Which is stupid because women are generally none of those things. We have a higher pain tolerance than men...every month we’re in pain but still have to push through. If you get ovulation pin that’s twice a month every month
It’s about inexperience and the rarity of vulvar cancer and the common occurrence of candidiasis that doctors can miss this. If she had gone to a single good doc and her symptoms did not improve after a single course of antifungal med, she should have been referred to either dermatology or gyn. (Gyn easier to get into). I am SO SORRY for what happened here.
Yes. This is the way. You have to play hardball. I record on my phone. Depending on my energy, I go in with my patient bill of rights. I also, start asking for their license numbers, because they know where that is leading...right to the licensing board.
Carol it’s not that easy because sometimes it depends on your sex and race and where you live. Just look up studies done on racism in health care. It is horrendous. Especially for black women.
Medical gaslighting, specifically with female victims, is a very real, very deadly problem. It almost killed me, members of my family, and friends. My bff is writing a book about her experience with medical gaslighting and how it nearly killed her!
It surely is My mother died because her symptoms “weren’t concerning”. She lost her appetite, told her doctor all food tasted salty and unappetizing and that she was having unbearable abdominal pain that eventually spread to her back. Her doctor prescribed antacids but she had pancreatic cancer. By the time she went to the ER because of symptoms and vomiting it was too late. She had stage 4 pancreatic cancer that had spread to her spine.
@@Elias_Truth oh dear I’m so sorry. I know it’s hard to advocate for yourself when you are in pain and not feeling well but please please try. I’d go to the ER if your PCP isn’t listening and inform them about the pain and symptoms. They have the equipment necessary to run tests and scans on the spot. I have also heard that if you request tests or scans and are denied that you insist your dr notate their refusal in your chart. That will make them liable if you do have an illness they ignored. Furthermore I have learned since that you can call you insurance company and file a grievance with them regarding lack of care. Make sure you keep records and documentation including dates, times and a brief summary of what was said and done during visits. I am sending you prayers and hugs stay strong and fight for the care you deserve.
I'm the Woman in the video. I just would like to clarify a few things since I've seen questions as to why I only saw a primary care, why I didn't go to a specialist, or why I didnt change doctors. Also, there've been some other questions regarding my story. First, please keep in mind that a 1 hour interview has been reduced to a 6 minute video on TH-cam. There is so MUCH more to my story and to what happened, than what is shown in these 6 minutes here. At least 85% of the entire story is missing, if not more. Secondly, I wasn't just seen by a primary care. I was also seen by 3 different gynecologists and 2 dermatologists, who ignored, misdiagnosed, and medically gaslighted me as well. Sadly, my story is not as unique as it may seem. Many Vulvar Cancer Patients have gone through similar situations of being misdiagnosed, brushed off and being ignored for lengthy periods of times before they were finally diagnosed. Part of the problem is a lack of protocols for Vulvar Cancer that requires a physician to do a biopsy as soon as woman presents with symptoms of this cancer, regardless of age and risk factors.
I just found your video. I had vulvar surgery yesterday. For 2 yrs I had a persistent itch. I finally went to the dr and was diagnosed a cream. I was told I was experiencing dryness prescribed a cream. It didn’t help. I tried to ignore it as best I could until the itching got so bad I was actually bleeding at times. One day I noticed a growth. I returned to the dr and prescribed a 2nd cream. I pointed out the growth and she responded w/“there’s nothing there.” I said, yes there is and put my hand on it. She replied it’s just a mole, lots of woman get them ( in my 50’s & in yr 3 of menopause) and it’s probably always been there and your just noticing it now. I firmly told her no your incorrect. I know my body and shower everyday. I know when something new is growing. 2 weeks after that appt I started experiencing burning and my vulva was covered in growths. I returned, finally had a biopsy, saw a 2nd gynecologist. I was diagnosed with vulva intraepithelial neoplasia I. I was referred over to a female oncologist. I was not diagnosed with vulvar cancer. However, the tumors were precancerous. Had I not been persistent I could possibly be responding differently right now. A woman knows her body better then anyone. I had the same female gynecologist for many yrs and she missed the signs. I still think she’s a great dr and continue to see her. One never expects an itch to be a sign of something more ominous.
I believe you went to Manu doctors im right now with the symptoms I have a polyp and now a new little lump red pain and there just brushing it off I had a hysterectomy and it made it worse I think I am now asking my doctor for a biopsy im glad they finally did that for you
@@mare8872 I think I have this but scared to tell anyone. When you say itch did you scrach it and it felt good but then afterwords it's a burning feeling? There is a thickness and discolor as well?
This is so sad. There needs to be a protocol in place for every type of possible cancer. Doctors should def take their patients more seriously. Every woman but one that I've seen talk about being diagnosed with Vulvar cancer has had to fight with their doctors (and sometimes multiple doctors to get a biopsy) causing precious time to be wasted. The disease has a 90% prognosis if diagnosed early.
Thank you for sharing your story, especially as someone younger! I'm about to be 29 and have all of these symptoms. I'm making an appointment first thing in the morning. What stage did you have and how are you doing now?
Sometimes doctors are so confident in their knowledge that they take on an attitude that they know it all. We each know our own body better than someone else does. Trust your instincts.
This is really sad because I am sure that when she started having issues it was not cancer. It was in early stage and could have definitely been prevented. I hope and pray she beat it and become healthy again! Love
You are absolutely correct! My gynecological oncologist told me that had they done what needed to be done sooner, we would have caught it in the beginning stage and it would have never progressed to stage 3.
@@s.y.hoehler537 This makes me so sad, and I totally understand what you are going through! I too went through something like this, it was'nt a cancer diagnosis though but they kept telling me I had recurring bladder infection's. Almost 2 years later went to a urologist and they did a procedure and took a biopsy of a mass inside my bladder and it turned out that I have bladder endometriosis. It is very painful and depressing! I still have to get surgery to remove the tissue in and around my bladder. We have to feed our bodies the necessary nutrients to keep our bodies immune system strong. I will keep you in my prayers my dear!! Good health and blessings to you! Love
No I’m sure it was cancer hun, but it would have been such a different thing to treat stage one than it is to treat stage three. Stage four is when it has spread throughout the entire body so I pray this beautiful woman is done fully with that disgusting monster
I completely understand at 24 I started having problems with fatigue, brain fog and weird depression. A few years later I started having behavioral problems and headaches. My breasts would lactate and I wasn’t pregos. Finally one dr listened and sent me for an MRI. I had hydrocephalus from a brain injury that resulted from domestic abuse. I’m on my 9th brain surgery and finally starting to be hopeful. It’s so heart breaking and soul crushing when they don’t listen to you. 😭😢Glad You’re getting better. 🙏🌈
It's really irresponsible on the medical professional's part when they dont listen to simeone about something that could of been prevented or caught early especially when they disregard you and dont try to figure it out. People have died in the past by things like this
Faith Walker Music I pray God heal you from head to toe. Stay close to the lord and use your voice to the glory of God and sing sing sing!!!!!you have a beautiful voice it's a gift from God❤
My mother-in-law is a survivor of this cancer. I had never heard of it until she told me. I’m glad she’s brave enough to shed some light on this. Thank you ♥️
I just had this happen with me back in June! I told my doctor I was chronically fatigued, losing memory, and getting sick more and more often which reminded me of how I felt at 23 when I had cancer. It led my doctor to do a test 6 months before my next one in December only to find out my cancer came back a second time and that’s why I was feeling this way.
I don't why, but I just love this woman so much! 😭 May God continue to heal you, strengthen you in this journey, and give you revelation through it 🙏🏾❤️
I didn’t have cancer but I battled infertility for years and never was told what is the cause until I found my OBGYN and she asked did the previous doctors run this test or that test and I was like no and she said ok now I want you to do all this tests and she sat with me for an hour talking and listening to me, I left her office and sat in my car crying for a while part of tears were happy to find such a caring doctor and the other is realizing that I wasted years with the wrong doctors, all the friends that I sent to her tells me how much they love her and how much she cares, we need more doctors like her.
@@MsWatchamakulit I don’t know how far from you but she is half an hour away from me, even tho she couldn’t solve my problem but at least she helped me figure out where is the problem. We ended up adopting a boy from the foster care system and he has been the blessing in my life.
I too have looked up your doctor & read the reviews. People give her glowing reviews and are satisfied with her care. Thank you for this. Her practice is six hours away from me, but you know what ? I don't care it's worth it to me! A wonderful doctor who cares is a rare find these days. Road trip!
You are your own biggest advocate!! It took years for me to be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis after having several doctors tell me that it was in my head and the symptoms were normal. I never gave up and finally July 2018 I got my official diagnosis at 23. I’m proud of her for not taking no for an answer and fighting!!
That is what a friend of mine is dealing with now. I went with him last Wednesday to a dr's appt. She did not want to run any tests on him. She told him that it could be tight jeans syndrome. I told him that day...you are gonna find you another Dr that specializes in MS. I told him that he was having a flare up or a relapse of the disease. So we now have 2 Drs that are specialist in the disease.
@Kelli Barnhouse ..... Kelli, I found him a support group for MS in our area. We had gone on last Wednesday. While there at the support group we were given 2 doctors that actually specialize in MS. He called to see if they will accept his insurance and they do. At the MS support group, he was given alot of valuable information that he is reading. I hope that you will also find the help that you are looking for.
Just please make sure that you go and find a neurologist and a physical therapist who specializes in MS. If not, you can call the MS foundation and they will provide you with alot of great information.
@Kelli Barnhouse ...oh my gosh. I met a lady at the MS support group who went deaf because of her MS flare up. She had alot of heat behind her left ear and by the time one month was up...it was too late. She was deaf. Please take care of yourself. Your health should be your #1 focus.
Absolutely! I had to persist to get my Breast Cancer diagnosis at 26 and again at 30 when the cancer spread to my bones, and eventually my lungs and Liver 💕💫 so proud of you for trusting your body and being your own best advocate💪🏽
Oh my goodness, I pray that you beat it! I am a breast cancer survivor. Not a single doctor would listen to me because they kept telling me I was too young and didn't have the typical symptoms. They ran NO tests. A year and a half later, I finally got to a good doctor who listened to me. She put me in surgery two days later. Two days after that, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My cancer ended up being late stage and I had to have bilateral mastectomies and I lost all of the axillary lymph nodes under my left arm. I had to take two years of chemo and radiation. All of this because no one would listen to me to begin with. God gave me a miracle and I am considered cured. My diagnosis was in 2005 and doctors didn't think I would live past 2006. Here it is 2019 and I'm still breathing and cancer free. Always trust your gut, but also remember, a cancer diagnosis is not necessarily a death sentence!
