Re: First Lap will be diagnostic only--doc says she'll treat with Lupron despite any endo findings--confused & depressed :(
From: andrea (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Fri Aug 31 17:43:57 2007
Hi Trish,
If I were you, I would go with my gut and cancel the surgery. That doc
sounds really insensitive and not very good either! Why do the surgery
at all if she is not removing any endo? I'm so sick of the way most
doctors shove Lupron in women's faces like it's the only option. So
many doctors are like, "Lupron or hysterectomy?" Those are not viable
options for a lot of women. Not much help at all!
You are not wrong for doubting her ability and intentions. She sounds
like most doctors who have upset me, not giving me many options and
making me pay for multiple visits and not really doing anything! I have
changed doctors so many times, but I am glad I did!
It takes a while to find the right one and it is very frustrating and
discouraging, but there IS someone out there who is better suited for
you and more qualified to do your surgery. I know you are in pain, but
there is a possibility that a bad doctor could make things even worse.
Don't feel rushed, take your time and think things over. If you don't
feel this doctor will really listen to you, please try and find someone
who will. After 11 doctors over the last 20 years, I have finally found
the right one to do my surgery, but now I am having insurance issues. I
am determined to figure a way to get this done! Don't give up and keep
searching for the right one, ok? I wish you all the best and some relief
soon!
Have a good holiday weekend and take care of yourself,
Andrea :)
At Fri, 31 Aug 2007, Trish wrote:
>
>Hi all,
>
>My first lap, which was rescheduled from last month due to an
>underactive thyroid, is now all set for this Wed. the 5th...I've been
>back and forth to Duke so many times in the past two months that I've
>lost track, at a cost of about $25 per trip for gas and parking, only to
>find out yesterday that my doc has switched gears on me!
>
>While my doc has never been fully convinced that I have endo, (I've had
>two others opinions, both agreed that I probably do), she was planning a
>lap to possibly remove one or both ovaries and had me sign a consent
>form for that, and any other procedure(s) necessary including a
>hysterectomy. Well, since that time, I learned that my sister had
>severe endo and a complete hysterectomy in her mid-30's. I notified my
>doc's office of that, and now they have switched my procedure to a
>diagnostic lap only. When I questioned my doc about this, she said that
>even if she saw ANYTHING, such as a large cyst needing drainage all the
>way to moderate endo, she WILL NOT TOUCH A THING. She says she chooses
>medical management as the first line of treatment in all cases...if I do
>have endo, she says, I will be placed on Lupron, as I am not a candidate
>for bcp's due to my history of pulmonary emboli and Coumadin use.
>
>Well, I was too busy picking my jaw up off the floor to say anything
>before she smiled and scooted out of the room! I did, however,
>re-question the nurse as I signed these new consent forms about the
>choice of medical management with Lupron over removal. She also told me
>that it is the doc's philosophy, if endo is present, "Well, we see it
>this way: if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
>
>Now, I have spent all morning calling the other two docs here in town
>that have seen me...both had previously told me to stick with Duke, as
>they see me as a high-risk case with my rather complicated medical
>history (pulmonary emboli, grand-mal seizures, hypothyroidism, etc..) I
>BEGGED both docs to do my lap, saying that if it were to be diagnostic
>only, why not have it done here in town, making it so much easier on my
>fiance and other family members who want to be there with me? One turned
>me down, saying that he too, if he found endo, would proceed with
>Lupron, and the other flat-out said my case was just too complicated.
>There are no other clinics in my town that do laps!
>
>I also, some time ago, contacted the endo center in Atlanta re: bowel &
>bladder symptoms--one of the docs immediately emailed me back & asked
>for my phone number, saying he would call me to further discuss my
>symptoms...I have yet to hear from him :( I had expressed a sincere
>desire to drive or fly to Allanta despite limited funds to do so. So,
>what do I do now? I've been driven to tears, am very depressed and in
>pain (esp. lower back--all my female probs seem to present in the lower
>back for some reason?) and have no desire to go on Lupron if I am found
>to have any endo at all. Also, why would I want to go under general
>anesthesia more than once, if endo is found the first time?
>
>Is it common practice to have a diagnostic-only lap at first? Is it
>common for a doc to find mild/moderate endo and still treat with Lupron
>with no removal? I am off my Coumadin already and taking Lovenox
>injections in preparation for Wednesday's lap, but want desperately to
>cancel...but where else to turn, what else to do?? Please help--all
>opinions and experiences welcome...thanks in advance to all who
>read/reply to this.
>
>Sincerely, Trish
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