OMG, They Actually Ignored These Medical Issues?!

I was born with super bad clubbed feet—big toes almost touching my knees. The usual fix? Casts and braces. Mom once admitted she made my braces WAY too tight, and I screamed in pain for hours. No doctor calls, no hospital visits, just pain and later surgery that didn’t fix much. Now I've got foot pain and deformities, but hey, I’m NC with Mom and living my best life with some solid meds.

Imagine hooking your leg on a fence, slicing it open from knee to ankle, and getting zero medical help. That was me! Mom called me stupid and taped paper towels on my leg instead of getting stitches. I crawled around with those bandages on for days until a friend who was a medic saved the day. Result? Permanent scars and a whole lot of anger. Oh, and Mom loved pretending to be sick but never let me be. Classic.

I only found out I had ADHD last year! Because I never caused trouble and had great grades, no one thought I needed help. Anxiety and depression? Yeah, those too. After starting meds, suddenly life feels way easier—like someone hit the ‘Easy’ button on my brain.

As a teen, I got severe bronchitis and pneumonia but was told I was just trying to skip school. I stayed in bed for days straight (like, a whole weekend), and my mom finally admitted maybe I was sick. Now, when I'm sick, I’m terrified my boss thinks I’m faking too. Fun times.

I got tonsillitis tons of times as a kid, but my n-mom would yell at me for 'pretending' and seeking attention. She made being sick a problem, so now I avoid doctors unless it's absolutely needed. Yikes.

I had to rush to the ER at 12 with a golf ball-sized cyst, but dad figured prayer would fix me. Spoiler: it didn’t. No follow-ups, no grandchildren for him, and me with untreated PCOS and diabetes by 32. Thanks, Dad.

Dad was scared of needles, so no dentist trips for him—and that meant none for me as a kid. Braces? Yep. Cleanings? Nope. When I finally found a dentist as an adult, they actually talked me through everything, and now I’m on top of my dental game, like clockwork every 3 months. Adulting win!

From 10 on, no doctor visits unless it was a massive emergency. I broke my wrist skateboarding, and my parents just slapped on a cheap brace. Now I have a clicking wrist and a lot of pain—oh, and no way to fix it. My doctor now thinks I might have MS. Yep, fun times.

I avoided seeing a gynecologist until my mid-20s because family rules said I was supposed to stay a virgin and get married off. When I finally went, I told the doctor my fears and medical neglect story. They were super patient, but I still avoid doctors until it’s almost impossible. Brain, you’re weird.

An orthopedic issue my dad ignored as a kid left me with daily pain for life. Funny how the golden child gets all the attention, huh? Not me!

No one taught us to brush our teeth. No pediatric visits and missing vaccines. Good times.

Mom didn’t take me to doctors but loved the dentist. The dentist smoked and didn’t use gloves—yep, I tasted nicotine on his fingers. Now, decades later, I still hate going to the dentist. No thank you.

Teachers kept saying I should get tested for autism, but Mom was embarrassed. So instead, I got shoved into gifted programs while missing a diagnosis. Yay for that!

I got diagnosed with gluten intolerance at 26 after a life full of stomach cramps, joint pain, and headaches. Mom said I was faking everything except eczema, which she blamed on being dirty. I was obsessed with showers because I thought I was just filthy! Even my digestive problems never got a doctors’ visit. Now, I’m trying to learn to believe my own pain.

I barely remember ever seeing a doctor or dentist after childhood. Had jaw surgery but no clue how to clean my teeth post-braces. Turns out my jaw issues caused sleep apnea and other health problems. Now I’m playing catch-up with doctors in my 30s.

At 10, I got warned not to tell anyone about home life or face consequences. When I saw a therapist later, Mom snapped at me for 'talking too much.' Even got ‘diagnosed’ with autism, but honestly, it felt like trauma talking, not autism. Now, in my 40s, I’m still figuring out how to trust myself.

Had tonsillitis 8-12 times a year, but Mom refused to get my tonsils out until I was 21. Joints dislocated and she said I was lying. Now I can barely walk. Stomach issues too, but docs thought I was faking. What can you do?

My ankles crack and hurt, thanks to not going to the hospital after a car crash. After a nasty spider bite that turned into an abscess, I started compulsively picking my skin. Add constant lice and rashes from living in a hoarder’s house, and now I have OCD and sensory issues. Doctors say I’m too young to have these problems. Cool.

I started feeling fibromyalgia symptoms at 11 but got diagnosed at 23. My parents didn’t believe I was sick and mocked me when I was nearly bedridden. Now, I juggle eight chronic illnesses, half mental, all thanks to living with my narc parents.

My teeth are totally messed up because no one cared growing up.

All my teeth are rotting and my jaw clicks every time I chew. Yay.

I’m finally getting checked for hEDS and POTS. The doc said it’s a miracle I wasn’t diagnosed sooner, considering I’d faint and break bones like glass as a kid. Infuriating, but at least it’s happening.

Growing up in a messy, chaotic family left me with serious anxiety. My nervous system’s stuck on fight or flight mode, always worried about being judged or not having a real family. Now in my 20s fixing my teeth, strangers are genuinely happy for me—it feels like a win I didn’t expect.

I tend to convince myself I’m making things up—even when I was pregnant, I struggled to believe it was real. Talk about a wild mind.

Had digestive and bowel problems all childhood, plus some mental health struggles tied to undiagnosed celiac disease. Now, at 49, I’m feeling pretty broken. Thanks, neglect!

I don’t take care of myself because I always downplay symptoms until they’re way too bad. Classic neglect vibes.

I’m not aging well and tend to ignore medical issues until I’m forced into the ER. Googling becomes my survival skill, though people judge me for it. Better late than never, right?

My parents ignored problems until they seemed gone. Untangling that as an adult is its own beast.

My teeth are a mess and my lungs are scarred from pneumonia and untreated asthma. Could keep going but you get the point.

I might have Ehler’s Danlos, diagnosed late at 32, plus a messed-up spine from delayed therapy. I was malnourished and still battling mental health issues. Life’s a lot.

I barely ever saw a doctor as a kid—dentist and eye doctor, yes, but no regular check-ups or ob-gyn until adulthood. Now, no insurance means no doctors. Fun times.

I’m super sick and fragile, can’t work anymore. Years of stress and cortisol overload did a number on me.

I’m not aging well and usually ignore signs until I end up in the ER. I’m finally trying to get better about it—better late than never!

I’m disabled, and I’m convinced better medical care as a kid would’ve made things less harsh. Genetics aren’t the full story.

Dentist once at 8, fillings fell out and never replaced. Now root canals are in my future. Yay.