QuestionI now have an appointment at the Hospital with a Gynecologist, but I am worried. I don't know what to expect. Will he/she do internal examinations or will it just be a chat to discuss my symptoms? Also shall I tell him/her that I suspect Endometriosis or shall I let them work it out for themselves? Sorry if this seems like a silly question, just a bit apprehensive! Many thanks
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Hi I'm 21 and for the last 6months to a yr I have been experiencing Pelvic pain. When it first started it would fluctuate for the right side to the left and would be a dull ache that would come and go throughout the month. I am on Cerezette (progesterone only pill) and my periods are all over the place. Some months I will have one then I'll go for months without one, although when I first started my periods they were fairly regular. I also have dark hair around my neck and chest. Thinking it might be PCOS I when to my Dr's to get checked over. He sent me for blood tests and a Pelvic Ultra-sound that both came back normal. However I still have the symptoms. The pelvic pain now becomes worse around the time of my period and I now have bad bloating and extreme tiredness. Are these all symptoms of Endo? Many thanks
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Hi Nicola,
Many of your symptoms are symptoms associated with Endo. Although the dark hair I would say no. The pelvic pain and your cycle being all over the place are two of the biggies. Fatigue can also be associated with Endo.
Your best bet is to have your doctor do a Lap. It's an in and out procedure that does not require much recoup time. It is the ONLY way to diagnose OR rule out Endo. Many doctors today have started doing Ultra Sounds which totally baffles me since you can not diagnose Endo that way. If your doctor did the Ultra Sound for Endo....find another doctor because he or she is obviously not well versed in Endo.
Hope this helped and if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.
Sincerely,
Angie
AnswerHi Nicola,
Thanks for writing back. What will happen at your appointment all depends. Have you seen this doctor before or is he/she new?
Many times the doctor will discuss your symptoms and do a pelvic. Sometimes a doctor will be able to "push" on certain areas to recreate Endo pain during a pelvic.
Do not shy away from being proactive while looking for a diagnosis. Tell your doctor what you suspect and why. If you really feel that Endo may be your problem, insist on having a Lap done. Either way, it will diagnose Endo or rule it out.
Make sure you know of any family history of Endo. It has been proven that Endo can be hereditary. If anyone in your family has it, let your doctor know. Also, have an idea of what kind of pain you have and put a number to it. 1 through 10. A 1 being where there is minimal or no pain, a 5 being to where asprin or something over the counter helps, use a 7 as a strong pain killer helps and a 10 being near delirium or passing out.
Visit the following web site and find your pain number.....http://www.endometriosis.org/BBpain-scale.html
You may want to print the page and take it with you to your appointment.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to write any time.
Sincerely,
Angie
