So a few months ago my appendix ruptured (although I didn't know it at the time but was in a ton of pain) and I went to the VA ER, and after a few hours of running some tests they sent me into emergency surgery. The surgery went great with no issues, and after 2 days in the hospital they sent me home.

Two days of me being home I started feeling immense pain in my abdomen where the surgery was done, so I went back to the VA ER and the nurse who took me to the examining room started asking the normal questions (like medical history and what meds I was on). The minute I told her I was prescribed methadone I noticed she immediately started acting differently, like I was somehow wasting her time and that I was exaggerating my symptoms for some reason. Well after she got my info she left the room. A few minutes later the doctor came in and the first questions he asked me was "how long have you been taking methadone?" followed up by him asking why I was taking it, I answered him and I also let him know that I had stopped taking my methadone since my surgery because being constipated right after having abdominal surgery is no bueno and they had prescribed me some oxys. The doctor then started asking me questions about why I came to the ER and asked where the pain was, I told him I had just had a surgery a few days ago due to my appendix rupturing, he then said he doesn't think that my pain is from the surgery and that I was just having "withdrawals" because I stopped taking my methadone. I just about came unglued when he said my pain was nothing but "withdrawals from methadone". I was pissed because I know what methadone withdrawals feel like, and this wasn't it. So I demanded to see a new doctor. Long story short (actually long story at this point), I had a 8cm abses in my abdomen where they had taken my appendix out. I had to once again have emergency surgery where the had to cut open my stomach to flush everything out (a cut from the middle of my stomach all the way down about 2 to 3 inches past my belly button). I was in the ICU for 3 weeks due to fighting multiple infections caused by my appendix bursting.

I just hate how ER doctors and nurses treat you once they find out your on methadone. It's like we can't have legit reasons as to why we go to the ER, they always think we are trying to score pills or something. I honestly just want to lie about being on methadone so that they will take me seriously.