@@beagleandme I hate age talk! I do not mean people telling their age, but when people put labels on age, and you have to be a certain age to have physical problems, or you cannot have wisdom at younger age, etc, or this or that happened due to age, etc.....
As a medical student this is my worst nightmare. There’s nothing I want more than to help people and when something extremely rare like this comes up I’m scared I won’t diagnose it correctly
That's alright, doctors are humans too and they make mistakes. I would just go in with an open mind, perform additional tests if necessary. Better to be safe than sorry.
@I I nah, I wouldn’t say that there’s a correlation between the number of patients that a doctor sees and the population of a country. There’s no matter what only 8 hours in a day of work. And in poorer countries people with uncommon diagnoses tend to not have the money or resources to see a doctor anyways
just try to remember that people do know their own bodies. they do know when something is wrong. even when people get frustrating and stupid (and god people are frustrating and stupid) try to consider all possibilities. be open to communicating with your patients and building a good relationship with them!
If you stay humble and really listen to your patients you are less likely to miss a rare case. In medical school I was taught to always consider the rare and uncommon but most likely to be deadly on my differential. And even if you miss it the first time, you should have opportunities to rethink if you are following up with your patients. You will probably be working more than 8 hours a day in residency if you are in the USA. Outside of residency you should have more time to reflect on what you're doing. Think outside the box. My precancerous uterine tumors were only discovered because my doctors considered my opinion given that I was a medical student. They listened to what I had to say and were willing to try what I suggested.
@@prayerpower1585 I’m not in the US, I live in a Scandinavian country where doctors don’t tend to work more than 8 hours per day even during residency.
So frustrating. I remember my dad asking his Dr "Is the cost coming out of your pocket to do your due diligence?" He got a referral to a specialist after that. Although they are "educated" it seems like the modern Dr is worse than the Drs of the past and they don't seem to care.
So true I work in healthcare and some doctors genuinely care for their patients while others seem to be in a rush and get annoyed when patients ask questions and ask about other less invasive treatments.. Long gone are the days where you had to take everything your doctor says as doctrine. You really do have to take charge of your health. And keep asking questions until you find the right doctor and treatment.
Very true. Healthcare in the U.S is horrible. Drs. are so worried about being sued and about how many patients they can see and how much money they can make. It’s s business.
I too have Lichen Sclorsis and survived Vulvar Cancer at 47 ... I Was misdiagnosed by a Gynaecologist and then suffered many months and saw many Drs and specialists until I saw a Gynaecologist who decided to do a Biopsy which revealed the ulcerated painful lesions where Cancer Vulver Cancer , leading to invasive surgery , Vulvectomy and Cliterectomy 😪 I ended up with more hospital admissions due to infections , I lost so much but was extremely blessed to have my 3 grown children 🙏 beside me supporting & helping ❤️
there are assumptions that young people do not get cancer. she is proof. thank you for a well presented talk. love the beautiful pics of a beautiful young woman.
I’ve been talking about this since my wife was diagnosed in November. She unfortunately passed 6 months after she was diagnosed. Thank you for sharing your story.
wanted to clarify that it was Nov 2019 cus I saw my post said November. Thank you. Time heals even though grief is complicated. Just wanted to say though to the brave warrior woman in this video, you are AWE INSPIRING and your voice/voices like yours are NEEDED. Keep going.
Sadly you heard right! It was a combination of incompetence, ignorance and dismissing the possibility of anything serious going on with me. The interview got edited to bring it down to 6 minutes. But I wa sharing how the doctors even accused me of over exaggerating, saying I must be using the medication wrong, and brushing me off over the almost 6 year time span. Sadly, this happens all too often.
@@majo3423 I agree. The other issue is that doctors do not consider the possibility of Lichen Sclerosus or Vulvar Cancer in patients that are under 65 as both are considered "old lady" diseases as doctors disrespectfput it at times.
Women get dismissed all too often to their symptoms when it comes to our reproductive system. Its sad because so many cancer diagnoses and other severe problems could be dealt with and fixed earlier if someone would listen to them and not just brush it off.
I am the woman in the video. If you would like to learn more about this cancer, please look up my page Vulvar Cancer Awareness Forum on Facebook. I am constantly working on educating and raising awareness.
@@s.y.hoehler537 you are so brave. Thank u for sharing your story. I am gna have my doc do a biopsy on Thursday. Same exact symptoms going on 4 years now. You are very brave. Thank u for sharing your story.
I feel nobody is listening to me, I've been ill for 5 months, bk and forward to the docs and now I'm paying again to see someone else, you feel total alone, trust me, if your healthy look after your precious body cos when it starts to go wrong, its a very scary, lonely place..
Agree they never listen to you and never want to take the extra step. I always have to battle to get extra blood work it’s always no we don’t need to do that. I don’t understand when we pay for the bill not them what’s the issue. Endocrinologist are the worst as soon as your levels are right back in range and you still feel like absolute crap it’s always no it can’t be your thyroid it’s normal now. I just had to beg my regular Dr to check my iodine levels because the Endocrinologist never wants to and found out it’s low. You get to a point where you want to give up whatever they say and that’s it.
We need a feedback loop for doctors who miss the correct diagnoses or misdiagnose. So many doctors misdiagnose patients who have uncommon illnesses, and these doctors never find out what the patients actually had, thus continuing the cycle misdiagnosing more patients. It took me 12 years and many doctors to finally get a diagnosis for an illness that there is a test for. Sending love and healing her way!
BTassie check out the next mini series on Netflix called diagnosis and the site created just for this exact issue! “Crowd Med” it’s going to save a lot of lives!
Doctors aren't God's, there are many illnesses that have the same symptoms and are difficult to pull the puzzle together when people get desperate and start looking for a different doctor every time they get a different diagnosis. It's difficult to follow track of the different diagnosis and tests if they keep going to different places
@@lululuna9573 I think the issue is once the patient is not satisfied they will go elsewhere, as they should. It is difficult to put the puzzle pieces together but it is not impossible. This is why doctors have continuing medical education, and why they have to renew their licenses. The feedback loop system that is suggested is a great idea. If there is a centralized feedback system it will not be so difficult for a doctor to find out that a patient that they misdiagnosed was correctly diagnosed elsewhere.
I'm a 8 month new nurse and this is true I believe the biggest issue in medical is that no one listens to their patient..I dont even tell them im a nurse I just observe how I'm treated they never listen I'm sure many have died from not being heard..
I am the same way... I never tell other health professionals that I'm a nurse. One, because I should not receive special attention because I'm a nurse... And 2, much like you, I want to see how they treat regular patients. After 5+ years working as a nurse because I hate how patients are treated, and I definitely hate how management treated me. I took myself out of healthcare, and I really don't know if I want to go back. I wish you the best of luck.
@@kpepperl319 I've always been surprised that more in the medical field don't notice the lack of care and concern given to patients (even if they are not guilty of it..they must witness it over and over)..and that more don't speak out on this issue.
I’m so sorry for her. I’ve had a decade of ovarian pain, and every doctor blows it off as a cyst. I’ve gotten so tired of being seen for it, and feeling like a loser over a “cyst.” I’ve ignored it. It’s time to take back my health.
Please see a gynecologist who specializes in oncology. Ask him to refer you to a pathologist to do a biopsy on the cyst! Don't let anyone other than a pathologist do the biopsy! I'm praying you're ok 🙏🙏🙏
Also there are doctors that specialize in endometrial conditions. Endometriosis is not to be taken lightly and you should not have to continue to live in pain. Don’t take no for an answer, talk to as many doctors as you have to until someone listens.
My aunt had chemo for uterine cancer. She had her uterus removed and chemo. She is always complaining of yeast infection and burning and itching. She's been telling her doctor for months of this and he tells her it is a side affect from chemo. Her doctor seems not to take her seriously because she is in her 70s . My poor aunt has been on every antibiotic and homeopathic remedy and nothing seems to help.
It may be endometriosis, I kept getting cysts because of endometriosis, the only way they can find it bbn is with surgery, it doesn't show on imaging. They removed the ovary and cleaned out the endo and it's much better
Try a non religious medical organization, I had to call around and ask if their office was affiliated with any religion... finally was able to get someone to listen.. good luck
My mom died of vulva cancer June 27th, 2020- my mom didn't even make it to her 55th birthday. She knew something was wrong - but was embarrassed at first then once she finally went in got diagnosed it progressed FAST! My mom was a fighter even till the end. She had complete retraction surgery it was horrible! My mom's nurse's & doctors said it was so aggressive inside & OUT! It literally looked like cauliflower - God my mom was so brave & strong 💪 she went through hour's of surgery - chemo - radiation- etc... but it metastasized to her brain. Again, she kept fighting..she went through hour's of brain surgery then chemo & radiation.. we thought she kicked cancers ass until it again came back 😪 throughout her lungs- tumors grew back in her brain again too... my mom still wanted to fight. She never wanted to quit. God she was & will always be the bravest person I ever know or knew & am honored to call her forever my mom...PLEASE if you even think it is or could be something wrong, no matter how damn embarrassing it might be I beg you, don't wait! My mom died young- my daughter no longer has a darn grandma same with my niece's & nephews- if she would of just done something sooner it could of possibly changed many things 💔 don't be embarrassed- don't be scared - reach out & be a voice for those fighting now!
I’m so sorry This is me Embarrassed I have finally pushed these doctors to do a biopsy this week They told me 2 maybe 3 years ago it was linchins Failed to tell me I would need to be monitored but never was Just always refilled the damn steroid cream I alway used it as directed as well! I’m mad I would think people would know about this cancer But so many do not! I have not been diagnosed But I just know my body & my God i just thought it was only this linchins thing Not aware it can & will turn to cancer I’ll know sooner than later. I suppose 😢 I’m 47 One grandson who loves me & I love him 2 living daughters 1 passed when she was 20 I’m 2016 I hope I fight like your beautiful mother did But I’m already tired! Since I loss my daughter, I don’t have much fighting left in me ! But your comment here hit me My family Not myself! Thank you And I’m truly sorry Advocate for women in your mother’s memory that will go on & on !
