Humiliated by the Doctor!

After having chronic pain for six years, today I finally plucked up the courage to go to the doctor to ask for a laparoscopy. I've never been officially diagnosed with endometriosis, but it runs in my family and I have almost all of the symptoms. I want to try for a baby in the near future so I want to find out what my chances are/how to improve them and be officially diagnosed.

As soon as I mentioned endo, the doctor smirked and assured me that it's highly unlikely that I have it. She then went on to explain that the pain I've been experiencing (FOR SIX YEARS) is more likely to be from chlamydia, which I have ensured that I'm tested for every six months so it is definitely not that. She then laughed when I told her that I get excruciating pain in my cervix and assured me that it wouldn't be my cervix that was painful. So she used the speculum and felt my cervix (which was SO painful) and then started to come round the the fact that there might actually be something wrong. All the prodding around up there has triggered a lot of abdominal pain! But, on the bright side, I was referred to a gynecologist who can take me through a laparoscopy.

She made me feel so small! I'm really frustrated, does anyone else have any nightmare doctor stories? And where should I go from here?

[Mindstorm]

I had colo-rectal tell me after a barium enema came back normal that there was nothing wrong with me and the pain I was getting was probably something I would just have to deal with. That he would do a laparoscopy to see if I had bowel adhesions again but that it was extremely dangerous! It was very clear he thought I was making everything up and when I got upset talking about how the pain affects my life he just turned away and messed with his computer.

The gynaecologist ignored my concerns about cysts on my ovary, told me the adenomyoma a scan showed up would not be causing me pain all the time and that I probably have endometriosis. He did not examine me and barely listened to me. He did say I need a laparoscopy (he thinks it is routine and not dangerous unlike the other Dr) so he would liaise with the colo-rectal Dr as he was more senior in the hospital. I have since discovered he has discharged me and told the colo-rectal Dr to look for endo on the lap and page gynae if he finds anything.

I have an appointment this afternoon with my GP where I am going to demand to be sent to a specialist endo centre. If she refuses I will threaten to get the local CCG involved (my friend's husband works there and said to use his name!).

[Gillibeanz]

Yep! Been there with the doctors making you feel like your stupid. For years I went to the doctors with my periods to be told 'Some women just have heavy periods' and that 'the pain is normal' to the point I just gave up, shutting up and putting up with it. At one point when I was still at school the doctor even said to my Mum that she thought I was making it all up to get out of going to school...nice!!

I wasn't diagnosed until a couple of months ago (now aged 31) when I ended up have a large cyst on my Ovary removed and they found severe endo when they opened me up. I'd never heard of Endo before and never researched it because I was pushed into a corner of thinking there was nothing wrong with me and this is what every woman must feel like and I wasn't dealing with it well. So when I was diagnosed and I looked into it I was releaved that what I felt and was saying did make sense and that I wasn't mad afterall, it was like a jig saw had clicked together and I could see the full the picture at last.

My recomendation though would be to really insist on a Lap because the sooner you get the diagnosis the better and it seems the more they can do for you. Because mine was left for so long it's spread too much and fused my organs together so having any kind of removal is too risky now, which is super annoying when I'd been telling them for years there was something wrong, if they had listened I might not be in this postion now as I could have had different treatments sooner, annoying!!!

So yes, keep insisting on the lap and do not let them fob you off!! You know your body better than anyone so keep persisting for answers!