Pain Threshold Used Against You

[NNNurse]

Just had my review appt after being on Prostap for the last year. I had intermittent bleeding while on prostap so had a few appts in the last year and it had been mentioned that I could possibly try it for another year as I had noticed an improvement in symptoms. Today I was told that’s not an option, even though my symptoms came back within a month of stopping the injections and “a little bleeding” doesn’t worry my consultant. They scanned me and did an internal examination and because I wasn’t jumping off the table and apparently felt “comfortable” throughout the scan and examination, my endo mustn’t be that bad at the minute. Anyone ever feel like they use your pain threshold against you?? I’ve dealt with endo for more than half my life so I like to think I have a pretty high pain threshold and I know that these examinations are necessary so I just try and lie there and hope it’s all over quickly, rather than dramatically flailing about.

I think they could sense my frustration because they did offer me another laparoscopy (I’ve had numerous already) to which I asked would there be any benefit and was told no, so why even suggest it?!

So it has been left that they will see me again in six months and see how things are with no intervention, apart from the x2 mirena coils I currently have (the first was meant to be removed during an endometrioma removal and a new one inserted but they forgot to remove the first one 🙄, and the 2nd one has been in over 3 years now), and a reminder that “there isn’t a cure you know.”

There really isn’t much point to this post except I wanted to see if I was the only one who feels like our pain tolerance is being used almost as a form of treatment, because we’ve just gotten used to it?

[claudia_91 Moderator Endometriosis UK]

Hi NNNurse

Thanks for your post! From my personal experience, I have to agree with you that pain threshold is often used as a parameter for treatment unfortunately. Or even the urgency of treatment. It's really frustrating, isn't it? The extent to which endo impacts quality of life ought to provide more of an indication really. Sorry you were fed the "there's no cure" line, we do not need reminding of that! 🙁

I hope the next appointment is a little more productive. I have been left for 6 months many times too...! Remember that the community is here if you want support or to chat 😊

Take care,

Claudia

[charlatan]

I absolutely agree. We deal with this everyday, we have no choice but to try our best to live with it. Just because I’m not sobbing and writhing while I’m being poked and prodded shows nothing. And just because I’m not doing so when they’re stabbing me with a needle doesn’t mean I won’t be later. God knows, I have those days. I have had to have appointment after appointment to even get decent painkillers. I know they’re addictive, blah, blah, blah.., but how am I supposed to get out of bed in the morning??? Sorry for the rant but it’s just been years of frustration. We’ve been dealt a bad hand as it is, the least they could do is try to help.