@Holly Sterling Don't be sorry, keep being brave and fighting no matter how tired you are! Please don't 🙏 give up Holly! I know your daughter has passed & I couldn't imagine your pain no matter how much time seems to pass, as I know nothing can take or ease that pain! BUT you have something precious still here on earth. In fact.. you have a lot to fight for! You have 2 other beautiful children here & grandbabies!!! Of course, a time will come when you will see your one beautiful daughter again in heaven but, until that time comes you need to fight! And fight like hell! Because your family here needs you more than you'll ever understand! Please find another doctor, shoot go to a few if needed! You & only you know your body & until someone listens to you, you need to fight & please 🙏 find a friend or family member or your kid's & be 100% honest with how you feel & show them why! Please figure it out earlier the better & I know it's hard Holly! I know you are tired & feel it's easier to just give up & let it take over. Please try & try as hard as you can tell your last breathe because I know you can Holly & I know you are stronger than you think you are! So please don't give up keep fighting! I am not sure how to get ahold of you or send you my info so you can call me anytime to just have an ear to talk too or cry! A person to help you when you feel low & to motivate you but I am going to try to figure it out otherwise I will send my phone through here! I send you my thoughts & prayers Holly! And I am always here even though I seem so far away or as a stranger but I do understand everything you're going through and I send you my heart!♡♡♡♡
ALOT of doctors don’t know about preventative measures unless it’s the typical high blood pressure or diabetes, they only know how to treat things when things have already gotten bad. I don’t get how a diagnostic test requested by a patient could’ve been denied.
My oldest sister had this ...she had to see multiple doctors as well . Thank God the doctors found it early. She is doing much better now. I've been recently diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer..this really hurts... I pray I get thur this...gotta keep the faith.. 🙏💜❤💙
Glad I watched this! Didn’t know vulva cancer existed. Now I know what the symptoms are. Ladies we have to pay attention to our bodies, no one know our bodies like we do.
Thank you, Sandra. It is important that people, women in particular, share their experiences with medical gaslighting. Most people will cave to the abuse, so hearing your story of trusting your gut is incredible. Thank you for your honesty and for sharing your experience with us, and for advocating for patients! Blessings to you and continued health!
I've said it before, I'm constantly amazed and appalled that so many doctors are 100% comfortable with a woman being in excruciating pain at any point in her life. A man having severe pain and itching in his private region would immediately be taken seriously and all possibility of cancer or other ailments tested for. A woman with private part pain and itching? Naw, that's completely normal. Or she gets accused of being dramaric or making it up.
that's why i _hate_ going to the doctor. they always dismiss concerns by saying it's a virus or whatever when actually it could be so much more serious. i once was told i had a stomach virus, then the flu multiple times by different doctors and finally ONE doctor lady did tests on me and it was determined i had appendicitis and had to have surgery. that was like the 3rd or 4th doctor...a smart Indian woman. Years later i worked in healthcare and a mother came up to me to check in to see her kid in pediatrics and was so upset b/c ironically, doctors told her a ton of times her kid had the flu and turned out they had appendicitis as well. I could really empathize with her and we shared a moment of mutual understanding
I had to be my own advocate! I kept complaining of symptoms, but was left feeling like it was in my head. Spring of 2020, my doctor finally ordered a CAT scan. They found stage one Pancreatic Cancer. I just finished a round of chemo, and am waiting for another CAT scan the end of the month. Doctors need to listen more to their patients!
This poor woman WAS her own advocate and was STILL ignored! These doctors tied her hands each time she kept seeking their help. I am so glad FINALLY someone listened if it took her years to find that one.
I just got a vulvar biopsy yesterday and will be finding out if it is cancer hopefully within the next week maybe more. Thankful for planned parenthood listening to me the first time and doing the biopsy right away.
I have had an overwhelming amount of loss and grief in the last two years, but I can honestly say that dealing with doctors, their staffs, and the medical industry as a whole has been the singular greatest source of stress, anger and frustration for me in my life.
What a BEAUTIFUl BRAVE WOMAN You ARE !!!!. God bless you and kick that cancer to the curb ! From a breast cancer survivor one year out. Climb every mountain ! Hugs and prayers to you. My friend
She seems like such a beautiful girl with an even more beautiful soul. I pray she's had those words she has yearned to hear from the very beginning... "You are now cancer free". Listen to your body. Listen to your intuition. You know your body better than anyone else. Listen to it. God bless you🙏🏼❤️xoxo You’ve a million plus viewers rooting for you❤️ And all around the world 🌍❤️
My heart goes out to you! ❤️ I am so sorry that you have gone through what you have had to endure. I have had cancer twice (cervical and ovarian), from my late 20s into my 40s. I have had 9 surgeries. I knew when something didn’t feel right. I was persistent with my doctor and NP who got me the tests and I had surgery within 2 weeks. Be vigilant and don’t second guess yourself, and definitely be your own advocate!
Doctors these days don’t seem to listen. When my son was one I took him for his check up and he wasn’t really talking. Doctor said oh just read to him more. (I read to him everyday since birth). When he was 2 years old I took him and they said the same thing. Finally when he was 3 years old and not talking we were sent to a specialist (it was a year waiting list to see them) so my son was almost 4years old now. He was diagnosed with Autism, I never heard of autism. Why didn’t the doctors notice the signs of autism? Now that I know what autism is I can tell if a child has it. Doctors really need to listen up or take a pay cut. Something has to give.
This woman is so brave and I appreciate her sharing about her journey. It's always sad when you spend years in pain and no medical professionals seem to care or acknowledge the possibility that they missed something or that this might be beyond their experience level and should be referred to a specialist.
I am so very sad that you had to go through so much pain ! I had a lumpectomy and radiation treatments last year for breast cancer , but I am in my 60's. You sound like a lovely young woman.I am glad that you posted your story .
We really need to start pushing our healthcare system into taking women’s health much more seriously than they have been doing now. Doctors who don’t take a woman’s health care needs seriously should have their licenses revoked and they must be re-enrolled into medical school and be taught to take the health of both men and women to the same level of seriousness and not neglect to listen to their patients.
It’s sad that it was left undiagnosed for so long. As a larger woman, most doctors blame everything on your weight and doesn’t take you seriously! It happens way too often!
Loved this video. I’m scheduled for a vulvar biopsy in a couple weeks. Been having an extreme itch for a while now. Thought it was just a yeast infection but my dr said she didn’t think it was a yeast infection or BV. She said I need a biopsy to see what’s going on. Hoping for nothing serious. I haven’t noticed any lesions thank goodness. Thank you for sharing your story!
I'm sorry for only seeing your comment now. Thank you for your reply and kinds words. How are you doing? Did you have the biopsy? I would love to hear how things went for you.
Why are there so many medical misdiagnosis happening in United States? What happened to the medical training? It is really alot of work to convince some doctor's to listen and think before rushing to a cookie cutter diagnosis...Praying for God's healing in your journey.
It's because medical school is rigorous in the sense you need a very good memory to have the gpa to get in and through it. It doesn't necessarily mean a lot of the people are critical thinkers. I worked as a lab assistant and scientists are very very smart people. You have to be smart as scientist to succeed and plan out experiments. Doctor, not as much as people think.
@@theshinythings123 What you said is true, but as a scientist who also went to medical school the other reason why there are a lot of misdiagnoses is the time and money pressure. Doctors are in debt and they have a lot of patients to see and a lot of notes to write. There is still only 24hrs in a day for everyone and people still need to sleep and eat, and get tired and weary if they are lacking sleep and adequate nutrition. Critical thinking about complicated patients takes time, It is so easy to do critical thinking in a relaxed low pressure setting such as a research lab where you have hours, days, weeks, months, and years to work on one problem and plan precise experiments. A clinic is the exact opposite of a research lab setting. So you can be a critical thinker and end up as physician who does less detailed critical thinking because you have many patients to get to and a lot of different things to do. Doctors are not necessarily less smart than scientists. Many doctors are also scientists. Only a few doctors have the luxury to spend hours with a patient.
@@prayerpower1585 Also, there are too many who become doctors for the prestige and money, unfortunately. It's a sad fact. Clinical diagnosis had been pushed aside in favor of laboratory testing. This is a wonderful face saver for many an inept, egotistical ass.
thank you million times! This is so, so important! I grew up with the lesson learned via my dad. He had cancer from the time I was 12 until he passed away when I was age 18. There were many times when my mother was able to stop a med imteraction with my dad bc she knew what he was taking and everything else going into his body. She always taught me to pay attention, ask questions , make sure things are clear before the doctor leaves. She taught me that I am in charge of my body and to advocate for myself. There's wisdom there!!! Lovely!!!❤
Thank you for sharing your story , sorry you had to go through pain you went through trying to get an answer & thank goodness you paid attention to your body , God bless you . Praying for a full recovery .
I watched your video and just want to say you are amazing,brave and courageous for doing it, helping so many women who will be more aware of this awful disease. Thank you and all my prayers are with you on your recovery journey. Catherine from the UK.
Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. I truly appreciate it! If my story can make a difference in just one person's life, than this has all been worth it. 💜
I was having lower stomach pain that would be so severe I would be on the floor at a store till the pain passed. I would tell my doctor who would brush it off-went to emergency room and told me nothing was wrong till one day I was in such severe pain I call paramedics and could barely talk. They were acting like I was being dramatic that I couldn't stand up. Ended up at emergency room being treated like a drug addict until they did ct scan and was rushed into surgery with ruptured bowell and colostomy bag put on and almost died 3x. NO ONE would listen. Horrible experience !!!
May God, hold you by the hand 🤚 and stay with you every step in this journey. And heal you thru his power and love. Sending prayers and blessings to all, who’s going thru the same battle. 🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼❤️❤️❤️🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼❤️
At 32 When I asked for a mammogram I was told I’m “just a baby” “no family history” the itch was awful - a year later I contracted MRSA from shaving underarms. When they did a scan they came back saying I “may have something” Yeah really? Like triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma? Maybe? If I would have gotten care it would have been stage one- not 3 , All I gotta say peoples is listen to the itch And orange peel look- Make notes and take names! And please hydrate! “It’s okay to talk”
Thank you for posting this, I have been having similar issues for 3 months. I now will talk to my specialist about a biopsy. Once again I appreciate you telling your story.
