Re: What do I do now?
From: bep (bepurdom@yahoo.com)
Wed May 21 22:14:15 2003
At Wed, 21 May 2003, Elaine wrote:
>
>Saw my GYN today. Says its not an ovary problem, it's a GI problem. No
>exam, clothes were on - and he listened around my belly button with his
>stethescope - mashed around a bit. He spent a lot of time talking to me
>(which I appreciate), but I left feeling as if I really wasn't heard.
>So, I have no idea if I now have a cyst on my right ovary and really no
>clue why my left side hurts and hurts worse after bowel movements.
>
>He suggested tri-something anti-depressants for "chronic" pelvic pain if
>GI says nothing is wrong. I don't HAVE chronic pelvic pain:
>
>Had pain after my second c-section. 2 YEARS I lived in pain every
>month. I was treated like a hysterical female and told "either the pill
>or hysterectomy." Finally had the hysterectomy in Oct. last year -
>adenomyosis. Ok, that'll hurt (scarasm). THAT's a reason for pain.
>
>After the hysterectomy, had bladder problems. My bladder was stuck to
>my uterus. Camera in the bladder showed something sitting on my
>bladder. Bladder was sore from being peeled off the uterus to begin
>with - something sitting on it would hurt. Turns out it was my colon
>pushing my bladder over to the right. Had a barium enema - that
>corrected the problem with the bladder being pushed over after I pooped
>enough for a football team since I couldn't go BEFORE all the stuff you
>drink. Still had problems going to the bathroom. Had to "white
>knuckle" it (what I call the bad cramps, sweating, not knowing if you're
>going to poop or throw up - or both) every time I did go.
>
>Cyst found on left ovary. Still pain. Was told see you in three
>months.
>
>THREE MONTHS I live in pain (this is now month four after the
>hysterectomy). All through the holidays - so much for fun...I was
>hurting EVERY DAY. I know this isn't news to you guys, you live it too.
>
>They go in to remove the cyst in Feb. Adhesions sticking my intestines
>to my abdominal wall - or omentum the fat layer I was told today. "No
>wonder you were in so much pain" is what he said when I woke up from
>that surgery.
>
>No pain on that left side for almost 2 weeks after the surgery. Then,
>little by little it creeped back in. Hey, I was going to the bathroom
>every single day though - I wasn't going to complain.
>
>April, pain increases, can't go, did I mention PAIN? It's now the end of
>May and NOT ONE DOCTOR HAS EXAMINED ME with anything other than a darn
>stethescope. Only a nurse practitioner who suspected a cyst on the
>right ovary and put me in for an ultrasound. I don't get to do that fun
>trip until JUNE 2nd. April - June, pain and without any exam by a
>doctor, any ultrasound, no CT scan - and all I keep hearing is darn IBS!
>How the heck do they know that left ovary hasn't stuck itself to my
>colon or my colon to my abdominal wall now or the right ovary doesn't
>have a cyst too since it's sending nice shooting pains all into my groin
>and thigh?
>
>Nah, it's IBS and if the GI doc says it's not, then I need
>antidepressants. You know, last month I was so upset over this I might
>have done the antidepressant route. This month, I'm so ANGRY over being
>dismissed, talked to as if I'm unable to make decisions and bounced from
>one physicians assistant, to a nurse practioner, to finally getting to
>see my GYN and being told to see a GI doc, I want to SCREAMMMMM! And -
>cause great havoc by writing letters to bosses when I finally find out
>what the problem is and these people have let me suffer for months :(!
>
>So, there you have it. Chronic pelvic pain when I've only had pelvic
>pain TWICE before in my life and both times there was a reason. IBS,
>but if not IBS, then I need antidepressants. WHAT do I do now??
>
>Oh and my doc doesn't think adhesions. Adhesions hurt all the time he
>said. I wake up fine in the morning. NO pain for the first 30-45
>minutes. Once I'm up and getting babies ready for school, dogs out and
>cooking breakfast I start to hurt. By the time I have to cook dinner at
>night, I'm in so much pain it's in my thighs like when I had my period.
>I'll mention this is how I felt while waiting for them to remove the
>cyst after the hysterectomy. But nah, it couldn't be adhesions. I'm 31
>years old, in good health besides THIS atrocity, and by the time I walk
>through walmart I'm hurting so bad I just want to curl up in a bawl.
>Nah...I need antidepressants.
>
>Anyone else been in this situation and have any words of encouragement
>or experiences to share? I'm NOT depressed, I'm finding I have a rage of
>anger growing inside though lol.
Elaine,
I know how you're feeling. I am in the same boat as you, barely
floating. Surgeon was supposed to explore but found a lipoma tumor in
the fatty area of abdomen and went no further. Surgeon is bound and
determined my pain was from tumor. That was 2 weeks ago. My abdomen is
very swollen on the left now, looks very strange. I now have a
hematoma, and fluid built up from surgery. I keep telling surgeon pain
is the same as before the surgery but she's not listening. All my pain
is on left like yours. BMs cause the pain to come on and so does
driving, sitting too long, wearing clothes, ect. I now have to wait a
month for surgeon to check me out again and see if fluid reduces. There
is no doubt in my mind that I have adhesions, not IBS. It was a fluke
that there was a tumor. She gave me my last 20 vicodin for pain and
said to take tylenol now. If tylenol would take the pain away I would
be taking it instead of getting sliced and diced. I had adhesions 8 yrs
ago, with the same symptoms I have now. I feel your frustration, anger,
hatred of doctors, and I fight not to get depressed because my whole
life has been turned upside down with this.
I don't know the magic words or actions to get someone to listen to me.
Yes, I know how you feel..... BEP