Fed up!

[Sarahgwilson]

For the past 4 years now i've been suffering from pelvic pain, I'm currently going through the steps of diagnosing what is causing the problem. I've been told by doctors that it could be endometriosis. So in the last 18 months i've been on a mixture of painkillers, and several different contraceptive pills.

I'm seeing a doctor in a couple of weeks and i'm curious to know the average timescale other sufferers have waited before having a laparoscopy. This is the second time i've been referred to a gynaecologist and i'm going to push for the lap this time. The other treatments aren't really helping me at all.

[Impatient]

the average is 7.5 years according to a poll done last year, from 1st seeing a GP knowing that something wasn't quite right, to getting diagnosed with a lap op. Obviously some ladies must get seen to much quicker than that, because many are waiting a lot longer than that. My own wait was almost 30 years - and there are a number of forum members who have suffered as long as I did, or longer, and many more with well over 20 years before finally getting diagnosed in the UK.

Things are changing in that time for the better. Awareness of endo and what to do to get treatments is much easier to come by with the advent of the internet - and while long term waiters are skewing the statistics somewhat, there is still a lot more could and should be done to speed things up.

On the home page of the forum - click on All Polls, and you'll see and be able to take part in a variety of polls on your own experience with endo.

Questions such as how long to diagnose? How old were you when you first noticed something wasn't 'normal'? etc. The results of the Polls are quite an eye opener.

To get to the home page - click on the title endometriosisuk just under the green bar at the top of this page - then on the right hand side you'll see 'All Polls' and click on that.

[Confused1991]

I got referred for a lap 3 weeks ago, and got told it's averaging at 12 weeks waiting time. If that helps, good luck! I think if you explain that you've tried the other options, you should be referred x

[Kt_Cocker]

I think when you see the Gyno you need to insist on a Laparoscopy as its the only firm way of diagnosing Endo. From referal it took 3 months for me to have my Lapo and the results were quite a shock to me (even though I myself suspectedI had Endo). Looks like now I will have to have another one to sort other problems; again have had to wait nearly 3 months to see the consultant to confirm what they are going to do. All seems very very slow to me but at least its progress.

Good luck! x

[dabba76]

After 2 years of trying different IBS/pain meds my doc referred me to gyne, it took 12 weeks for an appointment. At my first referral with the consultant ha said only way to diagnose is to have a look inside. He looked at his diary and said can you come in next week for a lap. He almost had to pick me up from the floor.

[Vickal]

After 4 years of being fobbed off with painkillers I got a referral to a gyne and asked if this could be done privately as I had health insurance with work. After seeing the gyne I had my lap within a couple of weeks and a follow up a month after that. The biggest block for me was the health insurer they took their time deciding if they could cover the op as they considered it to be fertility related which wasn't covered. I was waiting for them to make a decision the day before my pre op which added to the stress of an already stressful situation! Things move a lot more quickly if you can afford to go private, you can also seek out an endo specialist who will have more knowledge in treating endo. From what I've read on here some gyne's still don't seem to understand endo and how to treat it. Saying that most private Doctors do NHS work too.

[Sarahgwilson]

Thank you for replying everyone, I've got to a point where i need to know exactly what is going on. The non-invasive treatments are doing very little so i think its time for further steps.