I had severe pain beneath my belly as if someone was stabbing me. Went to the ER, they did an ultrasound and one doctor or assistant told me I am constipated and laughed it off. After insisting that the pain was unbearable, I was sent to do a CT scan.They found that the IUD has perforated through my uterus and is swimming around.
@@babagama4232 It's a form of birth control. It is a device that's medically inserted into a woman's uterus to prevent pregnancy. It works by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting into the uterine wall.
It’s really hard to trust doctor because they often dismiss your pain and minimize your issues. I got hit my a truck and a male doctor sent me home with Tylenol. After seeing 3 / 5 different doctor they found out my foot was broken in 3 places, my knee hot fractured, and had some major nerve damage along with herniated neck. I told them there was something wrong and he told me to ice it. I mean it was a damn truck! And he just sent me home. Still haven’t recovered
3 years ago Iwas in the hospital in the nuro surgery/neurological ward becuse I had a severe infection in my spinal fluid (my whole nervesystem and body was basically one gigantic infection) I shared room with 3 lovely ladies one with fibromyagia and two who both had brain tumors, one of those laidies survived a operation to removed it and I'm happy to say : She is still alive! I remeber the next thing that happened so vividly that it might aswell been yesturday.... The other cancer patient told us how she had fought for four years to get the reason for her "migraings" checked, when they finally agreed they found a tumor. They kind of "waved it of" saying it was to small to be of any concern, two year later (still with migrains) she had a grand mal seizure and was taken to the hospital. Thats when we met her she was funny,kind,patient and loving. After a few days of testing the doctors doing their rounds entered the room asked if she would be ok with us beeing there (she said yes). They then proceeded to tell her that the tumor in her brain was getting bigger and that the cancer had spread to her liver,lungs and kidney. That he was sorry and that there was nothing more they could do for her; then he added that if it had been caught earlier maby things would have been diffrent.... WHO THE FUCK SAIYS THIS TO A PERSON THAT IS ABOUT TO DIE? We all cried together and she decided to go home to die surounded by her family, in the comfort of her home, 5 months later and the day before her 32 birth day she died. Even if we were only togethe for seven weeks I will remember those seven weeks forever.
I have lichen sclerosis and am constantly worried that it will turn to cancer. The medications definitely don’t always work the way they’re supposed to and doctors don’t take these kinds of conditions as seriously as they should. She definitely had LS, but when left untreated LS starts to grow scar tissue that can turn to vulvar cancer and there are cases where women lose the features of their genitalia from swelling. Graphic, but more people need to know the signs and not mistake it for an infection. It’s assumed vaginas just come with problems but so many issues could be resolved sooner if people cared :(
I had a lesion on the top of my foot that motivated my podiatrist to refer me to a dermatologist for an examination and biopsy. The reluctant, know-it-all, dermatologist said (in a demeaning tone of voice): "Normally we wouldn't biopsy something like this, but since the podiatrist referred you..." The he called me the next week with the results: stage one malignant melanoma! If not for the watchful podiatrist, I might be dead.
Oh my goodness. After I had my daughter, I had intense itching of the perineum, and I saw my OBGYN. The very first thing he did way biopsy. I can't imagine why it wasn't done right away in Sandra's case. I'm glad she has a diagnosis and is receiving treatment now. In my case it was a very mild case of Lichen Simplex, and I rarely experience any flare ups, thankfully.
Women go home from EMERGENCY ROOMS EACH YEAR, and die, because their stomach ache, (often a symptom of myocardial infraction, aka a HEART ATTACK) was dismissed with an antacid prescription instead of an EKG. I am sorry this woman suffered for so long, in an uncomfortable area of her body, it must have been maddening to have pain like that for even an hour, let alone years.
This just happen to me, like weeks ago. Now after removing my right side of my colon and biopsy I was told I have cancer....but months before I was told nothing was wrong. Just get to the part where I can sue doctors that didn't listen or do the right test. They think everybody is pill seeking , while letting people die slowly 🙄
Thank God for her strength and determination and the brave she had to be to talk about this, to live this, to survive this (and she will), THANK GOD FOR HER! YOU are exactly why I became a nurse, to advocate for people who cannot for themselves. You're amazing!
This video is really powerful to me, and I agree that it's important to speak up if and when we feel that something is wrong within our bodies. It's hard for me to even imagine the fear and challenges that go along with a cancer diagnosis. It's one of my worst fears. I'm praying for Sandra and just wishing her continued wisdom, power, strength, and healing as she goes through this process. She is strong!
I have always said, we must be our own advocate, but as we see from this experience, we cannot make physicians perform certain tests. But I can tell you, for the most part, when I ask/tell my physician that I want a certain test done...they have followed through with my request. Of course the test has to ne in-line with your symptoms, or test will not get paid by insurance. This lady unfortunately came across multiple lazy, incompetent physicians to not have done a biopsy sooner.
@jessica carol Delighted and not surprised. The Lord is good and His Mercies are everlasting. I pray that like ‘the leper’ who gratefully came back to their source of his healing, the blessings in your life will continue… keep us informed!
This is infuriating and too many of us have this similar experience. There has to be some kind of diversity training in medical school because studies have shown that Black people and Women's symptoms or complaints of pain or discomfort are often ignored until it's too late. Sandra, thank you for sharing your story and your positive attitude, I pray that the cancer will leave your body never to return.
WowI I never knew this existed! We know about Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer but this really need more awareness and education! This is so wonderful! Thank you for sharing your journey
This video has given me the push I need to seek a new doctor. Ive been dealing with paralyzing pain along my spine and my doctor just smiles at me with dead eyes and says its because of my weight. I've been heavy all my life, and the pain has not been there. It staretd suddenly and without cause and still persists. I'm going to request a new doctor.
Doctors do that a lot, especially male doctors. If a patient carries extra weight, every symptom they have is related to their weight. It is just a lazy doctor. See a woman doctor.
Sandra you are a very strong woman. I wish you all the best. I know you will beat this! It’s very scary because my mom went to her doctor several times because she had laryngitis and he kept telling her she had allergies. So I knew something was wrong because she wasn’t getting better, so I brought her to the hospital and it ended up being throat cancer. Thank god it was caught early. But it was very upsetting because we trusted her doctor and if I hadn’t brought her to the hospital it could’ve been much worse.
It seems as though it’s a big problem where doctors just don’t listen to women. They downplay what they’re experiencing almost every time.
It's because women are seen as over emotional, they "typically" to exaggerate symptoms or as seen as hypochondriac's.
Which is stupid because women are generally none of those things. We have a higher pain tolerance than men...every month we’re in pain but still have to push through. If you get ovulation pin that’s twice a month every month
@@artisticagi not to mention child birth menopause and endometriosis etc
It’s about inexperience and the rarity of vulvar cancer and the common occurrence of candidiasis that doctors can miss this. If she had gone to a single good doc and her symptoms did not improve after a single course of antifungal med, she should have been referred to either dermatology or gyn. (Gyn easier to get into). I am SO SORRY for what happened here.
They probably told her that she needed to lose weight !! 🙄 and the pain will go away!
You have to threaten doctors by requesting they put their denial of your request on record in your file. They’ll change their minds real quick.
Also the dr works for you. We don't work for them. No patients no money. I have reminded dr of that before
Yes. This is the way. You have to play hardball. I record on my phone. Depending on my energy, I go in with my patient bill of rights. I also, start asking for their license numbers, because they know where that is leading...right to the licensing board.
Carol it’s not that easy because sometimes it depends on your sex and race and where you live. Just look up studies done on racism in health care. It is horrendous. Especially for black women.
Carol easier said than done. I’ve been through many and just when I thought I found him, he left the practice and I feel pretty hopeless now😞
Yes
Medical gaslighting, specifically with female victims, is a very real, very deadly problem. It almost killed me, members of my family, and friends. My bff is writing a book about her experience with medical gaslighting and how it nearly killed her!
Thank you for sharing that. Its infuriating
When finished please share the book when finished
It surely is
My mother died because her symptoms “weren’t concerning”. She lost her appetite, told her doctor all food tasted salty and unappetizing and that she was having unbearable abdominal pain that eventually spread to her back. Her doctor prescribed antacids but she had pancreatic cancer. By the time she went to the ER because of symptoms and vomiting it was too late. She had stage 4 pancreatic cancer that had spread to her spine.
What is the name of your friend and the title of her book and can she be found online?
@@Elias_Truth oh dear I’m so sorry. I know it’s hard to advocate for yourself when you are in pain and not feeling well but please please try. I’d go to the ER if your PCP isn’t listening and inform them about the pain and symptoms. They have the equipment necessary to run tests and scans on the spot.
I have also heard that if you request tests or scans and are denied that you insist your dr notate their refusal in your chart. That will make them
liable if you do have an illness they ignored.
Furthermore I have learned since that you can call you insurance company and file a grievance with them regarding lack of care.
Make sure you keep records and documentation including dates, times and a brief summary of what was said and done during visits.
I am sending you prayers and hugs stay strong and fight for the care you deserve.
I'm the Woman in the video. I just would like to clarify a few things since I've seen questions as to why I only saw a primary care, why I didn't go to a specialist, or why I didnt change doctors. Also, there've been some other questions regarding my story.
First, please keep in mind that a 1 hour interview has been reduced to a 6 minute video on TH-cam. There is so MUCH more to my story and to what happened, than what is shown in these 6 minutes here. At least 85% of the entire story is missing, if not more.
Secondly, I wasn't just seen by a primary care. I was also seen by 3 different gynecologists and 2 dermatologists, who ignored, misdiagnosed, and medically gaslighted me as well. Sadly, my story is not as unique as it may seem. Many Vulvar Cancer Patients have gone through similar situations of being misdiagnosed, brushed off and being ignored for lengthy periods of times before they were finally diagnosed.
Part of the problem is a lack of protocols for Vulvar Cancer that requires a physician to do a biopsy as soon as woman presents with symptoms of this cancer, regardless of age and risk factors.
