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Endometriosis Diagnosis: A Patient's Frustrating Journey & Finding the Right Doctor


Question
Excuse the length. When I was 21 I started having severe periods and breakthrough bleeding as well as extreme pain. A friend suggested endometriosis. My doctor said I was too young and kept putting me on different birth control pills. She treated me as if I was just a complainer and a problem. She finally said she was going to do surgery at age 25. I heard  her in the hallway scheduling the surgery and she said it shouldn't take long, I'm not going to find anything. I had endometriosis on my uterus, intestines and bowel, a golf ball size cyst removed and my appendix had almost ruptured at some point and was covered with lots of scar tissue. I was put on progesterone and had no periods for a year and then became pregnant. The first doctor had left the practice and I had a new doctor. I was sick throughout the pregnancy and my baby did not move much. The doctor said I was just worried as a first time mom. At 34 weeks I woke up in the night bleeding. Called the doctor on call and she said if I felt like I needed to go the hospital I should go. At the hospital my contractions were 2 minutes apart and before they could stop the contractions my water broke.Then my baby's heart rate started decelerating and my contractions began coming on top of each other.(1:00 am) The nurses said they were worried I was having a placental abruption and they had called the doctor on call. She showed up at 6:30 am and did a quick ultrasound and said "the placenta is fine she can have an epidural." She did not even talk to me. My doctor came in at 8:00 am and I delivered. After delivering there was a whole lot of blood.The doctor started pulling out my placenta in pieces. I had several nurses pushing on my belly and it was hard to understand what was going on. I tried to ask questions later, but was given very vague answers. Also it was discovered that the umbilical cord was only partially attached to the side of the placenta instead of the center and I had a single umbilical artery. Finally when I quit breast feeding a year later my periods became increasingly worse. I went to the doctor and he said most people don't have problems with endometriosis after having a baby and put me back on the pill. It did not work. I quit going to the doctor (4 years) and now survive by taking so much advil I worry what it will do to my liver. I am scared to go back. I am remarried and my husband wants a baby as do I desperately, but I am SCARED. Since my birth experience I have heard negative things about that practice (especially the on call doctor) from other moms. It seems ObGyn'd are extremely busy which is not their fault, but how do I find a doctor that will make time if there is an emergency? What kind of questions should I ask? Would my next pregnancy be considred high risk? Sorry for the length of this question. Thank you for your time.  

Answer
What a terrifying experience. I can't comment without seeing your entire chart. However, I would talk to other women in your neighborhood about their experience with their obstetrician. That is your best source. See if they had a better or worse experience. Make a list. Call the hospital to see who they recommend.If you have endometriosis and a history of placenta abruptio, premature rupture of membranes, I would consider you to be a high risk pregnancy, although I doubt that you need to see a specialist (perinatologist). However, it is your choice. Pregnancy usually improves endometriosis. I think you need a complete evaluation.