Speed up date?

[a_aedo_m]

Hello all,

I am asking for advice or kind words, anything helps. I have been waiting for a laparoscopy in Edinburgh Scotland since July 2020 and was always told I would be seen in June 2021 do to the COVID impact. Now they tell me I won't be seen until the end of the year. I have been in excruciating pain all these months - phoned my GP many times and even went to A&E to no avail. My symptoms are quite bad so I have no idea why I am forced to wait even longer for help. I wonder if there is any experience or advice you could provide to help me get my date sooner? Is there alternative action I should take? I feel so lost and unacknowledged. The drain on my life is so intense, I'm hanging on by threads.

Thank you all.

Warm wishes,

A

[Hunter-23]

Make sure you're seeking the laparoscopy via a endometriosis specialist. You can find the approved centres on the BSGE website.

If you are already seeking help via a specialist then email their office, for their attention and explain how much pain you're in, how it's affecting you're every day life, whether it's affecting your mental health. Also mention your desired outcome as ultimately laparoscopy is the gold standard and sure fine way to diagnose endometriosis.

Ask to be placed on the cancellation list too.

It really shouldn't be taking that long, I've been on the list since April 2021 and have my laparoscopy in a few days time.

I also wouldn't allow them to use Covid as an excuse. If something hasn't happened or is taking a while everyone are so quick to use covid as an excuse!

[Hayayaya]

Call your gynaecologist department where you’re signed up at. They should have surgery officers section. Explain the pain to them and how you’re hanging by the threads and hopefully they should be able to do something sooner for you.

Operations can be sped up depending on how much pain you’re in - this is what the lady from the gynaecologist surgery told me

[Simo7]

I don’t know what Edinburgh is like but my last laparoscopy was initially a 40 week wait and that was before covid. It eventually took 12 months. Pester your GP for help with the pain in the interim, or maybe enquire if you can try hormone treatment with your gynaecologist (personally I’m not a fan but each to there own, whatever helps). Also I’d call your gynaecologists secretary, explain how desperate you are & request that you’re put on a cancellation list. Then keep calling or emailing so that they don’t forget you. One of our biggest lessons with endo is learning to advocate for ourselves! Wish you well x

[635703]

Patient Advice and Liaison Service are the people in the NHS to complain to and they sort stuff out and help support you. Give them a call, explain and then they have a procedure to respond in a specified time etc.

I am so very sorry for the pain and the immense distressing impact this is all having on your life. So relatable and all horrific, scary and I hope you know you're not alone - we are here.

Hugs and love.....been on this road since 2007 and keep talking, keep reaching out to us - much love x x x x

[a_aedo_m]

635703 Simo7 Hayayaya Hunter-23 Thank you so much for all your advice and words of encouragement. I have since contacted the secretary of my gynaecologist and she is going to speak with him about options for speeding up my surgery date. I should hear back from her next week, but if I don't I plan to follow up with Liaison Service or surgery officers for help. I agree in being an advocate for myself now, and need to take that role much more seriously than I have been. It's hard to demand attention when so many of us are in the same place. Your shared experiences and advice has truly helped me so much. Thank you, dearly.

[635703]

Hiya! Thank you so so much for saying this because helping just one woman was something I didn’t think I could do anymore. It just looks different to how I did it before I got really unwell.

My heart goes out to you and your situation and I am so pleased you’re making these changes. I am now interested in seeing how I can help my body to heal and am exploring this. Some days I can’t even do much, let me be honest here. Other days I fight and that’s not a healthy way to be either.......

So I am learning from scratch and laid on my yoga 🧘‍♀️ mat having meditated and facing myself with a bit more compassion.

Wishing you all the best, let me know how you get on, feel free to message me x x x x x x