I just found your video. I had vulvar surgery yesterday. For 2 yrs I had a persistent itch. I finally went to the dr and was diagnosed a cream. I was told I was experiencing dryness prescribed a cream. It didn’t help. I tried to ignore it as best I could until the itching got so bad I was actually bleeding at times. One day I noticed a growth. I returned to the dr and prescribed a 2nd cream. I pointed out the growth and she responded w/“there’s nothing there.” I said, yes there is and put my hand on it. She replied it’s just a mole, lots of woman get them ( in my 50’s & in yr 3 of menopause) and it’s probably always been there and your just noticing it now. I firmly told her no your incorrect. I know my body and shower everyday. I know when something new is growing. 2 weeks after that appt I started experiencing burning and my vulva was covered in growths. I returned, finally had a biopsy, saw a 2nd gynecologist. I was diagnosed with vulva intraepithelial neoplasia I. I was referred over to a female oncologist. I was not diagnosed with vulvar cancer. However, the tumors were precancerous. Had I not been persistent I could possibly be responding differently right now. A woman knows her body better then anyone. I had the same female gynecologist for many yrs and she missed the signs. I still think she’s a great dr and continue to see her. One never expects an itch to be a sign of something more ominous.
I believe you went to Manu doctors im right now with the symptoms I have a polyp and now a new little lump red pain and there just brushing it off I had a hysterectomy and it made it worse I think I am now asking my doctor for a biopsy im glad they finally did that for you
@@mare8872 I think I have this but scared to tell anyone. When you say itch did you scrach it and it felt good but then afterwords it's a burning feeling? There is a thickness and discolor as well?
This is so sad. There needs to be a protocol in place for every type of possible cancer. Doctors should def take their patients more seriously. Every woman but one that I've seen talk about being diagnosed with Vulvar cancer has had to fight with their doctors (and sometimes multiple doctors to get a biopsy) causing precious time to be wasted. The disease has a 90% prognosis if diagnosed early.
Thank you for sharing your story, especially as someone younger! I'm about to be 29 and have all of these symptoms. I'm making an appointment first thing in the morning. What stage did you have and how are you doing now?
Sometimes doctors are so confident in their knowledge that they take on an attitude that they know it all. We each know our own body better than someone else does. Trust your instincts.
True intelligence is knowing you know nothing
Amen to that !!
Thank God for google
This is really sad because I am sure that when she started having issues it was not cancer. It was in early stage and could have definitely been prevented. I hope and pray she beat it and become healthy again! Love
You are absolutely correct! My gynecological oncologist told me that had they done what needed to be done sooner, we would have caught it in the beginning stage and it would have never progressed to stage 3.
@@s.y.hoehler537 This makes me so sad, and I totally understand what you are going through! I too went through something like this, it was'nt a cancer diagnosis though but they kept telling me I had recurring bladder infection's. Almost 2 years later went to a urologist and they did a procedure and took a biopsy of a mass inside my bladder and it turned out that I have bladder endometriosis. It is very painful and depressing! I still have to get surgery to remove the tissue in and around my bladder. We have to feed our bodies the necessary nutrients to keep our bodies immune system strong. I will keep you in my prayers my dear!! Good health and blessings to you! Love
@S.Y. Hoehler...Wow, I'm sorry this happened to you. Thank you for sharing your story. I pray for your complete healing!
No I’m sure it was cancer hun, but it would have been such a different thing to treat stage one than it is to treat stage three. Stage four is when it has spread throughout the entire body so I pray this beautiful woman is done fully with that disgusting monster
@@-MaryPoppins- She could just have had an infection and may have developed cancer as a result.
I completely understand at 24 I started having problems with fatigue, brain fog and weird depression. A few years later I started having behavioral problems and headaches. My breasts would lactate and I wasn’t pregos. Finally one dr listened and sent me for an MRI. I had hydrocephalus from a brain injury that resulted from domestic abuse. I’m on my 9th brain surgery and finally starting to be hopeful. It’s so heart breaking and soul crushing when they don’t listen to you. 😭😢Glad You’re getting better. 🙏🌈
Sylvia Gomez 🙏🙏🙏
Prayers to you and I'm sorry you had to experience domestic abuse , no one deserves that. I'm glad you're hopeful again. 🙏💓l
God bless you. I am so sorry for all you have been through.
I’m so sorry another human hurt you. Love and light for you from Australia, you are so strong ❤️🇦🇺❤️
@Sylvia Gomez...Wow
My little tiny Italian grandmother died 30 years ago of vulvar cancer. I pray this precious young woman was healed. ❤️
It's really irresponsible on the medical professional's part when they dont listen to simeone about something that could of been prevented or caught early especially when they disregard you and dont try to figure it out. People have died in the past by things like this
Roxane Lk True
It happens far too often! I have been fighting for 15 years on and off and have been living with stage 4 MBC for 11 years
Faith Walker Music I pray God heal you from head to toe. Stay close to the lord and use your voice to the glory of God and sing sing sing!!!!!you have a beautiful voice it's a gift from God❤
People still die today because of IT.
They still die because of doctors in the present.
bless sandra on her path to healing and may she recover 100% from her diagnosis. 💖
LIFEAFTERNYC AMEN AMEN AMEN
Amennn
Amen
My mother-in-law is a survivor of this cancer. I had never heard of it until she told me. I’m glad she’s brave enough to shed some light on this. Thank you ♥️
Is she ur mother in law?
Awww
I just had this happen with me back in June! I told my doctor I was chronically fatigued, losing memory, and getting sick more and more often which reminded me of how I felt at 23 when I had cancer. It led my doctor to do a test 6 months before my next one in December only to find out my cancer came back a second time and that’s why I was feeling this way.
Sending prayers your way 🙏🙏🙏😘
Get well soon
Sending healing vibes. Bless you!
I hope your doing well
May you be healed in Jesus name
I don't why, but I just love this woman so much! 😭 May God continue to heal you, strengthen you in this journey, and give you revelation through it 🙏🏾❤️
I didn’t have cancer but I battled infertility for years and never was told what is the cause until I found my OBGYN and she asked did the previous doctors run this test or that test and I was like no and she said ok now I want you to do all this tests and she sat with me for an hour talking and listening to me, I left her office and sat in my car crying for a while part of tears were happy to find such a caring doctor and the other is realizing that I wasted years with the wrong doctors, all the friends that I sent to her tells me how much they love her and how much she cares, we need more doctors like her.
What is that wonderful doctor’s name and phone number, and where she practices?
@@janetwunder3000 she is in Mountain View California her name is doctor Azad
Thanks for this. I looked her up and though it’s quite a drive, I may have to go to her.
@@MsWatchamakulit I don’t know how far from you but she is half an hour away from me, even tho she couldn’t solve my problem but at least she helped me figure out where is the problem. We ended up adopting a boy from the foster care system and he has been the blessing in my life.
I too have looked up your doctor & read the reviews. People give her glowing reviews and are satisfied with her care. Thank you for this. Her practice is six hours away from me, but you know what ? I don't care it's worth it to me! A wonderful doctor who cares is a rare find these days. Road trip!
You are your own biggest advocate!! It took years for me to be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis after having several doctors tell me that it was in my head and the symptoms were normal. I never gave up and finally July 2018 I got my official diagnosis at 23. I’m proud of her for not taking no for an answer and fighting!!
To me that is the biggest red flag if a doctor says it’s all in your head.
That is what a friend of mine is dealing with now. I went with him last Wednesday to a dr's appt. She did not want to run any tests on him. She told him that it could be tight jeans syndrome. I told him that day...you are gonna find you another Dr that specializes in MS. I told him that he was having a flare up or a relapse of the disease. So we now have 2 Drs that are specialist in the disease.
@Kelli Barnhouse ..... Kelli, I found him a support group for MS in our area. We had gone on last Wednesday. While there at the support group we were given 2 doctors that actually specialize in MS. He called to see if they will accept his insurance and they do. At the MS support group, he was given alot of valuable information that he is reading. I hope that you will also find the help that you are looking for.
Just please make sure that you go and find a neurologist and a physical therapist who specializes in MS. If not, you can call the MS foundation and they will provide you with alot of great information.
@Kelli Barnhouse ...oh my gosh. I met a lady at the MS support group who went deaf because of her MS flare up. She had alot of heat behind her left ear and by the time one month was up...it was too late. She was deaf. Please take care of yourself. Your health should be your #1 focus.
Absolutely! I had to persist to get my Breast Cancer diagnosis at 26 and again at 30 when the cancer spread to my bones, and eventually my lungs and
Liver 💕💫 so proud of you for trusting your body and being your own best advocate💪🏽
Faith Walker Music God bless you🙏
Faith Walker Music I’m so sorry! How can this be happening so frequently? 🙁
Oh my goodness, I pray that you beat it! I am a breast cancer survivor. Not a single doctor would listen to me because they kept telling me I was too young and didn't have the typical symptoms. They ran NO tests. A year and a half later, I finally got to a good doctor who listened to me. She put me in surgery two days later. Two days after that, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My cancer ended up being late stage and I had to have bilateral mastectomies and I lost all of the axillary lymph nodes under my left arm. I had to take two years of chemo and radiation. All of this because no one would listen to me to begin with. God gave me a miracle and I am considered cured. My diagnosis was in 2005 and doctors didn't think I would live past 2006. Here it is 2019 and I'm still breathing and cancer free. Always trust your gut, but also remember, a cancer diagnosis is not necessarily a death sentence!
@@beagleandme
I hate age talk! I do not mean people telling their age, but when people put labels on age, and you have to be a certain age to have physical problems, or you cannot have wisdom at younger age, etc, or this or that happened due to age, etc.....
May you get well really soon.
As a medical student this is my worst nightmare. There’s nothing I want more than to help people and when something extremely rare like this comes up I’m scared I won’t diagnose it correctly
That's alright, doctors are humans too and they make mistakes. I would just go in with an open mind, perform additional tests if necessary. Better to be safe than sorry.
@I I nah, I wouldn’t say that there’s a correlation between the number of patients that a doctor sees and the population of a country. There’s no matter what only 8 hours in a day of work. And in poorer countries people with uncommon diagnoses tend to not have the money or resources to see a doctor anyways
just try to remember that people do know their own bodies. they do know when something is wrong. even when people get frustrating and stupid (and god people are frustrating and stupid) try to consider all possibilities. be open to communicating with your patients and building a good relationship with them!
