First appointment with a consultant

[Rach8]

Hi all.

I got referred to a consultant with suspected endo. He said it is likely. The entire appointment was rushed, i barely got a word in and he was quite dismissive. The only options he mentioned was lap surgery or hormone treatment to put me in to temporary menopause. Although I did not feel like I was given much of an option, he said he was recommending the hormone treatment. He kept saying that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists think that too many young women with pelvic pain are having the surgery...he said this 4 times. He didn't explain his choices or go through the benefits or side effects. Then there was the physical examination, it was horrible and I was sore after...I am 30 years old and that was the worst pelvic examination I have ever had.

Has anyone else had an experience like this?

Is there anyone here that has tried the hormone option? From what i have read it doesn't get rid of the parts that can glue organs to each other, is this correct?

Any advice would be fantastic.

Rach

[Leesac21]

That's exactly how I was after my appt in jan - I had the injections after it not being explained properly to me - at that point I was happy to try anything

The side effects have been bad it puts ur body into temp menopause so I have had hot flushes night sweats everything but it only eased my pain slightly!

After my next appt in April where a diff consultant says I'm too young( I'm 31) to really have injections I'm booked in for laparoscopy to find out what's happening x

[Rach8 in reply to Leesac21]

I hope your laparoscopy goes well

I'm going to speak to my GP before I agree to it and I need to ask to see a different consultant.

[Leesac21 in reply to Rach8]

It was meant to be next week but they moved it until June

I would push for the laparoscopy to find out what's going on - u need to know

Hope you get sorted 😀

[Hidden]

The only way that they can accurately diagnose you 100% with endo is to have a lap done (which is surgery). It isn't that too many women are having surgery done, it's more that they haven't found a clear cut noninvasive way to find out. And if they try and tell you that because your cat scan and ultrasound came back negative that you don't have endo, INSIST on a exploratory laparoscopy. Because it is the "Gold Star Standard" way of finding out. (and even then, they must take tissue samples, because endo is sneaky and likes to be microscopic.)

For some women birth control works. Some women pregnancy works. Other women menopause helps. It just depends on how your body is. Birth control might help you, it's worth a try. Usually they want to take the easiest route for you, until you find nothing works; then they do surgery. So they tend suggest birth control of many kinds, because 1 might not work but another might. Then the menopause shot. Then surgery. Unless you have an awesome dr. ( I have a mediocre obgyn) and they suspect endo right away and go check it out.

Do you know WHY he rushed you and dismissed you? Because he knows better then you. How could you a lowly woman who "thinks" her pain is worse then any other woman's period pain, know more then he the doctor who spent all those years in school? It happens everywhere sadly. I have had the gauntlet of doctors over the past near 8 years. I have heard anywhere from chronic appendicitis to possibly being sexually abused when I was little and those repressed memories are coming out in pain now. (Never had I wanted to punch somebody so badly as that doctor who suggested I was abused) My doctors rarely explain things to me even when I ask questions. I feel like they just pat me on the head and go "awww, you are SO cute". So I gather as much information from them, do tons of research online, then go back on my next visit and ask again. Not that it helps much, but it makes me feel better and more informed. Especially when I refuse something because of an issue that the dr. conveniently forgets to tell me the side effects. I wanted to do the menopause thing, but my insurance refused it. Make sure you do your homework on what kinds there are. Because some of the side effects are not reversible. (example: Danazol. It can make you have more male traits and isn't reversible).

[Mindstorm]

My first gynae appointment was not good, I wasn't even examined. The Dr ignored the scan which said adeno and polycystic ovary and decided it was probably endo as I have pain all month. A quick google sees adeno causes that. He then prescribed Provera without doing a patient history - I had sever clinical depression albeit years ago which makes it an unwise choice.

To make it worse I was told he would contact the colo-rectal consultant who has me on his list for a lap to look for adhesions and ask to do a joint. I found out on Monday that the letter he wrote tells colo-rectal to do the lap and to call gynae if he finds anything. If endo is hard to spot how is a Dr who is not a gynae going to see it. Going to the my GP and asking to be referred to the local endo centre as I have lost trust in this hospital. I know this will prolong my pain short term but will hopefully be a better solution long term. Once transferred I will be putting in a complaint.

[Rach8 in reply to Mindstorm]

I put in a call to my GP today, going to ask to be referred to an endo centre. I was made to feel very uncomfortable by the consultant I saw, and I have had to get my own info on the condition from the internet because he didn't seem willing to take the time to explain the condition or discuss treatments other than to tell me (briefly) what he was recommending. I hope you get an appointment soon.

[Mindstorm in reply to Rach8]

Thanks. I have been told to expect a 16 week wait from referral to initial consultation! I did wait a bit less than this for the local hospital (about 10) but the wait for the lap would not be decided until after an MRI next Monday. I figure jumping ship now should pay off in the long run even though the journey to the local centre will be a pain. Fingers crossed my GP is willing.