My Faith in the Healthcare System is Dwindling…

By Louise

I have been involved in the healthcare system since I was 19, and am currently 64 years of age. Over my career I have been a nurse, a career counselor and I am now a phlebotomist. A phlebotomist is a medical professional who is responsible for collecting biological samples like blood, urine or swabs from patients. One might say the healthcare system is what I know. I have lived experiences from both sides as I am also a chronic pain sufferer.

Migraines have been a factor in my life from the very young age of 10. I have Muscular Skeletal injuries, Osteoarthritis, Bursitis and I have also suffered from Fibromyalgia for the past 40 years. Last year I was hospitalised from this condition though I also see a rheumatologist for this, and have had some good results these past few months taking Memantine. In the past 12 months I have more recently been diagnosed with Diverticulitis.

I have been taking migraine preventative medication from an early age.

I began this as a teenager, and I can assure you at this stage nothing really works. It is a frustrating situation to be in when the doctors I am speaking with choose to ignore all the pain my body is experiencing. This occurs especially in relation to the migraines, these never seem to be taken seriously. I take Imigran PRN and it works, though I am questioned by the chemist if I take this too regularly. I see a neurologist who has prescribed me Panadeine Forte, Valium and Imigran. I have had Botox injections to combat the migraines and neck muscle spasms, and I found this had an effective reduction for the level of intensity - though not the frequency. I am still getting headaches for up to three to four times a week.

Throughout my career I have seen suffering. More recently, this suffering has been on the increase. I see people in pain every day and it saddens me to hear of the pain and suffering these people are faced with, since these new restrictive codeine rules have been applied.

I myself have experienced firsthand the effects of these law changes. I am often left with pain spikes that are out of my control. When presenting these symptoms in The Emergency Department I am given a Panadol and Nurofen as a first line of defense. The abuse I have felt subjected to by various GPs when attempting to get a follow up script is both horrendous and degrading.

At 64 years of age I feel insulted and treated like a drug seeker.

To beg and cry to be helped is morally wrong. People are being treated as criminals because they have been forced into a position where they need to demand for medication, medication they ought to be given. I feel the younger generations of doctors need to get behind their patients and advocate for them. A pain patient should not be left to writhe in agony because a doctor is denying a person much-needed medication - by offering up Panadol. Arguing and over-explaining why Panadol is deemed suitable is not appropriate in these situations.

If this mentality is to continue there will be a significant rise in Panadol overdoses, self-medication through illicit drugs and alcohol and a massive increase in the ‘black market’ side of medication.

Crime rates will rise.

Suicide rates will rise.

I need to see changes in the Australian healthcare system – we all do. I am losing faith…