If you stay humble and really listen to your patients you are less likely to miss a rare case. In medical school I was taught to always consider the rare and uncommon but most likely to be deadly on my differential. And even if you miss it the first time, you should have opportunities to rethink if you are following up with your patients. You will probably be working more than 8 hours a day in residency if you are in the USA. Outside of residency you should have more time to reflect on what you're doing. Think outside the box. My precancerous uterine tumors were only discovered because my doctors considered my opinion given that I was a medical student. They listened to what I had to say and were willing to try what I suggested.
@@prayerpower1585 I’m not in the US, I live in a Scandinavian country where doctors don’t tend to work more than 8 hours per day even during residency.
She speaks so eloquently!She should be a motivational speaker and talk about her story with cancer
So frustrating. I remember my dad asking his Dr "Is the cost coming out of your pocket to do your due diligence?" He got a referral to a specialist after that. Although they are "educated" it seems like the modern Dr is worse than the Drs of the past and they don't seem to care.
Doctors don't have the freedom to practice medicine like they should for one thing they have to heed what insurance companies are telling them.
@@rachelc.5463
Never thought of it like that. Bless you!
They don't care...that's all it is!
So true I work in healthcare and some doctors genuinely care for their patients while others seem to be in a rush and get annoyed when patients ask questions and ask about other less invasive treatments.. Long gone are the days where you had to take everything your doctor says as doctrine. You really do have to take charge of your health. And keep asking questions until you find the right doctor and treatment.
Very true. Healthcare in the U.S is horrible. Drs. are so worried about being sued and about how many patients they can see and how much money they can make. It’s s business.
I too have Lichen Sclorsis and survived Vulvar Cancer at 47 ... I Was misdiagnosed by a Gynaecologist and then suffered many months and saw many Drs and specialists until I saw a Gynaecologist who decided to do a Biopsy which revealed the ulcerated painful lesions where Cancer Vulver Cancer , leading to invasive surgery , Vulvectomy and Cliterectomy 😪
I ended up with more hospital admissions due to infections , I lost so much but was extremely blessed to have my 3 grown children 🙏 beside me supporting & helping ❤️
I like her voice. I’m sorry she had to go through this.
there are assumptions that young people do not get cancer. she is proof. thank you for a well presented talk. love the beautiful pics of a beautiful young woman.
I'm deeply inspired by this woman's strength and ambition to live.
I always tell people you need to be your own advocate. These doctors don't know your body like you do.
I’ve been talking about this since my wife was diagnosed in November. She unfortunately passed 6 months after she was diagnosed. Thank you for sharing your story.
Very sorry for your loss!🙏
@@deirdremorris9234 ty that means a lot 🙏🏿
@@michellegeorge6448 thank you hon
wanted to clarify that it was Nov 2019 cus I saw my post said November. Thank you. Time heals even though grief is complicated. Just wanted to say though to the brave warrior woman in this video, you are AWE INSPIRING and your voice/voices like yours are NEEDED. Keep going.
@@michellegeorge6448 so sorry 😞
I wish you a complete recovery!
Did I hear years!!!!???? Oh, my! How can doctor's be so incompetent!?
A lot of illnesses mimic each others symptoms. Sometimes it is hard to differentiate between certain diseases unless you run other tests.
I bet if it was a swollen, itchy penis it would have gotten a lot more tests run.
Norma D I know
Sadly you heard right! It was a combination of incompetence, ignorance and dismissing the possibility of anything serious going on with me. The interview got edited to bring it down to 6 minutes. But I wa sharing how the doctors even accused me of over exaggerating, saying I must be using the medication wrong, and brushing me off over the almost 6 year time span. Sadly, this happens all too often.
@@majo3423 I agree. The other issue is that doctors do not consider the possibility of Lichen Sclerosus or Vulvar Cancer in patients that are under 65 as both are considered "old lady" diseases as doctors disrespectfput it at times.
Women get dismissed all too often to their symptoms when it comes to our reproductive system. Its sad because so many cancer diagnoses and other severe problems could be dealt with and fixed earlier if someone would listen to them and not just brush it off.
Women are on average more emotional/neurotic. This is not controversial, it’s due to the larger amigdala vs smaller overall brain volume in women.
And that’s no excuse to ignore women. Period.
I just learned about it through this video. There needs to be more awareness about women's health!
I am the woman in the video. If you would like to learn more about this cancer, please look up my page Vulvar Cancer Awareness Forum on Facebook. I am constantly working on educating and raising awareness.
@@s.y.hoehler537 Sandra you are a Godsend. Im going to your fb now. Genuine prayers and love comin' atcha from New Jersey 🙏👐
@@s.y.hoehler537 you are so brave. Thank u for sharing your story. I am gna have my doc do a biopsy on Thursday. Same exact symptoms going on 4 years now. You are very brave. Thank u for sharing your story.
@@s.y.hoehler537 were you ever diagnosed with Hvp?
@@AnaMartinez-ed1uw No, I was not. In my case, the cancer was caused by Lichen Sclerosus which is an autoimmune condition.
I feel nobody is listening to me, I've been ill for 5 months, bk and forward to the docs and now I'm paying again to see someone else, you feel total alone, trust me, if your healthy look after your precious body cos when it starts to go wrong, its a very scary, lonely place..
michael mcmike prayers for u 🙏 Stay Strong!
Agree they never listen to you and never want to take the extra step. I always have to battle to get extra blood work it’s always no we don’t need to do that. I don’t understand when we pay for the bill not them what’s the issue. Endocrinologist are the worst as soon as your levels are right back in range and you still feel like absolute crap it’s always no it can’t be your thyroid it’s normal now. I just had to beg my regular Dr to check my iodine levels because the Endocrinologist never wants to and found out it’s low. You get to a point where you want to give up whatever they say and that’s it.
@@smilexo3457 heck no. They can’t say no if you request it.
I pray that you will never run out of hope and strength! Hang in there!
This is such a lovely woman. So strong, kind and brave. Praying for complete recovery and sending love xxx
We need a feedback loop for doctors who miss the correct diagnoses or misdiagnose. So many doctors misdiagnose patients who have uncommon illnesses, and these doctors never find out what the patients actually had, thus continuing the cycle misdiagnosing more patients. It took me 12 years and many doctors to finally get a diagnosis for an illness that there is a test for.
Sending love and healing her way!
BTassie check out the next mini series on Netflix called diagnosis and the site created just for this exact issue! “Crowd Med” it’s going to save a lot of lives!
Doctors aren't God's, there are many illnesses that have the same symptoms and are difficult to pull the puzzle together when people get desperate and start looking for a different doctor every time they get a different diagnosis. It's difficult to follow track of the different diagnosis and tests if they keep going to different places
@@lululuna9573 I think the issue is once the patient is not satisfied they will go elsewhere, as they should. It is difficult to put the puzzle pieces together but it is not impossible. This is why doctors have continuing medical education, and why they have to renew their licenses. The feedback loop system that is suggested is a great idea. If there is a centralized feedback system it will not be so difficult for a doctor to find out that a patient that they misdiagnosed was correctly diagnosed elsewhere.
I'm a 8 month new nurse and this is true I believe the biggest issue in medical is that no one listens to their patient..I dont even tell them im a nurse I just observe how I'm treated they never listen I'm sure many have died from not being heard..
I am the same way... I never tell other health professionals that I'm a nurse. One, because I should not receive special attention because I'm a nurse... And 2, much like you, I want to see how they treat regular patients.
After 5+ years working as a nurse because I hate how patients are treated, and I definitely hate how management treated me. I took myself out of healthcare, and I really don't know if I want to go back.
I wish you the best of luck.
@@kpepperl319 thank you it's definitely not all peaches and cream
@@kpepperl319 I've always been surprised that more in the medical field don't notice the lack of care and concern given to patients (even if they are not guilty of it..they must witness it over and over)..and that more don't speak out on this issue.
I’m so sorry for her. I’ve had a decade of ovarian pain, and every doctor blows it off as a cyst. I’ve gotten so tired of being seen for it, and feeling like a loser over a “cyst.” I’ve ignored it. It’s time to take back my health.
Please see a gynecologist who specializes in oncology. Ask him to refer you to a pathologist to do a biopsy on the cyst! Don't let anyone other than a pathologist do the biopsy! I'm praying you're ok 🙏🙏🙏
Also there are doctors that specialize in endometrial conditions. Endometriosis is not to be taken lightly and you should not have to continue to live in pain. Don’t take no for an answer, talk to as many doctors as you have to until someone listens.
My aunt had chemo for uterine cancer. She had her uterus removed and chemo. She is always complaining of yeast infection and burning and itching. She's been telling her doctor for months of this and he tells her it is a side affect from chemo. Her doctor seems not to take her seriously because she is in her 70s . My poor aunt has been on every antibiotic and homeopathic remedy and nothing seems to help.
It may be endometriosis, I kept getting cysts because of endometriosis, the only way they can find it bbn is with surgery, it doesn't show on imaging. They removed the ovary and cleaned out the endo and it's much better
Try a non religious medical organization, I had to call around and ask if their office was affiliated with any religion... finally was able to get someone to listen.. good luck
My mom died of vulva cancer June 27th, 2020- my mom didn't even make it to her 55th birthday. She knew something was wrong - but was embarrassed at first then once she finally went in got diagnosed it progressed FAST! My mom was a fighter even till the end. She had complete retraction surgery it was horrible! My mom's nurse's & doctors said it was so aggressive inside & OUT! It literally looked like cauliflower - God my mom was so brave & strong 💪 she went through hour's of surgery - chemo - radiation- etc... but it metastasized to her brain. Again, she kept fighting..she went through hour's of brain surgery then chemo & radiation.. we thought she kicked cancers ass until it again came back 😪 throughout her lungs- tumors grew back in her brain again too... my mom still wanted to fight. She never wanted to quit. God she was & will always be the bravest person I ever know or knew & am honored to call her forever my mom...PLEASE if you even think it is or could be something wrong, no matter how damn embarrassing it might be I beg you, don't wait! My mom died young- my daughter no longer has a darn grandma same with my niece's & nephews- if she would of just done something sooner it could of possibly changed many things 💔 don't be embarrassed- don't be scared - reach out & be a voice for those fighting now!
