Always get a second,or even third opinion from doctors!!!!

It is lucky you are assertive Ruth - this is the problem though, how many people wouldn't have been assertive and would have been fobbed off.

I have a catalogue of horror stories about GPs here in Britain (knew you would all like the brandy one! They did remove that GP from practice as he had gone a bit mad - saw him tracing pictures of burgers in McDonalds after I had left his medical practice!!!).

But seriously, Rick's thread has a very important message attached to it so hopefully it will save someone's life. Get a 2nd opinion. In this country the GP's are often reluctant to refer patients because of costs. A friend of mine went back to my former doctor (not the one mentioned - another incompetent one) for 2 years and he was treating her for migraines. Luckily she visited the optician who advised her to go immediately to a specialist. She had a cancerous brain tumour the size of a small orange! She survived thanks to the optician but no thanks to the GP. She has 2 children - they were 6 and 3 at that time.

Another GP misdiagnosed my father for 5 years - he kept telling him he was suffering with nerves - he had got MS.

We go to a really good medical practice now thank goodness!

Very good advice for everybody, Stephanie.