I have had quite a rollercoaster ride this last week or two....trying to decide whether to have surgery to move my ovaries off my vagina & clear up some of the mess caused by adhesions.
I know that I am one of the lucky ones, I found this website early, and I have been able to make a very informed decision about my future medical care.
My Gynocologist is a quiet man, who is a very good listener, something that means a lot to me! Not once has he tried to talk over the top of me, or cut in on what I was saying. He always waits until I finish before he says anything.
Yes I have had a second opinion, in fact I have also had a third opinion. My disappointment with these extra opinions is that a diagnosis was made with out any investigation. Simply by asking me questions, and quick examination they decided that I had endometriosis. They focused on the pain I was having BEFORE my hystorectomy, and not after. It is the pain I have suffered since that operation that is the problem! NOT the pain I experienced before. Yes, some of that pain still exists, but it is nothing compared to this new "layer" of pain I have lived with for the last 13 months.
These opinions left me confused and upset to say the least. I have found it difficult to think of nothing else for the last 5 days. I rang my GP and told her of my concerns, she was wonderful, and said that I now had some very important information and that I should go and speak to my Gyno again, she said that she had faith in my Gyno's abilities and diagnosis.
Armed with all of this - emotions, information & fear I met with my Gyno this morning. Both my husband and I talked about all the things the doctors said & did in Sydney, we talked about EXACTLY what he would do if he performed this operation, and why he felt it needed to be done.
He talked about "cleaning up" and making sure that there were no blood clots etc left in the abdominal area before closing the incision.
I feel very calm now, I know that I have made the right decision for me and I will have my surgery on April 9.
To me the most important thing about this surgery is that I am confident and happy with my surgeon, and that I am confident that the surgery I am having will help me in the long term.
While these Sydney specialists may be wonderful, after my experiences, personally, I need to feel confident & secure with where I am, and who is doing this surgery.
So to those of you who are still seeking answers, my best wishes to you. It isn't easy, it's emotional, painful and stressful, but in the end it's important to be sure that you are doing the right thing.
Cheers, hugs & love Jo (Wally)
-- You will never never know.......if you don't give it a go :)