Prostap: Hair Loss & Anger With Doctors

[SimplyDeeDee]

This has to be a two for one post full of frustration! Frustration at myself for not sticking to my guns and super frustration at the doctors for not giving me this warning and messing with my very existence.

For years I have refused prostap injections and the main reason being I didn't want to play god with my body; have something happen that I can not change e.g. early menopause. The side affects consultants bleat on about: hot flushes, cold sweats and vaginal dryness. Every consultant I have seen sounds like a broken record with the same crackled tune but what they fail to tell you is that you will have constant headaches which you wake with, go to sleep with and that you hair will start to fall out in clumps. Apparently you lose 100 stands of hair a day but with the amount I'm seeing I'll have no hair left to lose! Also what I do have is looking like it's gasping for water, my scalp is itchy with bumps here and there..

When I researched prostap the common side affects were listed, but I only found out about hair loss when I looked up 'prostap hair loss'. My injection runs out in two weeks and I won't be having anymore! The pain generated from my endo and fibroids is bad enough but the additional joint pain along with the other symptoms are turning me old before my years. AND there has been no improvement with it.

I really have had enough with doctors now, the constant messing around, cancelled appointments, chasing appointments, emailing, going to the hospital in person and proving my own medical file for incompetent staff has got on my last nerve.

At my last appointment in June with my consultant, he said due to my additional symptoms he didn't want to operate and be surprised so he would like me to see his colleague urgently who is a colon surgeon and I would expect to have an appointment in two weeks time. I agreed because I also don't want to hear about any surprises; even though I am highly pissed off with the whole thing I still want the correct treatment. Two week and no appointment, this is when I start my calls to the department, numerous times I am told I would be called back and to this day nothing. Secretary after secretary and still no appointment; then last week I received this 'urgent' appointment which should have been in June but has been booked in October - 2 weeks after the date I'm supposed to have surgery! Can speak to someone about this to get it changed? ... no!

I had a pre assessment last week and decided to chase this in person and within 15 minutes after standing my ground, I had a new appointment for next week.

Then it all go Pete Tong.

I had a call yesterday to say my consultant would like to move my surgery date to October! His reason being because he would like the colon surgeon present and this is the first date they can do together, I'm not sure how I feel about being the person that brings them together and how would the bowel specialist feel? (No time for jokes) Surely he must have known this back in June ?! Its like promising a child Disney Land and then swiping it away. Yes that's how I look at it, the magical dream I've been waiting for is surgery. Then to avoid my wrath you make someone else call and do your dirty work. Don't get me wrong I'm never rude; actually they say how polite I am considering my anger but if it were him calling I'm not sure I would kept my anger cool.

[weekari]

Omg. I'm angry for you.

It's shocking in every level. It's like they don't realise this is the only body we have and messing with it has HUGE implications on our lives. I'm so sorry you're losing so much hair. I know this would have a massive affect on my self esteem and how I view myself. It's not vain to be affected by this. Of course you want to feel better but you also don't want to look visibly different either. I hope you have good, fast growing hair that will recover quickly once you stop.

Reading what you have said just feels so close to where I am just now (just read my rant from yesterday!). I've had such an awful and long process with the doctors. I can totally relate to that stage of chasing up secretaries etc... It's so exhausting and frustrating. I always feel I'm a bit of a control freak by chasing things up and never trusting what they say but I honestly think if I didn't, my case would just be stuck at the back of a filling cabinet somewhere while my insides slowly turn to mush. I've been offered zoladex and like you had been really resistant. I just thought it instinctively didn't seem right but I've decided not to do it and after mg your expertise, it confirms what I was doing fearing. I dint want to just mask my symptoms, I want to get to the bottom of went my hormones were so out of whack. So I've been looking at alternatives now. I've spoke to a naturopath who specialises in women's hormones and I'm going to start bio identical progesterone cream in a few weeks. She's also given me some herbal medicine to try help with my symptoms. It's scary 'going rogue' but I honestly don't think the doctors have a bloody clue what they're doing. If you need to wait until Oct for surgery, it could maybe be worthwhile trying out? There are no side effects. It just replaces progesterone.

Sending you lots of healthy, good feeling vibes.

Xx

[SimplyDeeDee in reply to weekari]

Thanks Weekari I was going to message you today and say pull the brakes on taking it, I seriously feel like a malting dog and my hair was so lovely before. It'd doesn't grow fast either but I hope once the injection leaves my system it will improve. My body feels so weak and I'd sear I had more energy before. Masking the issue is not the answer and you're right, I don't think most of them consultants are playing the guessing game, specialists in bluffing.

When it comes to my health I have to be a control freak too, they don't seem to take me seriously otherwise. My little black file goes to every appointment, even the consultant had to use it during an emergency appointment and the nurse for additional information which I found shocking. Not to mention the amount of case studies I've provided.

The progesterone cream sounds interesting, have you got some links you can send me? I'll start investigating it, don't want my teeth dropping out next :-|

Thanks for the vibes, sending some right back at ya xx

[weekari in reply to SimplyDeeDee]

I'll pm you at I'm not sure I can send links. X