TO TRACY Re: Feeling like a frustrated hypochondriac
From: anonymous@obgyn.net
Fri, 23 Mar 2001 16:37:23 -0600 (CST)
Hi Tracy:
So sorry it's taken me so long to see your post! I don't have the time
to log on too often, but I was glad I spotted your memo today.
There are actually several ladies here who have painful periods, so no,
you're certainly not alone. They're all slightly different from each
other. (For instance, my pain and another woman's occur *exactly* at
the onset of our period, not before.) But we all have in common that
it's genuinely excruciating (NOT normal) and accompanied by horrendous
nausea/weakness/sickness. I have to tell you up front that I cannot
confirm a link beteen the pain and PCOS. In fact, yours sounds very
much as if Endometriosis is a possibility, Tracy: Have you pushed your
doctors to thoroughly check for that? Do! Regardless of the cause,
though, I happen to think that any humane doctor would not allow his
patient to suffer. If yours does, ditch him and tell him exactly why. I
feel passionately about that because I've been there myself: For several
years, I saw a variety of very good doctors who worked very hard to find
out what was causing it, but all the while I continued to suffer. No
one offered any pain relief, and quiet patient that I was, I thought
they knew best. Finally, after one particularly horrendous bout during
which I'd lain in pain on my kitchen floor for 2 hours--the pain had
literally dropped me where I stood--I told my doctor: "I know you're
working towards a solution, I applaud that and will continue to work
with you. But allowing me to suffer this way in the meantime is *not
acceptible.* This is sadism pure and simple!" One mention of the "S"
word and the look in my eye told him I meant business. He prescribed
Vioxx.
You need to find the cause of your pain. Painkillers are certainly not
a solution. But they CAN restore some sense of dignity to your life
while you and your doctor responsibly search for the cause. That's just
my humble take on it. :)
Stay strong!
Judy
At Tue, 13 Mar 2001, TRACY wrote:
>
>Judy,
>
>You are the only person to mention pain (from what I have seen) I am a
>PCOS suffer, aged 31, one child, diagnosed at aged 22, symptoms sice
>aged 16, 10 pounds overweight. I can handle all the other problems with
>PCO, I have been on the Dianette Pill for years, and had no problems,
>but the most HORRENDOUS, RIDICULIOUS, PAINFUL PERIODS have returned. 5
>days before I am due I could die, I can hardly walk due to the pain, and
>the nauseaus, and sickness and then when I start I feel I AM DEAD!!!!!
>HA HA, I have been to casuality twice the past 2 months begging for
>something to take the pain away, I have seen so many Doctors, who say,
>the cysts with PCO are too small to cause u pain, I TELL THEM well I
>have it, anyway on my last admission to hospital/scan showing cysts and
>thin lining of the uterus (hence why when I am on my period I loose
>black stuff which feels like I am loosing my insides) anyway this lady
>Doctor )THE FIRST ONE IN ALL THESE YEARS, said yes the PCO is causing
>the pain, u mention pain, please email me and tell me more, so I know I
>am not going mad. I DIE EVERY MONTH, do u have
>pain??????????????????????????????????? I would love to hear from you so
>when I am at the GPS surgery again begging for the painkillers he wont
>give me as he says they cause ulcers (they are the only ones that work)
>I will tell him I am not a HYPOCHONDRIAC!!!!!!!!!!
>
>Take care, love to hear from you,
>Love tracyxxxxxxxx
>
>At Fri, 9 Mar 2001, Judy wrote:
>>
>>Margene:
>>I do know, and thank you for posting that message and saving my sanity!
>>You've voiced exactly what I'm feeling and have discussed with my
>>husband -- so eloquently in fact that I feel like printing your
>>paragraph and handing it to each family member/friend. Maybe even a
>>doctor or two. :)
>>
>>We WILL get to the bottom it this problem, but you hit the nail on the
>>head re: what the process feels like. Getting a "your test is OK"
>>result is indeed great news, but it also carries the unmistakable
>>message "...so you'll have to deal with that unbearable exhaustion by
>>yourself for a while longer." Ugh, not what I want to hear when I've
>>already been at wits' end for over a year, and very ready for some
>>medical intervention. Like you, I'm very proactive about taking care of
>>myself, and am really proud of the fact that I really don't appear to be
>>a sick as I feel: My weight's great, and I'm darned good at sprucing
>>myself up (which I think is healthy emotionally). But of course that
>>doesn't help anyone to understand just how profoundly fatigued and
>>brain-fogged I am, nor how seriously that and the pain have affected my
>>professional and personal life. They see a healthy-looking gal, after
>>all, and don't realize the work that involves. Sometimes that leads to
>>insensitive conclusions. Example: Friends have suggested that I should
>>get out more. (We all know what that implies.) And a friend of the
>>family suggested to my sister that perhaps I have an eating
>>disorder(!!): After all, she reasoned, tests have come back normal, and
>>many of the symptoms match. Hearing suggestions that I'm in some way
>>making *myself* sick--especially when I've been so actively pursuing
>>everything possible to heal myself--is a reak kick in the pants, I'll
>>tell you. That's not the kind of support one expects when sick.
>>Luckily, I concentrate on ignoring the preposterous (and presumptive)
>>musings, and focus on the higher goal of getting myself well. Since my
>>insulin, thryroid function, and hormone levels seem to be OK, I'm now
>>diligently focusing on some nutritional changes that a doctor has
>>recommended. I'm even going for a sleep study test--also recommened by
>>my PCOS doctor--to rule out a neurological disorder. I'll let you know
>>if any are successes, Margene!
>>
>>Thanks again for sharing. Stay strong.
>>Judy
>>
>> At Thu, 8 Mar 2001, margene wrote:
>>>
>>>Boy, do I second your statement! I've gotten help for lots of the
>>>difficulties associated with this PCOS thing--I'm at a perfect weight, I
>>>quit my job to give me more time for pursuing good health, I am
>>>exercising regularly, I have my diet and blood sugar under control, I
>>>use an estrogen patch for the emotional/hormonal hassles associated with
>>>menopause, and have a good dosage of glucophage figured out, I live a
>>>clean life--but I am still not really feeling well. Today my Dr. called
>>>with the latest results from recent hormone/blood work and gleefully
>>>announced that everything is now totally normal. I asked him why I
>>>could possibly still be feeling lousy so often, and he was stumped. He
>>>suggested that it may be because of emotional/psychological
>>>reasons.....but I truly believe that the only reason I am emotionally
>>>hurting is that I'm tired of: canceling out of various activities, not
>>>getting things done, and letting down my family and friends because I'm
>>>always exhausted, have pain often enough to interfere with my lifestyle,
>>>constantly have "brain fog" and just generally feel yucky. I've been
>>>going through a type of grief over this syndrome and I'd like to get to
>>>the place where I either know I just gotta live with it (and then I
>>>guess I scale down my life in a major way), or have someone really help
>>>me figure out what the missing piece is.....you know?
>>>
>>>--
>>>margene
>>>
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