I’m so sorry
This is me
Embarrassed
I have finally pushed these doctors to do a biopsy this week
They told me 2 maybe 3 years ago it was linchins
Failed to tell me I would need to be monitored but never was
Just always refilled the damn steroid cream
I alway used it as directed as well!
I’m mad
I would think people would know about this cancer
But so many do not!
I have not been diagnosed
But I just know my body & my God i just thought it was only this linchins thing
Not aware it can & will turn to cancer
I’ll know sooner than later. I suppose
😢 I’m 47
One grandson who loves me & I love him
2 living daughters
1 passed when she was 20
I’m 2016
I hope I fight like your beautiful mother did
But I’m already tired!
Since I loss my daughter, I don’t have much fighting left in me !
But your comment here hit me
My family
Not myself!
Thank you
And I’m truly sorry
Advocate for women in your mother’s memory that will go on & on !
@Holly Sterling Don't be sorry, keep being brave and fighting no matter how tired you are! Please don't 🙏 give up Holly! I know your daughter has passed & I couldn't imagine your pain no matter how much time seems to pass, as I know nothing can take or ease that pain! BUT you have something precious still here on earth. In fact.. you have a lot to fight for! You have 2 other beautiful children here & grandbabies!!! Of course, a time will come when you will see your one beautiful daughter again in heaven but, until that time comes you need to fight! And fight like hell! Because your family here needs you more than you'll ever understand! Please find another doctor, shoot go to a few if needed! You & only you know your body & until someone listens to you, you need to fight & please 🙏 find a friend or family member or your kid's & be 100% honest with how you feel & show them why! Please figure it out earlier the better & I know it's hard Holly! I know you are tired & feel it's easier to just give up & let it take over. Please try & try as hard as you can tell your last breathe because I know you can Holly & I know you are stronger than you think you are! So please don't give up keep fighting! I am not sure how to get ahold of you or send you my info so you can call me anytime to just have an ear to talk too or cry! A person to help you when you feel low & to motivate you but I am going to try to figure it out otherwise I will send my phone through here! I send you my thoughts & prayers Holly! And I am always here even though I seem so far away or as a stranger but I do understand everything you're going through and I send you my heart!♡♡♡♡
ALOT of doctors don’t know about preventative measures unless it’s the typical high blood pressure or diabetes, they only know how to treat things when things have already gotten bad. I don’t get how a diagnostic test requested by a patient could’ve been denied.
My oldest sister had this ...she had to see multiple doctors as well . Thank God the doctors found it early. She is doing much better now.
I've been recently diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer..this really hurts... I pray I get thur this...gotta keep the faith.. 🙏💜❤💙
@Gem_Gem7 thank you 🙏💙
What doctor did she see for the cancer treatments?
I pray healing over your life in Jesus name..AMEN!!
I noticed this comment is from a year ago, but I hope that you beat cancer and that you are doing well!
She is such a beautiful woman, and shares her journey with soft=spoken dignity
Also, she gives some excellent advice on how to be our own advocate!
Thank you so much! 🥰🙏🏻
Glad I watched this! Didn’t know vulva cancer existed. Now I know what the symptoms are. Ladies we have to pay attention to our bodies, no one know our bodies like we do.
Thank you, Sandra. It is important that people, women in particular, share their experiences with medical gaslighting. Most people will cave to the abuse, so hearing your story of trusting your gut is incredible. Thank you for your honesty and for sharing your experience with us, and for advocating for patients! Blessings to you and continued health!
We need a standard Medical Gaslighting reporting website. A one stop location where we can report doctors who gaslight.
I've said it before, I'm constantly amazed and appalled that so many doctors are 100% comfortable with a woman being in excruciating pain at any point in her life. A man having severe pain and itching in his private region would immediately be taken seriously and all possibility of cancer or other ailments tested for. A woman with private part pain and itching? Naw, that's completely normal. Or she gets accused of being dramaric or making it up.
that's why i _hate_ going to the doctor. they always dismiss concerns by saying it's a virus or whatever when actually it could be so much more serious. i once was told i had a stomach virus, then the flu multiple times by different doctors and finally ONE doctor lady did tests on me and it was determined i had appendicitis and had to have surgery. that was like the 3rd or 4th doctor...a smart Indian woman. Years later i worked in healthcare and a mother came up to me to check in to see her kid in pediatrics and was so upset b/c ironically, doctors told her a ton of times her kid had the flu and turned out they had appendicitis as well. I could really empathize with her and we shared a moment of mutual understanding
what a wonderfully soft spoken person. i can feel how genuine she is through the tone behind her words.
I had to be my own advocate! I kept complaining of symptoms, but was left feeling like it was in my head. Spring of 2020, my doctor finally ordered a CAT scan. They found stage one Pancreatic Cancer. I just finished a round of chemo, and am waiting for another CAT scan the end of the month. Doctors need to listen more to their patients!
Hello Mary. What symptoms did you have?
And yet people still wonder why there’s distrust towards the medical field...I’m so glad she’s ok, and thankful that she’s sharing her story with us.
THANK YOU for sharing your story with us. Know this, you are making a difference.
The drs need to be held responsible.
This poor woman WAS her own advocate and was STILL ignored! These doctors tied her hands each time she kept seeking their help. I am so glad FINALLY someone listened if it took her years to find that one.
I just got a vulvar biopsy yesterday and will be finding out if it is cancer hopefully within the next week maybe more. Thankful for planned parenthood listening to me the first time and doing the biopsy right away.
@Noelle Williams That makes me happy that someone is hearing our voices. I hope that you’re doing well, regardless of what the outcome was.❤️
is there an update ?
You are so brave you kept pushing to get a proper diagnosis well done you stay strong
I have had an overwhelming amount of loss and grief in the last two years, but I can honestly say that dealing with doctors, their staffs, and the medical industry as a whole has been the singular greatest source of stress, anger and frustration for me in my life.
What a BEAUTIFUl BRAVE WOMAN You ARE !!!!. God bless you and kick that cancer to the curb ! From a breast cancer survivor one year out. Climb every mountain ! Hugs and prayers to you. My friend
She seems like such a beautiful girl with an even more beautiful soul. I pray she's had those words she has yearned to hear from the very beginning... "You are now cancer free".
Listen to your body. Listen to your intuition. You know your body better than anyone else.
Listen to it. God bless you🙏🏼❤️xoxo
You’ve a million plus viewers rooting for you❤️
And all around the world 🌍❤️
My heart goes out to you! ❤️ I am so sorry that you have gone through what you have had to endure. I have had cancer twice (cervical and ovarian), from my late 20s into my 40s. I have had 9 surgeries. I knew when something didn’t feel right. I was persistent with my doctor and NP who got me the tests and I had surgery within 2 weeks. Be vigilant and don’t second guess yourself, and definitely be your own advocate!
Doctors these days don’t seem to listen. When my son was one I took him for his check up and he wasn’t really talking. Doctor said oh just read to him more. (I read to him everyday since birth). When he was 2 years old I took him and they said the same thing. Finally when he was 3 years old and not talking we were sent to a specialist (it was a year waiting list to see them) so my son was almost 4years old now. He was diagnosed with Autism, I never heard of autism. Why didn’t the doctors notice the signs of autism? Now that I know what autism is I can tell if a child has it. Doctors really need to listen up or take a pay cut. Something has to give.
This woman is so brave and I appreciate her sharing about her journey. It's always sad when you spend years in pain and no medical professionals seem to care or acknowledge the possibility that they missed something or that this might be beyond their experience level and should be referred to a specialist.
What a strong women i love her...im crying so hard right now 😢
Aww, thank you so much 💕
You are such a beautiful and powerful person. Thank you for helping others with your insight
Thank you so much for your kind words! 💕
I am so very sad that you had to go through so much pain ! I had a lumpectomy and radiation treatments last year for breast cancer , but I am in my 60's. You sound like a lovely young woman.I am glad that you posted your story .
We really need to start pushing our healthcare system into taking women’s health much more seriously than they have been doing now. Doctors who don’t take a woman’s health care needs seriously should have their licenses revoked and they must be re-enrolled into medical school and be taught to take the health of both men and women to the same level of seriousness and not neglect to listen to their patients.
It’s sad that it was left undiagnosed for so long. As a larger woman, most doctors blame everything on your weight and doesn’t take you seriously! It happens way too often!
Loved this video. I’m scheduled for a vulvar biopsy in a couple weeks. Been having an extreme itch for a while now. Thought it was just a yeast infection but my dr said she didn’t think it was a yeast infection or BV. She said I need a biopsy to see what’s going on. Hoping for nothing serious. I haven’t noticed any lesions thank goodness. Thank you for sharing your story!
I'm sorry for only seeing your comment now. Thank you for your reply and kinds words. How are you doing? Did you have the biopsy? I would love to hear how things went for you.
Sandra I am so sorry that you weren't heard...we hear you now, stay strong, stay brave and most of all stay heard 💪🏻❤️
Why are there so many medical misdiagnosis happening in United States? What happened to the medical training? It is really alot of work to convince some doctor's to listen and think before rushing to a cookie cutter diagnosis...Praying for God's healing in your journey.
It's because medical school is rigorous in the sense you need a very good memory to have the gpa to get in and through it. It doesn't necessarily mean a lot of the people are critical thinkers. I worked as a lab assistant and scientists are very very smart people. You have to be smart as scientist to succeed and plan out experiments. Doctor, not as much as people think.
@@theshinythings123 What you said is true, but as a scientist who also went to medical school the other reason why there are a lot of misdiagnoses is the time and money pressure. Doctors are in debt and they have a lot of patients to see and a lot of notes to write. There is still only 24hrs in a day for everyone and people still need to sleep and eat, and get tired and weary if they are lacking sleep and adequate nutrition. Critical thinking about complicated patients takes time, It is so easy to do critical thinking in a relaxed low pressure setting such as a research lab where you have hours, days, weeks, months, and years to work on one problem and plan precise experiments. A clinic is the exact opposite of a research lab setting. So you can be a critical thinker and end up as physician who does less detailed critical thinking because you have many patients to get to and a lot of different things to do. Doctors are not necessarily less smart than scientists. Many doctors are also scientists. Only a few doctors have the luxury to spend hours with a patient.
