. Since I married Michael in 2003, I have had four different primary physicians at VA. There is NO continuity of care. Each time I have a new doctor, I have to explain my medicines and my understanding of my health, all in the normal 29 minutes given to each patient for their yearly exam.

Conclusions

More men than women are doctors. Most male doctors do not have an understanding of women's health issues. Managed care is a farce. You can die while under the treatment of one of these doctors.

Recommendations

Manage your own health care. Be aware of your family medical history and know what diseases run in your family. If you feel your doctor is not listening to you, ask for your records and move on to another doctor.

Keep your own medical records. I had copied the records when I changed doctors, but not since I moved to the VA system. If I had, I would have seen the test results and I might be free of Hepatitis C by now.

Community hospitals and companies like Life Line Screening hold screenings for different diseases and risk factors for disease. Your insurance does not pay for these tests. If you can scrape up the money, have these tests done.


Personal Note

I hope this helps you. I have other examples of shoddy medical care, but thyroid problems, heart disease, menopause and Hepatitis are life threatening and affect women. Be aware and take care.

Tags: women's health, perimenopause, thyroid disease, heart disease, hepatitis, managed care