Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Reveal The Most Hurtful Thing A Medical Professional's Said To Them

What happend to a bedside manner?

There is a quote from the legendary Dorothy Zbornak played by the incomparable Bea Arthur on 'The Golden Girls' where she confronts a doctor, who when she was in her greatest hour of need, told her to go to a hairdresser. She says to him -in a crowded restaurant- "I don't know where you doctors lose your humanity but you lose it. You know, if all of you in the beginning of your careers could get very sick and very scared for awhile, you'd probably learn more from that then anything else!" Mic. Drop.

Redditor u/slinkslowdown wanted medical folks out there to hear from a few former patients by asking the people of Reddit to share.... What is the most hurtful thing a medical professional has ever said to you? Who wants a Dorothy moment?



I have a mirror. Thanks. 

I went to get an earache checked and the first thing the doctor said was "Yeah so I'm gonna put you on some medicine for the ear but we've gotta do something about your face, your acne is absolutely terrible."

Thanks doc. CasenW

Lead with truth. Lives depend on it! 

Getting out of the army- you are 100% healthy. My medical record was about six inches thick. Went to a civilian doctor and they were astonished anyone would say that. I am rated 80% disabled. larrycorser

My mother and grandfather were both injured in the army. They will do everything in their power to claim that you are healthy, because if you are injured they pay your medical bills for life.

They tried to tell Grandpa that losing all of his teeth and having a crack down his forehead did not qualify him for a purple heart.

Insert cringy surprise at how this blew up here. Story: Grandpa was in a tank, and a tank shell bounced off his turret and slammed his head into the other side of the turret. The reason they did not want to recognize his injuries is because he pulled the teeth out himself (they were loose) and refused treatment on the skull fracture. AntifaAreFascists

Can you hear me Now?

When I was 16 and dealing with partial deafness: "Sometimes being a teenage girl is hard, but it's hard to parent them too so there's no need to exaggerate things to make things harder for your parents. Knock it off, there's nothing wrong with you."

Two tumors, 9 surgeries, and a CSF leak later, yes doctor. There really was something wrong. ur_tears_r_tasty

Shake it Off! 

You can't be in that much pain. You must have more energy than that. Turns out the lining of my nerves was being destroyed. I was becoming paralyzed, painfully. whyamisoawesome9

MS? My wife was finally diagnosed with that. Took several years and several Drs. If it is MS, or really anything else, then I hope whatever medication you're able to get helps prevent any further progression - best of luck and best wishes! IchthysdeKilt

Let's talk about your ears?! 

"It's all between your ears" after missing at least one, but probably two crippling vitamin deficiencies by not ordering the right test. It took me two and a half years of thinking I was lazy and pathetic before I went to another doctor and got diagnosed. Zoefschildpad

But you're so young! 

"I just don't know how you could be in so much pain being so young, I'm not going to be able to write you a prescription."

My response was, "You're a dips**t; I came in because I was hurt at work, doing heavy construction." I never asked for a prescription in the first place, I had assumed I was vetting an xray to see if I had broken anything. Lord_Stag

Walking is the Elixir!

You have no idea! I was in an auto accident when I was 14 but the doctors refused to do surgery to fix the issue because I was still growing. A few years later everything acted up and I ended up desperately needing that surgery. Afterwards I still had significant pain because my nerves were all screwed up because the issue had been left for so long. Every doctor I saw about it told me to "walk it off" and refused to give me any pain medication just because I was 19 at the time. I tried other stuff for a few years until finally, at 23, finding a doctor who took me seriously. IcedMercury

Bless you Miss Jeannie... 

Wasn't said to me, but someone I knew. I work at a hospital, so does my mother. We had a forty-three year old woman who had a very rare form of cancer that spread incredibly fast to just about everywhere in her body. From diagnosis to death was about twelve weeks. The medications and therapies and the general lack of mobility caused her to become swollen and obese. She was a terribly sweet lady.

They took her down to Radiology for a scan and the technician made a bunch of really mean comments about her weight because she was too large for our machines so they had to arrange for a transfer to another hospital for her scans and then have her transferred back. The technician thought that because Miss Jeannie was dying and sick that she was deaf or didn't understand English any longer, and so while they were alone she made so many mean comments. Miss Jeannie waited until she was back in her room waiting for her transfer before she started crying. I'll never understand people who feel the need to make others feel less than or badly. carmelacorleone

No Words...

No me but my mom is a nurse. One of her patients got shot in the foot holding a door closed in a school shooting. He was back in the hospital because he got an infection after surgery. Doc walks in and goes "so I hope you learned your lesson about playing with guns." anoll69

Size Matters! The End. 

I went to get a lump on my groin checked out, and had to remove my underpants. The doctor started a whole speech about "size isn't everything," which isn't what I went there for. stooble

Defibrillate this! 

Not psychologically hurtful necessarily, but the most terrifying thing I've ever been told...

"We're going to have to defibrillate you and we don't have time to sedate you."

They rolled the crash cart with paddles into my room and I said "Get that thing the hell away from me!" and almost cried. My mom was in the room with me and was absolutely hysterical.

Thankfully a cardiologist was able to look at my EKG in the nick of time and determined my heart rhythm was stable enough for me to just be transferred to a room for further evaluation without defibrillation. HorseMeatSandwich

Well you're no prize Sir.