@@prayerpower1585 Also, there are too many who become doctors for the prestige and money, unfortunately. It's a sad fact. Clinical diagnosis had been pushed aside in favor of laboratory testing. This is a wonderful face saver for many an inept, egotistical ass.
I’m so happy that she’s stepped forward and is sharing her story with many!
thank you million times! This is so, so important! I grew up with the lesson learned via my dad. He had cancer from the time I was 12 until he passed away when I was age 18. There were many times when my mother was able to stop a med imteraction with my dad bc she knew what he was taking and everything else going into his body. She always taught me to pay attention, ask questions , make sure things are clear before the doctor leaves. She taught me that I am in charge of my body and to advocate for myself. There's wisdom there!!! Lovely!!!❤
People, please file complaints for those doctors who misdiagnosed cancer!
That is how I feel with any doctor these days , is extremely rare the one that has compassion and passion to listen and help!
Thank you for sharing your story , sorry you had to go through pain you went through trying to get an answer & thank goodness you paid attention to your body , God bless you . Praying for a full recovery .
I watched your video and just want to say you are amazing,brave and courageous for doing it, helping so many women who will be more aware of this awful disease. Thank you and all my prayers are with you on your recovery journey. Catherine from the UK.
Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. I truly appreciate it! If my story can make a difference in just one person's life, than this has all been worth it. 💜
I was having lower stomach pain that would be so severe I would be on the floor at a store till the pain passed. I would tell my doctor who would brush it off-went to emergency room and told me nothing was wrong till one day I was in such severe pain I call paramedics and could barely talk. They were acting like I was being dramatic that I couldn't stand up. Ended up at emergency room being treated like a drug addict until they did ct scan and was rushed into surgery with ruptured bowell and colostomy bag put on and almost died 3x. NO ONE would listen. Horrible experience !!!
Thank you Sandra for sharing your journey. I wish you well.
Thank you so much!
May God, hold you by the hand 🤚 and stay with you every step in this journey. And heal you thru his power and love. Sending prayers and blessings to all, who’s going thru the same battle. 🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼❤️❤️❤️🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼❤️
Amen!
Thank you so much! 💕
thank you for letting us be aware of this kind of cancer condition,great help really,may the good Lord bless us always
At 32 When I asked for a mammogram
I was told I’m “just a baby” “no family history” the itch was awful - a year later I contracted MRSA from shaving underarms. When they did a scan they came back saying I “may have something”
Yeah really? Like triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma? Maybe?
If I would have gotten care it would have been stage one- not 3 ,
All I gotta say peoples is listen to the itch And orange peel look- Make notes and take names! And please hydrate! “It’s okay to talk”
Thank you for posting this, I have been having similar issues for 3 months. I now will talk to my specialist about a biopsy. Once again I appreciate you telling your story.
I had severe pain beneath my belly as if someone was stabbing me. Went to the ER, they did an ultrasound and one doctor or assistant told me I am constipated and laughed it off. After insisting that the pain was unbearable, I was sent to do a CT scan.They found that the IUD has perforated through my uterus and is swimming around.
What is IUD????
@@babagama4232 Intrauterine device
@@babagama4232 It's a form of birth control. It is a device that's medically inserted into a woman's uterus to prevent pregnancy. It works by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting into the uterine wall.
Thank you, Sandra, for sharing your story so bravely and selflessly.
Thank you so much for your kind words.
It’s really hard to trust doctor because they often dismiss your pain and minimize your issues. I got hit my a truck and a male doctor sent me home with Tylenol. After seeing 3 / 5 different doctor they found out my foot was broken in 3 places, my knee hot fractured, and had some major nerve damage along with herniated neck. I told them there was something wrong and he told me to ice it. I mean it was a damn truck! And he just sent me home. Still haven’t recovered
Please report that doctor. I will start reporting doctors, too. So many of us don't. Me included...
She is a beautiful women. I'm thankful she's here to help and guide others through this horrific journey. ❤🙏❤
3 years ago Iwas in the hospital in the nuro surgery/neurological ward becuse I had a severe infection in my spinal fluid (my whole nervesystem and body was basically one gigantic infection) I shared room with 3 lovely ladies one with fibromyagia and two who both had brain tumors, one of those laidies survived a operation to removed it and I'm happy to say : She is still alive!
I remeber the next thing that happened so vividly that it might aswell been yesturday.... The other cancer patient told us how she had fought for four years to get the reason for her "migraings" checked, when they finally agreed they found a tumor. They kind of "waved it of" saying it was to small to be of any concern, two year later (still with migrains) she had a grand mal seizure and was taken to the hospital. Thats when we met her she was funny,kind,patient and loving. After a few days of testing the doctors doing their rounds entered the room asked if she would be ok with us beeing there (she said yes). They then proceeded to tell her that the tumor in her brain was getting bigger and that the cancer had spread to her liver,lungs and kidney. That he was sorry and that there was nothing more they could do for her; then he added that if it had been caught earlier maby things would have been diffrent.... WHO THE FUCK SAIYS THIS TO A PERSON THAT IS ABOUT TO DIE?
We all cried together and she decided to go home to die surounded by her family, in the comfort of her home, 5 months later and the day before her 32 birth day she died. Even if we were only togethe for seven weeks I will remember those seven weeks forever.
hypnotherapy69 -Thank you for sharing your story, friend.
I have lichen sclerosis and am constantly worried that it will turn to cancer. The medications definitely don’t always work the way they’re supposed to and doctors don’t take these kinds of conditions as seriously as they should. She definitely had LS, but when left untreated LS starts to grow scar tissue that can turn to vulvar cancer and there are cases where women lose the features of their genitalia from swelling. Graphic, but more people need to know the signs and not mistake it for an infection. It’s assumed vaginas just come with problems but so many issues could be resolved sooner if people cared :(
Thank you for sharing this there are so many people in the world with illnesses that are uncommon. This video may save another lifer or several!
Thank you for sharing. You are right, we need to be our own health ambassador, self-advocate, and listen to our intuition. Great wisdom shared.
I had a lesion on the top of my foot that motivated my podiatrist to refer me to a dermatologist for an examination and biopsy. The reluctant, know-it-all, dermatologist said (in a demeaning tone of voice): "Normally we wouldn't biopsy something like this, but since the podiatrist referred you..." The he called me the next week with the results: stage one malignant melanoma! If not for the watchful podiatrist, I might be dead.
Oh my goodness. After I had my daughter, I had intense itching of the perineum, and I saw my OBGYN. The very first thing he did way biopsy. I can't imagine why it wasn't done right away in Sandra's case. I'm glad she has a diagnosis and is receiving treatment now. In my case it was a very mild case of Lichen Simplex, and I rarely experience any flare ups, thankfully.
Women go home from EMERGENCY ROOMS EACH YEAR, and die, because their stomach ache, (often a symptom of myocardial infraction, aka a HEART ATTACK) was dismissed with an antacid prescription instead of an EKG. I am sorry this woman suffered for so long, in an uncomfortable area of her body, it must have been maddening to have pain like that for even an hour, let alone years.
What a beautiful person. God bless you, heal you, and restore you. 💜🙏🏾🤗
This just happen to me, like weeks ago. Now after removing my right side of my colon and biopsy I was told I have cancer....but months before I was told nothing was wrong. Just get to the part where I can sue doctors that didn't listen or do the right test. They think everybody is pill seeking , while letting people die slowly 🙄
What a lovely woman. So glad you have become such a fabulous advocate.
Poor girl she’s not ok 😭😭😭😭😭 I really such a baby right know is everyone crying
Thank God for her strength and determination and the brave she had to be to talk about this, to live this, to survive this (and she will),
THANK GOD FOR HER! YOU are exactly why I became a nurse, to advocate for people who cannot for themselves. You're amazing!
This video is really powerful to me, and I agree that it's important to speak up if and when we feel that something is wrong within our bodies. It's hard for me to even imagine the fear and challenges that go along with a cancer diagnosis. It's one of my worst fears. I'm praying for Sandra and just wishing her continued wisdom, power, strength, and healing as she goes through this process. She is strong!
Thank you so much! I truly appreciate it!
Thank you for sharing your story, this is so important for all women to see.
I have always said, we must be our own advocate, but as we see from this experience, we cannot make physicians perform certain tests. But I can tell you, for the most part, when I ask/tell my physician that I want a certain test done...they have followed through with my request. Of course the test has to ne in-line with your symptoms, or test will not get paid by insurance.
This lady unfortunately came across multiple lazy, incompetent physicians to not have done a biopsy sooner.
Beautiful attitude, focused on getting through without blaming or being resentful. I will pray for your complete recovery.
@jessica carol Delighted and not surprised. The Lord is good and His Mercies are everlasting. I pray that like ‘the leper’ who gratefully came back to their source of his healing, the blessings in your life will continue… keep us informed!
This is infuriating and too many of us have this similar experience. There has to be some kind of diversity training in medical school because studies have shown that Black people and Women's symptoms or complaints of pain or discomfort are often ignored until it's too late.
Sandra, thank you for sharing your story and your positive attitude, I pray that the cancer will leave your body never to return.
WowI I never knew this existed! We know about Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer but this really need more awareness and education! This is so wonderful! Thank you for sharing your journey
This video has given me the push I need to seek a new doctor. Ive been dealing with paralyzing pain along my spine and my doctor just smiles at me with dead eyes and says its because of my weight. I've been heavy all my life, and the pain has not been there. It staretd suddenly and without cause and still persists. I'm going to request a new doctor.
Doctors do that a lot, especially male doctors. If a patient carries extra weight, every symptom they have is related to their weight. It is just a lazy doctor. See a woman doctor.
Sandra you are a very strong woman. I wish you all the best. I know you will beat this! It’s very scary because my mom went to her doctor several times because she had laryngitis and he kept telling her she had allergies. So I knew something was wrong because she wasn’t getting better, so I brought her to the hospital and it ended up being throat cancer. Thank god it was caught early. But it was very upsetting because we trusted her doctor and if I hadn’t brought her to the hospital it could’ve been much worse.