Insensitive doctors. Feeling very hurt after Dr appt.
Posted , 5 users are following.
I'm feeling really hurt. I got diagnosed with endometriosis last summer. My primary doctor who's very understanding prescribed me low dose narcotic painkillers to use as needed since my pain is debilitating at times (I work full time and go to classes full time) so I really can't deal with the pain that makes me bedridden or passed out some days.
Ive been trying several obgyn drs since I have yet found a dr who understands much about endometriosis. I tried a new birth control despite telling my obgyn that I usually have horrible side effects. He kept telling me that was the only real treatment so I tried it. It's been over 2 months and I ended up having to quit because the side effects were so horrible (extreme nausea, very painful breasts, strong depression (suicidal thoughts), weight gain/painful swelling, anxiety, and worst is the extreme fatigue. I'm so agitated/sluggish as well which makes it so difficult to work as a preschool teacher. I had to drop most of my classes this quarter because it was just too much. My cramps got worst if anything.
I had to go in early since the symptoms were so much which just made my dr mad since he had to rearrange his schedule to fit me in. He kept telling me he didn't know what else I wanted him to do since he said I should have just dealt with the side effects despite telling him how it's put my life even more on hold. Then he starting getting p****d at me when he saw that I was taking painkillers on my medication list despite telling him how advil does nothing for my pain (I also have kidney and stomach ulcers which prevent me from taking too much).
Painkillers are the only thing that have been relieving some of my pain and giving me a life again. I take a very low dose and try to limit to as little as possible/only when I truly need it.
He actually ignored me and told me I'm probably an addict and I'm part of the opiate epidemic. It's so hurtful to be treated as if I'm drug seeking and belittled for the pain I am going through. Telling me to just bear it is disgusting. He even compared me to drug addicts that he sees often and said I would most likely start to try abusing other drugs over time. Why is it so hard to find a dr who understands?? I'm so tired of being told to just deal with it. He's completely against surgery and won't even let me have that choice. He's constantly telling me I won't most likely have a child if I start doing surgery. No matter what I said, he would interrupt me and tell me it's either birth control or just learn to deal with the pain.
0 likes, 4 replies
aitarg35939 Kurox92
Posted
Oh Juris, I am so sorry that you ran into such an anachronistic male chauvinist pig (who sounds like my new gp).
Perhaps it's time for you to seek an endo specialist. It sounds as tho you are in the States? I say that because I am too and you've been able to switch doctors at will, plus the doc's reference to the "opioid crisis." There are endo specialists scattered around, most often in huge places such as NYC & LA or Atlanta.
The pressure on docs to cut back on pain meds is huge. They receive 100% of the blame. Most of the oxy addicts are white, and heaven forfend we should point a finger at ourselves as the biggest part of the problem. I am not excusing that pig of a doctor but I am saying that you may come up against this again. 20+ years ago, I was told, verbatim because it's seared into my brain: "If you think you need HRT after a total hysterectomy, you are a JUNKIE! YOU'RE A JUNKIE!" For hormones! Doctors are not always intelligent people. What the pig failed to communicate was that sometimes over about 6 months we adjust to BCP, save that NO doc should ask anyone to attempt to continue on any med which makes someone suicidal. Never.
You might talk to your gp & ask for continued treatment there. The gun may have sent a nasty note and scared the go away from giving pain meds, but it's worth a try. Ask for help finding an endo specialist & for treatment/ pain meds in the interim. If you are in the States, don't mention pain or pain meds when you make the appointment or until the very end. Give the doc a chance to bring up the topic. This is now the only way to deal with pain in this country because the equation is this:
Patient asks for pain meds = junkie.
Patient doesn't ask for pain meds = maybe not a junkie, sage to give something.
If all else fails you may have to see a pain doc, where you'll be treated like a convicted felon.
reb94020 Kurox92
Posted
Hi,
I'm so sorry to hear that this happened to you. First off, I don't know if it is possible to report a Doctor where you live, but what he is saying to you is borderline abusive. He should not be practicing if he is treating his patients like that.
Second, definitely find another doctor. One that respects you and one you trust. You shouldn't be treated like that when you go to the Doctor. They're the experts and supposed to be professional. Advocate for yourself, you deserve better treatment and acknowledgment. This is not in your head, you are very clearly dealing with something and are doing the right thing by going in and trying to sort it out.
Third, you do not have to "learn to deal with the pain." If you know you don't feel well and you're hurting find a Doctor that respects you enough to listen, because you deserve that. I can't believe a Doctor would treat a patient like that, that is awful.
You deserve to be heard and you will find someone who will listen to you and want to help. I would not go back to this Doctor ever again. Find a female Doctor if possible.
All the best to you.
yasmin77 reb94020
Posted
I definitely agree. Yes doctors have stressful schedules, but your problems are no less than anyone else's and you deserve to be treated with respect.
If you can, report him. Otherwise invest in a good gynaecologist, even if they're more expensive, that will help give you a proper treatment.
How did they diagnose you if you don't mind me asking? Was it through surgery, ultrasound, MRI? etc
rhonda13 Kurox92
Posted
I have had endometriosis since I was 12 and didn’t get diagnosed with it until I was 23. I’m 40 now but in between 12 and 23 I was told that I just wanted attention, that it was all in my head, that I had the stomach virus, that my parents abused me..... the list goes on and on. I think it was because the drs didn’t have a clue what was going on and instead of them looking dumb they made me look dumb! I finally found a good dr and she did the laporoscopy and found the endometriosis. Which was a relief to finally hear I wasn’t crazy! But since then my symptoms keep getting worse and drs don’t believe me. I moved out of state and had to get another dr and I had to convince him that endometriosis was on my bladder and he kept telling me that I just was addicted to having surgery! For real!!! He’s the crazy one to come up with such a thing!!! I had already had surgery twice and they found endometriosis both times. So I finally talked him into the surgery and sure enough endometriosis was on my bladder and was attaching the uterus and the bladder. I’ve had another surgery since then which makes 4 and I can’t get rid of it and also I am getting more and more scar tissue to go with it. Now my OBGYN has to close and I need to find another one that takes my insurance but I believe it is on my lungs, intestines,sciatica and spine and neck. Before they closed they wouldn’t listen to me again because they said that it is very rare but all my symptoms go along with my cycle just like before. But the more I think about it the more I don’t want another surgery and I definitely don’t want any of there medicine of birth control or the ones that send you into menopause! Birth control does me bad also! I have heard good things about this wheat belly diet and how if you stick with it , it can take away endometriosis. I am on it now and am anxious to see how it will work. The more I study about it the more it makes sense. You should look into it because drs are going to always give you a hard time or they will try and get as much money out of you as possible. Also , the best pain medicine that I have tried is naproxen. If I catch it at the very front it will always hold it from getting too bad. I pray that you will get answers and help soon because it is no fun when it gets this far! Hoping the diet change will help!