Re: Aaaaaaaaaargh (Needed to vent)
From: Kat (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Mon Mar 22 18:22:48 2004
At Sat, 31 Jan 2004, Susan wrote:
>Susan,
What is the name of your doc from Bethesda? I thought that I had a great
doc in Arlington but they have told me that my only option is Lupron. I
don't have everyday massive pain, only about 3-4 days month where I need
heavy pain meds and I don't think Lupron is a good option for minor
major (hehe) pain. I feel like I have been written off by her. I am
starting to go to a pain clinic in a few weeks. Hopefully that will
help. Thanks.--Kat
>Nicole, Your Dr does not sound qualified to diagnose a cold - get
>another Dr immediately. There is only one way to diagnose endo - thru
>laproscopic surgery. His pelvic exam can't tell if your bladder or
>colon or pelvic walls or intestines are covered with endometrial
>implants and adhesions. If you were diagnosed with endo yrs ago,
>despite your pregnancy and perhaps relief of symptoms - it hasn't gone
>away. I have heard the progressive growth pattern of endo cells likened
>to the progressive growth patterns of cancer cells. While endo in
>itself is NOT a cancer, it grows & spreads in a similar way. It may
>sleep, but it does not go away. This is probably why Dr's speak of endo
>as being "in remission". Pregnancy, because of the suppression of
>estrogen, can put your endo into remission, but it will not cure it.
>There is no cure for endo, just as there is no cure for cancer. Everyone
>is different and someone might go for yrs after a pregnancy before the
>discomfort from endo becomes manifest again. Or perhaps their symptoms
>come back within a few short months. Birth control pills (Seasonale)
>and Depro (also birth control) will slow the endo growth but they won't
>stop it. Lupron, though highly controversial, seems to be the best bet
>going at the moment simply because it stops the production of estrogen
>altogether. However, since estrogen is such a crucial hormone to young,
>healthy women, it also makes for some unpleasant side effects. Sort of
>like getting prematurely old before your time. Being young in an old
>woman's achy body. I'm about to start Lupron myself & I'm armed with
>Viactiv (calcium chews) and a multi-vitamin with calcium. You begin to
>lose bone density immediately with the 1st shot of Lupron - thus all the
>aches from people who were never told to take 1,500mg daily of calcium
>to prevent osteoporosis. Your endo could be coming out of pregnancy
>remission & waking up with a vengence. You need a Dr who's willing to
>maybe do another lapro (since your last one was 10 yrs ago) and monitor
>you closely and work with you to see what your endo responds too, not
>just throw birth control pills at it. I don't know of any Drs in the
>Dallas TX area, but I do know of 1 on the west coast & 1 on the east
>(not much help). East coast is Bethesda MD Naval Hospital and I was
>very privelleged to have the former director as my Dr. I wish you the
>very best. Hang in there!
>
>At Tue, 27 Jan 2004, Noelle wrote:
>>
>>Ok...so I went to the Doc on Jan 22. Told him that I never stop
>>hurting, I've been consistently spotting between periods about 1 1/2
>>weeks post menses, and that I've been bleeding more heavily and passing
>>clots, which I didn't do pre-pregnancy. He did my pelvic and says
>>there's "no sign of Endometriosis" because he says my ovaries and uterus
>>move freely and that there is no sign of adhesions. This was all
>>determined by a freaking pelvic exam.... I told him I have
>>Endometriosis. He asked me how I knew. (He was not the Dr who
>>performed my lap in 94) I told him I've had a laparoscopy. He says well
>>your pregnancy should have gotten rid of it.(The only positive thing I
>>have to say about pregnancy is my 19 month old son...he's a doll...
>>pregnancy was miserable hehe) But, maybe it could be coming back. Ok...
>>I'd like to know when it was ever gone??? My lap was a Diagnostic Lap...
>>Dr Schklair didn't remove anything except for biopsy.(I'm 33 now, lap
>>was performed & diagnosed when I was 23, been dealing since I was 15) My
>>reports show I had or have it in the cul-de-sac area and on my ovaries.
>>Dr Schklair never categorized me either, so I have no idea what phase I
>>am. ::eye roll:: Anyway... my current doctor gave me a sample of
>>Seasonale... a 3 month cbcp, that allows 1 period quarterly. Has
>>anyone tried this stuff? It's a levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol bcp.
>>I've had bcp issues before. I'm scared I'm going to have the same
>>massive mood swings I've experienced in the past. Fort the pain.. he
>>gave me Bextra... an anti-inflammatory that doesn't do JACK. Grrrrr...
>>he says "once you start the cbcps your pain will go away". It never has
>>before... It actually sometimes gets worse, plus I become a raving
>>lunatic on the verge of a tri-state killing spree if you know what I
>>mean. Besides kicking this doc to the curb, anyone have any other
>>suggestions? Anyone know of a fantastic doc in the Dallas/Ft Worth area?
>>I'm going to try to get into Dr. John Dulemba... but I heard it's
>>hard. HELP!
>>Thanks for your kind ears...and patience with my novel...
>>
>>Love & Light,
>>Noelle
--
Kat
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