I have been to the doctors this morning with an ear infection and found out via my doctor that I have quite bad damage to my ear drums, caused by untreated infections.
I already have tinnitus and a balance problem which can leave me unable to get out of the house sometimes and I have some hearing loss already, enough to make me wear hearing aids in both ears.
My old GP would not prescribe me antibiotics of any kind or even checked my ears at any time when I attended appointments complaining of earache.
I was told basically to take pain killers and keep out of the cold, when my throat and balance problems started, he was not interested, the only thing he was interested in was I was slightly overdue for a smear test!!! Was he on commission for smear tests!! And TBH important though I know they are, the fact that I was in almost constant pain from my ears, losing my balance on a regular basis and only able to eat one meal a day were more pressing in my eyes. I had also almost completely lost my voice and was unable to work. The only time he showed any concern was when I took my husband along to a consultation and he then spoke to my husband, not me and said without checking my throat or anything else, she doesn't have cancer, don't worry.
I started to say something and he cut me off by saying, well if you insist I can send you for a chest x ray but it won't be worth your time or the people at the hospital's time.
At that I decided enough was enough and managed to get on the list at my mum's GP practice, who is brilliant and after hospital visits and tests, found reflux was causing the throat problems and am now on medication to stop that, I even had to have speech therapy to help me get my voice back. I was told at the hospital about the hearing loss, but nothing was said about the eardrums, I just thought it was one of those things, then the doctor at my practice who I saw today is EXTREMELY thorough and really checked my ears as some of the records from my old GP had not been placed on computer and when he asked how long it had been going on, he was shocked. He also said that he likes to ask patients as you get a better idea from them, when I told him I had had problems from about 2004 onwards, he then said he was going to check my ears thoroughly, he found a cyst BTW which is causing the current pain and needs yet more antibiotics!!
I'm wondering what to do now, my initial reaction was to go and punch his lights out, but as my husband said, that would only get me on a charge, should I formally report this GP to my local PCT and if I do, will that blacklist me to my current doctors who are absolutely brilliant.
I just really want to know that others think.
Thanks for reading xx
I already have tinnitus and a balance problem which can leave me unable to get out of the house sometimes and I have some hearing loss already, enough to make me wear hearing aids in both ears.
My old GP would not prescribe me antibiotics of any kind or even checked my ears at any time when I attended appointments complaining of earache.
I was told basically to take pain killers and keep out of the cold, when my throat and balance problems started, he was not interested, the only thing he was interested in was I was slightly overdue for a smear test!!! Was he on commission for smear tests!! And TBH important though I know they are, the fact that I was in almost constant pain from my ears, losing my balance on a regular basis and only able to eat one meal a day were more pressing in my eyes. I had also almost completely lost my voice and was unable to work. The only time he showed any concern was when I took my husband along to a consultation and he then spoke to my husband, not me and said without checking my throat or anything else, she doesn't have cancer, don't worry.
I started to say something and he cut me off by saying, well if you insist I can send you for a chest x ray but it won't be worth your time or the people at the hospital's time.
At that I decided enough was enough and managed to get on the list at my mum's GP practice, who is brilliant and after hospital visits and tests, found reflux was causing the throat problems and am now on medication to stop that, I even had to have speech therapy to help me get my voice back. I was told at the hospital about the hearing loss, but nothing was said about the eardrums, I just thought it was one of those things, then the doctor at my practice who I saw today is EXTREMELY thorough and really checked my ears as some of the records from my old GP had not been placed on computer and when he asked how long it had been going on, he was shocked. He also said that he likes to ask patients as you get a better idea from them, when I told him I had had problems from about 2004 onwards, he then said he was going to check my ears thoroughly, he found a cyst BTW which is causing the current pain and needs yet more antibiotics!!
I'm wondering what to do now, my initial reaction was to go and punch his lights out, but as my husband said, that would only get me on a charge, should I formally report this GP to my local PCT and if I do, will that blacklist me to my current doctors who are absolutely brilliant.
I just really want to know that others think.
Thanks for reading xx
