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Dear doctors

Dear Doctors,
I know you know my face, I'm at the hospital frequently.
No it's not for a laugh, no it isn't for enjoyment; but because I am in pain.
I can tell you you it hurts and I can tell you feel like I have little men running through my insides slashing everything in sight - but what are you going to do?
14 years I spent so many hours sat in A&E crying in pain and bleeding so much I though I was going to die. Do you understand how scary it is for a child to have so much blood coming from their bum that they're convinced they're going to die?
Being young and going through that was so scary. And what did you do? Send me home with paracetamol.
Think it was finally one day that some big guy who looked like the healer from the film 'Green Mile' told the Dr's to order some tests that I finally got a sigmoidoscopy at 11. So ulcerated that you couldn't even get the camera round and I was lay there begging my mom to kill me. What did you do? Gave me some steroids and sent me on my merry way.
When I was 17 you were convinced I was lying: I lay naked on the bed whilst you were asking questions about my past convinced I was starving myself, anorexic and begging for attention. I made a deal with you to give me a colonoscopy before you make me see a psychiatrist. Years of being undiagnosed meant I had terminal ileum disease. Once again - you gave me steroids and sent me on my merry way.
Finally at 23 I was in hospital for almost a week before I was examined and discovered I needed surgery. Morning After down I went. Six hours I spent in that room putting my family through hell. Could it have been prevented if I'd have been listened to?
For 10 months later I spent 80% of my days on the toilet. No one listened to me as usual. Until a Dr from Birmingham asked for me to be tested for bile salt malabsorbtion.....turned out that's what I had.
Now look at me - 3 times I have been admitted for the same thing and each time I'm sent home.
How long is this going to take until someone finally listens to me?
How long til you help take the pain away?
How long is my son going to have to wait til he can stop worrying about his mommy?

Do your jobs, please. Listen to the patients that know and understand their body. Please don't give up on me, because I am not prepared to give up yet.

Don't give me another 14 years of ignorance. I beg you.

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