Sick of having to justify pain to GP

[Lily1986]

Another rubbish experience with GP today has left me feeling guilty and horrible.

Had to ring to extend my sick note as I’m unable to sit or stand for very long due to stage 4 endometriosis and the damage it has caused to my nerves and bladder.

After much explaining she agreed to extend the note but even though I have a diagnosis of stage 4 endometriosis which took 13 years and left me infertile with no children, I still find myself trying to justify my pain!

Every thing feels like a battle with GP’s and now I feel guilty and anxious like I shouldn’t be having to ask for sick notes “for so long”.

I’ve received the note but she’s failed to add endometriosis in the reason section of it and just put abdominal pain, back pain under investigation. Which just makes me feel, yet again that doctors have no idea how excruciatingly painful and disabling endometriosis is.

I have somehow managed to work full time solidly through the pain for 18 years until the last year when it just became unbearable and I spend most days in bed dosed up on opioids pain relief.

I just don’t understand why the doctors continuously dismiss endometriosis and the pain and make you feel so horrible. I and many others have suffered enough and it’s not fair or right!

[Lindle]

Have you had excision or are you waiting? The lists in endo centres are long.

[Lily1986 in reply to Lindle]

Hey, my last excision with endo specialist will be two years ago this month and they removed left ovary and both tubes and took 6 hours to excise the disease but recent mri has confirmed it has returned.

I’ve got to wait for a pain management appointment to discuss nerve pain and also got to have further bladder investigations and procedures with urogynaecologist and then I’ve to go back to the gynaecologist who has said if I want surgery the only option left is “total clearance” which will likely worsen the already horrible nerve pain and having to pee 40 time’s a day.

Feel I’m being a bit pathetic but she couldn’t have said anymore times “you’ve been off work a long time now”. Like I don’t already feel awful enough about that.

Felt like saying “well if you can give me miracle treatment and cure that I need, I’m all ears and then I won’t have to be off work. Oh and if you’d bothered to listen to me all those years ago I may have been able to have children too” 😂

Xxx

[Moon_maiden]

So sorry you’ve had this today, don’t feel guilty, absolutely no need at all 🙂

I have found male doctors better than female generally, maybe it’s too close to home for them and if they acknowledge it, they’ll somehow get it! Who knows 🙄

I’d have probably written by now to ask them to put the condition down, just to annoy as much as anything 🤣

[Lily1986 in reply to Moon_maiden]

😂Yeah that is very true.

I rang them back and said I needed endometriosis mentioning on the note as it’s always been mentioned on previous notes as I have had a diagnosis and it’s not just “abdominal and back pain awaiting investigation”. Haven’t received my replacement yet lol xx

[Moon_maiden in reply to Lily1986]

👍😀 brilliant

Best way for them to acknowledge it.

They’ve put both on my record summary, mainly because no one can confirm if abdomen is related or not.

[Lindle]

I don't think there is any other disease that can do so much damage that would be considered so insignificant as to not even warrant being entered as a condition you have. I think at the very least I would write a formal complaint about her to the practice manager and suggest she does some reading up on severe endo.

[Lily1986 in reply to Lindle]

Yeah that’s a good idea, I think I might do that as it’s left me feeling the same as I did all those years ago trying to get a diagnosis.

I don’t understand why they are so clueless about it, it’s like it was totally skipped out of their medical school training.

Xx

[Afrohair]

I know how you feel with this I kept getting sick notes that said abdominal pain was off almost a year but as long as I have my note I don’t care if work are paying me I’ve come to understand that even if you explain till your blue in face people don’t understand and it will always be some kind of period pain or women’s troubles I’m so sorry you are suffering