Giphy

When I was 21 I went to the doctor for a checkup. The doctor asks me to lift my shirt and I do. He immediately says "egh" and makes a look of disgust on his face. I was an idiot and was gaining weight too quickly, due to this I had stretch marks. I've lost the weight and am normal weight now but I still can't shake that moment. This was 8 years ago. Reddit

Don't strike a pose... 

I started going to a dentist that had come highly recommended by a few different people. When I asked him about the possibility of straightening my front teeth, he said "Well, you'll never be on the cover of Vogue, but I think we can help you out."

I stopped going to him a few appointments later when he got mad at me for telling him that the filling he did months ago still really hurt. Jollyville

Boys & Their Boobs... 

"What are you going to do if your boyfriend would rather you had bigger boobs?" - said by the doctor to 15 year old me. I was getting a consultation for a breast reduction, because sporting G-cup was a nightmare. Still got it. No regrets. thekeyboardhero

NO ice cream for you Miss.... 

Me, when I was nine, about to go under anesthesia for the first time ever for oral surgery, and being extremely scared.

Nurse: You need to grow up. I've had kids half your age not be as much a scaredy-cat as you.

My mother was not, by any means, a helicopter parent.. .but the thrashing she gave that nurse, the other nurse who chuckled at it, and the doctor who came in was insane. And then she took me out of that office (the surgery was not a time-sensitive thing, just to fix a soon to be impacted adult tooth) and for ice cream. I had the surgery done at a different office with a staff that had far better bed-side manners. WalkerBRiley

Well Death it is! 

Doc: "I can tell you're incredibly sick by your skin"

Me: (looks in the mirror) "oh no I always look like this"

Doc: "no it's grey and sallow and the heavy dark circles under your eyes; you look clearly very unwell"

Me: "really, I swear I aiways look like this without make up"

I really did look exactly how I do on a daily basis. Apparently deathly. BrassLabradors

Want a punch in the face?!

Giphy

"You're 19, you shouldn't be having problems with anxiety!" MrSonicOSG

A Lack of Trust... 

What chronic illness are we sick with today?

I was 12 years old. Puberty was kicking my butt. I was depressed and constantly sick because my home life was in shambles. But my mother dressed nice and was a well known figure in the community, so I was faking the illnesses I guess. Anytime a kid acts out for attention, I pay attention because it means something is going on. But that doctor just shamed me into the pit of despair. I've had trouble trusting any medical professional since. americanskux

I am who I am....

Giphy

New doctor took my height measurement and jots it down before issuing me a very casual.

"Huh, tall for a woman."

I am a bearded man. MrBitchin

How about I sit on you Doc? 

He said I should be happy carrying around a bit of weight.. Because in drought the fattest cows die last.... Seriously wtf. jezabelsoni

REDDIT

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Dave Matthews; Donald Trump
@davematthewsband/Instagram; Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Dave Matthews Tears Into Trump's Goons And Masked ICE Agents In Scathing Viral Takedown

In a lengthy video message recorded Friday on Dave Matthews' birthday and posted by the Dave Matthews Band’s official social media accounts, the singer and songwriter began by expressing his gratitude for his community and neighbors in his chosen home, the United States, where he has lived since 1986.

Throughout his childhood, his family moved between South Africa, England, and the United States, but Matthews chose to make the U.S. his home and became a naturalized citizen in 1980.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hailee Steinfeld; Josh Allen
Christopher Polk/2026GG/Penske Media/Getty Images; David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Sports Writer Dragged After Shaming Hailee Steinfeld For Missing Husband's NFL Playoff Game To Present At Golden Globes

It's 2026. Sometimes couples can't "be there" for each other because of a work obligation or an important opportunity. That doesn't mean they care less about their partner or their partner's dreams.

But sports writer Dov Kleiman, who urges X users to follow his account for the "best and most accurate NFL news," posted prior to the start of the NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars, about a decision that quarterback Josh Allen and Sinners actress Hailee Steinfeld made regarding their attendance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump reading note next to Marco Rubio
@atrupar/X

Trump Roasted After Reading Secret Note Marco Rubio Passed Him Out Loud During Meeting

President Donald Trump was roasted after he read out loud a private note Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to pass him during a meeting with oil executives on Friday.

Trump and senior administration officials met Friday with oil industry executives, including leaders from Chevron and Exxon, as part of an effort to secure billions of dollars in new investment in Venezuela’s oil sector.

Keep ReadingShow less
Matt Damon; Jason Kelce
@New Heights/YouTube

Matt Damon's Poignant Comments To Fellow Girl Dad Jason Kelce About Parenting Have Us Sobbing

With his boyish good looks and easy charm, Matt Damon has been known to melt the hearts of his fans for more or less the entirety of his prolific career in Hollywood.

But a recent appearance by Damon on the New Heights podcast likely resulted in everyone reaching for the tissues.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jennifer Lawrence (left) appears at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards ceremony and is seen in New York City in 2026 (right) carrying her dog, Princess Pippi Longstocking.
Maya Dehlin Spach/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty Images; Raymond Hall/GC Images

Jennifer Lawrence Gets Candid About Rehoming Her Beloved Dog After Her Young Son Got Bit

Jennifer Lawrence shared a surprisingly candid—and darkly funny—update about her personal life during a recent Q&A at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, hosted by Josh Horowitz.

What began as a light question about whether she considers herself a dog or cat person quickly veered into a conversation about motherhood, boundaries, and the complicated realities of rehoming a pet.

Keep ReadingShow less