I’ve had my pre op assessment this morning and I feel terrible after it. The nurse couldn’t have rushed it through quicker, when I asked her my questions she said ‘I’ve told you all this already’. She asked how long I’ve had symptoms for and I said 8 years and explained them and she was totally dismissive. She said my pain and bleeding during sex (for as long as I can remember) will be cervical ectropion and my pains in my back, blood in stools and pelvic pain is probably just IBS and so many women come in for a laparoscopy and end up with no diagnosis and it ends up being IBS
I feel like it’s taken me so many years to finally be taken seriously and she has just totally dismissed what I’ve experienced and I feel like I’m back to square one. I asked her what will happen if they find nothing and she told me that nothing will happen and they won’t do any further tests, I also won’t have a post op appointment they will just have a chat to me after the surgery.
I also told her how anxious I was and she said ‘what about these questions?’ Abruptly and when I explained it was about the op she again dismissed it. Can anyone offer any reassurance at all as now I just feel like I’ve been a total drama queen all these years, but I know these symptoms aren’t normal ☹️
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For many years I was told your stomach complaints and tiredness was IBS so basically get on with it and here are some tablets for your stomach.
It took me to move area and new GP.
You may have a laparoscopy and it light not show up endometriosis but then it may do.
If not, also ask for an MRI to see if you have adenomyosis. This is the only way to diagnose this condition.
I have both endometriosis and adenomyosis. My symptoms are heavy bleeding, labour like pains, low bloods, exhaustion, pain during sex.
The nurse you spoke to was obviously very dismissive for some reason and I truly believe people who don’t have these conditions have absolutely no idea how we have to live and what we cope with on a daily basis.
Keep going back to your GP, take someone with you for support, you know your body better than anyone else and know when something is wrong xx
Thank you, the op is still going ahead, she has just made me feel like it’s a waste of time. I was diagnosed with ibs years ago and given various medications for it. It’s always been dismissed as this or heavy periods but it’s affecting my day to day life and I know that’s not normal. I am thinking about putting a complaint in, a pre op is supposed to offer reassurance not make me feel ten times more anxious x
Yes you are right, they often want us in and out as quickly as possible. Your lap won’t be a waste of time as it will hopefully give you answers try and stay positive and don’t let this lady make you feel anxious about the operation. You have a right to complain as it always helps us other patients in the future if her attitude is addressed xx
Help, is this lady the one giving you the surgery or is she just a nurse?
You need a surgeon who:
-Cold scissor cuts out the endo and NOT burns it off. Otherwise you'll waste your life in extra unneeded pain like me, as burning it off makes the endo grow back quick and faster and more endo than before.
-has a patient repeat surgery rate of more than every 3-4 years, else they operate every 5 seconds if they could.
-has other surgeons in the theater who specialise in the other organs possibly effected by endo, ie bowel surgeon etc.
-look up ratings on your surgeon to see how others have got on.
-ask the specialist if they specifically specialise in endometriosis. Not all gynecologists specialise in endo, some specialise in having babies etc. Only 3 years after mg bad op did I find out my gynecologist doesnt specalise in endo, but she never told me prior.
Ask another specialist endo gynecologist for a second option, as you can do this.
Dont leave this all to a complete surprise after your operation. Then realise you're worse off.
If u dont like her pre op, you will not like her post op either. She is simply one of thr worse surgeons in her field, I can tell. There are some lovely lovely surgeons out there who really care the best for their patients that their patients fully recover from endo. Dont settle for second best, I feel so sad for you
I’m really sorry this nurse has made you feel like this! Sometimes until they are treated the way they treat other people they don’t realise how rude, abrupt and dismissive they are being. I’d honestly ask to speak to the charge nurse for the pre assessment department and pass on this feedback so that something can be done about it. You’re clearly a stronger person than some and this may actually put someone off the surgery needed to diagnose. I hope they find a cause for your symptoms when you get your surgery xx
These are the kind of people who butcher you during your operation and leave you in more pain than ever before, because they're not the best in their field and they dont keep up with the golden standard of endometriosis surgery / care etc. She is telling you she's useless.
You need a surgeon that cares and listens and practices the golden standard of endo treatment, you just need to do some research, cos they're harder to find. Look at tamer seckin website. And book, the dr will see you now, by tamer seckin. I learnt more from these 2 sources about endo operations than any dr ever told me.
Luckily it's just the nurse, but they shouldn't make you feel horrible. You are doing the right thing by going for the lap to diagnose your endo.
The pre-op should run through the op including what's being done, stay in hospital, your consultants availability, any assistants, your medication, blood tests, urine tests, height and weight.
It may be an idea to see if you can contact your specialists secretary to explain how it all went. Oh and while you're doing that based on my experience of laps, it's an idea to check what you're having done in your op (-+ things should be explained), try to ask for as many procedures as possible (saves you going under again). So check if they'll do a diagnostic lap with excision of any endo they find (treated there and then), hysteroscopy (camera up vagina and uterus to visually check things), and biopsies of anything they find. That means you'll be on your road to recovery as soon as possible!
You'll get a chance to see your admission sheet before your op, hopefully with your specialist so you can ask for explanations, if there's anything you don't like don't have it done or ask for an explanation, it's your body so you should feel comfortable, happy and safe.
They may not do excision on areas where an additional specialist is needed such as the bowel or bladder so they may leave that for another lap which makes sense.
Thanks for everyone’s responses and support! I asked her a few questions and she said that I will have to ask the surgeon on the day. I’m going to write all of the issues down so I can make a really clear complaint. I’ve still not had the actual procedure explain to me, I was told to google it.
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try and stay positive and don’t let this lady make you feel anxious about the operation. You have a right to complain as it always helps us other patients in the future if her attitude is addressed xx 
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