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Re: About to give up.....to Stephanie
From: josie (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri May 25 12:38:51 2007
I've been reading this thread and find it interesting how many women
have gone through this same routine. At my follow up appointment after
having my ovary removed, I told the doctor that I had the same level of
pain as before. Instead of trying to come up with a solution to help,
he said, "guess it's time for you to start pushing through the pain." I
wanted to tell him that I wasn't delivering a baby, but had pelvic pain
that put me at 20% capacity from my previous life and just wanted to get
back to normal! I went home feeling very demoralized. Luckily the next
day I had an appointment with a urologist who said that too many women
with pelvic pain feel abandoned by doctors who stop trying to figure it
out. I posted this info before, but he prescribed physical therapy to
help with the muscles that have been in spasm from the organ pain and he
prescribed B&O suppositories which are supposed to work directly on the
pelvic floor. I am amazed at how much it has helped and while the
problems are still there, it has improved (I feel like I'm at 70% now).
Keep looking, ask for a referral to PT, ask for the suppositories (they
work, even though it is just another gross thing to deal with!). I am
just bummed I stuck with this other doctor, when I always left the
appointment feeling like he was humoring me. What a difference to have
caregivers who care!!! It may be like finding a needle in the haystack,
but keep looking until you find someone you respect and that respects
you. Hope you are feeling better....
At Fri, 25 May 2007, Cari wrote:
>
>I know, and it just enrages me. That plus the judgement. Wasn't pain
>medicine developed to help those who need it? I have learned from my
>experience that is for sure, no more do I judge others in pain...
>
>What I really wanted to say is that after my last lap, three weeks ago,
>one of my docs came in to my hospital room and talked to me in detail
>about the surgery and actually took the time to answer my dad's
>questions (my mom passed away and my boyfriend could not be there so my
>dad has become my surgery buddy) which was so cool. The jist of what he
>said at one point is that our periods are not supposed to be
>debilitating at all. Yes, cramping is normal but it should never be
>severe and for too long docs wrote it off as part of being a woman. Now
>that I know that, I feel better to have someone side with me for a
>change. I used to have cramps and often they were pretty bad but a
>couple of Advil always did the trick...with endo and adenomyosis, I find
>Advil doesn't cut it at all. Doctors on the whole don't get that. A
>few that focus on endo get it, but most just don't. Typical thinking is
>that women are drama queens.
>
>I just wish the docs knew how humiliating this process can
>be...constantly subjected to ultrasounds and exams of our most personal
>private body parts, being probed and treated like pariahs for asking for
>medicine...and how stigmatized pain meds have become. Where is the
>compassion? I have put a career in archaeology on hold because of
>pain...
>
>Sorry for the rant ladies, I am just never going to understand it
>all...but maybe if we continue to speak up and create awareness, who
>knows?
>
>--
>Cari
>
>At Thu, 24 May 2007, Stephanie wrote:
>>
>>Hey Cari, i totally agree that we need to do something to let the
>>"world" know what kind of chronic pain we suffer and how much it affects
>>our lifes! And its very true that everyone thinks that there just NORMAL
>>cramps. It drives me NUTS to hear people tell me that. Like you said,
>>only if they would see us at home, and how we spend our evenings crying
>>and in bed, only then they would understand, that it isnt just NORMAL
>>cramps! Sometimes, i explain to others that the pain is like the pain
>>going into labor! Those are the types of cramps we deal with on a daily
>>basis! Thanks for the words of encouragement, they mean a lot to me!!
>>Steph :)
>>
>>At Thu, 24 May 2007, Cari wrote:
>>>
>>>Stehanie,
>>>
>>>No great advice but words of encouragement, I have been there. What
>>>enrages me is that this is a chronic pain condition, no cure etc and we
>>>are treated as though we are medication seeking addicts. Docs prescribe
>>>ibuprofen like its candy saying that the pain is merely inflammation etc
>>>and that makes me mad...once upon a time, a couple of Advil made my
>>>cramps melt away. Now with endo and adenomyosis, my ovulation and
>>>periods are horrific. Talk candidly with the doc, explain that taking
>>>motrin is great but the pain becomes unbearable and incapacitating and
>>>you want help.
>>>
>>>I often wonder, if we had some other "more tragic" (not my words, my
>>>ex-doc's) disease that caused pain the doctors would bend over backwards
>>>to help but too many doctors assume our cramps are not that hard to live
>>>with. They should come to our homes and see us curled up in the fetal
>>>position with pain tearing out our insides. I can't even tolerate my
>>>boyfriend to touch me just to rub my back because it just sends pain
>>>shockwaves thru me...
>>>
>>>I don't know what it will take to raise awareness...maybe if we keep
>>>fighting...
>>>
>>>At Thu, 24 May 2007, Stephanie wrote:
>>>>
>>>>Hello everyone...well iv posted a few messages this week, due to this
>>>>excrutiating pain episode i had on Monday night. Quick brief..last week
>>>>i ovulated and my pelvic/back pain for some reason increased, since then
>>>>iv been taking Darvocet every 4 hours, otherwise i cant even work. So,
>>>>i called my gyn and asked for something stronger at least until this
>>>>pain subsided a little. Well i get a call back on Wednesday from the
>>>>nurse telling me that the doc would only prescribe me IBUPROFEN 600 mlg
>>>>every 6 hours!! Later on in that day i called back to get a refill on my
>>>>darvocet, since i only had about 3 left. Well the doctor DENIED it.
>>>>When i asked why, the nurse just said that the doctor would only
>>>>prescribe ibuprofen for now. It made me SO MAD! I cant believe she said
>>>>that. After i had told her that my pain had INCREASE and not even
>>>>Darvocet was helping and now, they wont even give me a refill! Im so
>>>>upset, i just cried!! I have an appt next week w/a new gyn (who does
>>>>excision on endo) but im just so worried, since i still have to wait
>>>>till June 1st and no pain meds. Then i feel that they must think im
>>>>some drug freak or something, i cant believe they cant understand how
>>>>painful this can be!!! Sorry for the long story once again....I can
>>>>totally understand all of the other woman who feel like giving up! I
>>>>guess we get to a point we just dnt know what else to do!! Hope everyone
>>>>else is having a better day!! :) Steph
>
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