Ekene Okafor - On Being Misdiagnosed
Interviewed by Munirah Yaqoub
In the first of our two-part series on misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis, I spoke to Onyinyechi that told us about her missed diagnosis. In this second part, I talked to Ekene Okafor, a 24-year-old women’s rights activist, who shared information about her work and experience of being misdiagnosed with appendicitis.
Ekene: Hi, my name is Ekene Okafor. I am a current law graduate doing my NYSC while waiting for law school. I work in an NGO called the Nigerian Association of Women Advancement (NAWA), whose primary focus is the development of the girl-child; from training to education and other opportunities to aid her growth and development.
M: That’s amazing, thank you. So, let’s dive right in. Before this incident, what would you say your hospital experience has been like?
Ekene: I would say that apart from the general annoying Nigerian hospital behaviour, with the long waiting hours, occasionally rude nurses and people trying to prove the extent of their power, it has been very calm.
M: Alright then. Please, tell us about the time you were misdiagnosed.
Ekene: I had been having abdominal pains on my right side. So, that’s what made me go to the hospital. The doctor performed a scan and concluded that it was appendicitis. Later, the pain spread to the other side which made me get a second opinion. The other doctor then told me that it was not appendicitis, but kidney stones. I’m guessing that the first doctor was distracted because the second doctor performed the same scan that he had done and discovered the kidney stones.
M: You say you guess the first doctor was distracted. Why did you think so? Was there anything specific he said or did to make you feel that way? Or how was his general countenance?
Ekene: When I got there, maybe because I looked young or I am young, he was already chatty with me. He said things such as “do you want me to tell your mum that you have a boyfriend?”, “oh, you don’t want her to know you’ve been doing “things” abi?” or hinting that I was pregnant and it wasn’t appendicitis, all while doing the scan.
M: That is disgusting. I’m so sorry.
Ekene: So, he was generally having fun with the situation. So, that’s why I said I guess he was distracted because he didn’t see what he was supposed to see. After that, I went to another hospital to book a procedure, but the second doctor wasn’t quite settled with the first diagnosis and performed another scan which revealed the stones. After that, I didn’t go back to the first doctor (obviously lol) and began treatment for the kidney stones. That’s where I am currently.
M: I am so sorry you went through that. Do you think there would have been a difference if you had been diagnosed correctly earlier?
Ekene: I do. If there was a proper diagnosis the first time, I would have begun the treatment earlier and wouldn’t have had to endure the pain during the interval between meeting the first and second doctor. There is at least a month between the two periods. This was at the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic when everything was out of control. My parents and I were looking for a doctor to perform the procedure, and at the time, hospitals didn’t want anyone in their centres if it wasn’t an emergency, and they said my pain wasn’t enough to be an emergency. I guess they wanted me to be writhing on the floor and crying, and that wasn’t happening. So, they told me to go and return after like a month for surgery.
If I had initially known it was kidney stones, I wouldn’t have had to go through all that, won’t have had to pay more money for consultations, and would’ve started treatment earlier.
M: I’m so sorry that happened. How do you feel now?
Ekene: I am okay. I’m trying to follow the doctor’s instructions and be good (lol).
M: Lool, happy to hear that. Is there anything else you’d like us to know?
Ekene: I don’t exactly think every male doctor is guilty of this act. The subsequent doctors I had gone to on this matter( apart from one who was a lady), were all male, and they were all professionals. I will say that I’ve never had this experience with a female doctor, but then again, I don’t think it’s a solely male doctor problem, it was just this one silly doctor.
M: Okayyy. Where can we find you?
Ekene: I’m in Lagos lool. You can also find me on Instagram @ekene_okafor and @EkeneO_ on Twitter.
M: Alright. Thank you so much!
PS: Dear reader, do not let anyone (including your doctor) convince you that the pain you’re feeling is all in your head. Unless you’re a hypochondriac, if you notice that something isn’t right with your health or body, and your doctor is playing it off as nothing or milder than it should be, it’s perfectly okay to get a second or a third opinion, if needed, until you’re satisfied. At the end of the day, it is your health and your health is a PRIORITY.