Aa
Losing my marbles!!
I have been thru the ringer with the same ol same ol as everyone of you. I went to the ER with PAIN in lower abdomen. After mulitple tests they said I had vaginosis (treated with antibiotics)and referred me to my OBGYN. She found bladder and kidney infection (treated with more antibiotics) but after taking all the antibiotics, I got very sick and could not stop vomiting. The doc then said to stop taking antibiotics and gave me a shot for nausea. I ended up in the same boat and back at the ER, they did a CT scan but still nothing showed up. End result, doc said I might have endo and gave me pain meds. Now, I take pain meds, nausea meds and birth control and still am in the same boat. I have NO INSURANCE and am at my wits end. Any suggestions?
That would literally translate into an inflammation of the endometrium. Now you just need to find out what's causing the inflammation...
sorry but one more thing, I just called the docs office again and they said my diagnosis is for endometritis. do you know anything about that?
Honestly if it's a cyst and it ruptures it usually hurts like h*** but should subside. An endometrioma won't rupture, it will only get bigger and bigger, usually. In 2 months mine grew 2cm. Is there a large hospital where you live that works along with a medical school? Sometimes they have studies going on where you can get medical care, treatment and advise at no cost. If you can find such a thing you might be able to get enough answers on your own that you can provide more info to your doctor and convince him or her that you need that lap, or a referral from them to someone who will treat you with the dignity that you deserve.
at this point i dont care that i dont have insurance, I will make pmnts towards surgery if I can get anyone to listen to me and just do the surgery and look for it!
I understand exactly what you mean, it is very frustrating when you ask and ask and can't get any answers. No, if its an endometrioma antibiotics would be of no help. Your gyn won't do a lap, is that right? I don't understand that, that's the only way to be sure if it is endo that is causing you this pain...wish I could be more help but I'm at a loss here. I know that with no insurance cost is of concern to you when it comes to surgery, is there an indigent care program at the hospital where you would have the procedure if your doc would do it? By indigent I don't mean destitute, you don't have to be living on the streets or anything to qualify, just within certain income guidelines. Check in to this, maybe if you qualify and know that you'll be able to have the surgery without worrying about the expense and you can relay that to a competent surgeon they will be more willing to consider it for your sake.
so endometrioma, maybe that's what he said. I just don't know anymore. I came off the table when he did the exam and after dealing with him being my 5th doctor I am at my wits end trying to get someone to listen to me. I have been given acid reflux meds for this and now back to taking antibiotics. Will antibiotics help with endometrioma? I tried to see a RE but they will not take me because I am not trying to get pregnant. I just don't know what to do and I am in PAIN!!! and sick or it!
First of all, we all have an endometrium...he needs to be clearer with his answers to your questions so you know exactly what you're dealing with, did he say endometrioma, perhaps? If so, that fact in and of iself should tell him that you probably have endo. An endometrioma is a cyst of sorts but instead of being filled with clear fluid it is filled with menstrual fluid that has collected in a kind of pocket. These can be removed surgically with a lap, if not removed can cause problems so if that's what it is...please have it taken care of for the sake of your health. Pelvic exams usually cause me pain as well, sometimes for days afterward. Since you don't have insurance it's hard to tell you what to do, I don't know what resources you have available where you live. A general surgeon wouldn't be the right kind of doctor to see about having a lap for endo, they're not specialized in recognizing it. I had one remove my gall bladder the same year I had a lap to remove endo and she never made any mention of seeing any evidence of endo. So, my advice would be to completely ignore this surgeon and stay on track asking questions of competent docs who regualarly treat endo.
I went to the doc, a surgeon, and he said because I have pain 24/7 that it is not endo. Due to the fact that I have pelvic pain, he said that he wants to treat me for endometrium (????) with antibiotics and in 2 weeks to come back. He would not even talk to me about endo and lap surgery. I feel worse today, after he did the pelvic exam, and in more pain then I have been in two weeks. What would you do? I have read so many entries that you have posted and you seem very up to date on this topic. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!!
Been referred to yet another doctor, a surgeon this time. Appt on the 18th of this month. Looks like lap surgery is on the way. Continue with pain meds and hope for the best! :-(
I was referred to my RE by a gyn/onc. My gyn sent me to the gyn/onc because my 10cm mass worried him and I told him that I didn't want that ovary removed. I think he was afraid that it was more than an endometrioma. Anyway, the gyn/onc did his own exam and TVUS and said that there was nothing about it that made him think it was cancerous and he sent me to the RE. Maybe they each have their own policy as to referral and accepting patients. Did you tell them that your gyn suspects endo and that's what you want to see the RE about?
I called to get an appt at a RE, and they said that since I wasn't having probs with fertility that they would refer me to a pain management place. WHAT?!?! I am trying to manage my own pain! I need them to run the test. Do you need to be referred to one?
I've been there, I finally told my gyn that I refused to live on Vicodin and he'd better figure out what was going on with me. Now I see a RE and it's a whole different experience, it just seems like he's got more compassion than my gyn did. At this point I don't even know if I'll go back to my gyn...if he finds anything he's just going to send me back to the other doctor...its an unending cycle. I hope you can get some answers tomorrow...let us know what happens.
Shelley
Shelley
currently taking lo-ovral BC, just getting frustrated that I can not seem to get any answers as to why I hurt like this all the time now. Been hurting since Feb, and been to ER, GYN and other doc, return to GYN tomorrow and was going to ask her about CA125 but maybe I will look for RE and start there. Nobody has said that IS what it is but that it MAY be what it is. Again, I dont have any insurance and I am trying to do my own self help so I can help the docs. So far, I recd pain meds to get me thru but I have to work and they put me to sleep!
No, you can't get a definitive answer as to whether or not you have endo with out a lap. A CA125 would just be a less expensive place to start, mine was 43...slightly elevated but I have a family history of OVCA so that was enough to worry my gyn. Angela is right, you need to see someone who specializes and get proper answers to your questions and a course of treatment. Ask your gyn why you're taking the inactive pills, the normal course of treatment for endo, with bc, is to take them continuously to control the estrogen levels in your body...sounds to me like this chick doesn't know much about endo. Can you ask for a second opinion and have her refer you to someone else?
Shelley
Shelley
ca-125 if elevated is an indicator that you have endo. Some doctors use it. Mine was 38 when i was ovulating and 78 on my period, I had my lap and was diagnosed with Stage IV endo. Anything under 35 is normal. In my opinion i would shop around for a specialist in endo because regular OBGYN's dont really have the experience in this field. Plus OBGYN's arent quick on saying lets do a lap to see what is going on, where as the specialist are all about it because they know its the only way to find out. I went to this OBGYN before i met my specialist and she told me even if I had endo there is nothing that they could do and gave me a prescription for Lurpon. That is without even knowing i had it. To me thats unacceptable. You need to know for sure. One, for piece of mind and two because than you can move forward with how to deal with it. I had to see 7 doctors before they would do surgery. Demand it, and get it!!
What BC pill are you on right now? It might be the wrong one for what is going on and you should take it continiously so you dont have a period.
What BC pill are you on right now? It might be the wrong one for what is going on and you should take it continiously so you dont have a period.
the CA125, I found out, cost $35.00 and looks to be the route for me to go to find out if I really have endo. Will it show results as well as the lap?
the CA125, I found out, cost #35.00 and looks to be the route for me to go to find out if I really have endo. Will it show results as well as the lap?
Thx Shelley, I do have another appt on March 4th. I will talk with her (my OBGYN) about these tests. I do take my BC pills with 3 wks on and 1 wk on inactive pills but have not gone thru whole month yet. Thanks to all for your posts, this helps more than anything else I have found!!
There is no excuse for you being treated like that! Do you have another appt with your gyn? Ask for a transvaginal ultrasound, if you have ovarian cysts that will show them, if you don't, you'll also know that. At least ruling out one thing will leave you with one less thing to worry about. Ask your gyn to order a CA125, its a cancer antigen test, but also shows elevated results if you have endo. I don't know how much one costs, but it's got to be cheaper than to go ahead and do a lap with no health insurance. I'm sorry that you're going through this, normally with bc pills you will get relief from the endo, if that's what it is. Do you take them continuously or do you take the inactive pills and still have periods?
Shelley
Shelley
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