Surprise!

Well, I just came from my doctor's appointment. I was armed with websites of information I had found about endometriosis from cesarean, along with the web address of this blog and the address of an MRI clinic in the US.
I really like this doctor and she has a good bedside manner, but it was hard to get the courage to discuss the information with her. Many doctors do not appreciate outside research or people giving them their opinions. Fair enough. I hate when people tell me how to do my job, but in this case I'm not so much telling her how, just look at this info, could this be my problem. Other doctors like when patients educate themselves. I didn't know which way this was going to go. I have taught many doctors over the years and they are the hardest people to teach! They know it all, even if it's not in their field of education!
Just before she entered the room, my insides decided enough was enough! By the time she came into the office to see me, I was writhing in pain and reduced to tears. She did examine me again. Not much to feel though apparantly. She did agree that it could be an endometrial problem and suggested birth control pills as a way to supress ovulation.
Then I got the nerve to show her my info and discuss my thoughts. When I asked if an MRI might be helpful, she said possibly, but it will take some time to get an appointment. When I followed up with the fact that I was ready, willing and able to travel south of the border and pay for it out of my own pocket, she seemed quite surprised! Yes Ma'am, I am willing to do this because the pain you see me in now has been my life for the past 8 months! So she did take my sheet of websites, blog address and MRI clinic info. (Hi Doc if you're reading this!) then said she would see how long it would be to get me an MRI here and would go from there. I have the birth control pills now. Going to wait until I hear back before I take them.

The thing I have learned during this entire ordeal, is that you have to be your own advocate in your healthcare. I have great doctors, but they have so many patients, I am just a blip on their radar. They don't have the time to do the research. I heard her secretary say to a patient today, that the doctor was triple booked all next week! That's crazy! We really need more doctors and nurses in this province, but that's a whole different conversation again! Plus, I'm not in the mood to talk about "our Danny" anymore either! He gets too much press as it is!

So now I wait.......

On pins and needles

My next appointment with my doctor is tomorrow morning. I have my literature ready to present to her. I really think I may be dealing with endometriosis from the surgery. From my research, it is more common than thought, but often only diagnosed in 1 - 5 patients out of 1000! No wonder my doctor said she was baffled and has never seen a case like mine before. She is a young doctor and not every birth is cesarean, so she probably hasn't seen this before. Apparantly, she's not the only one.
I have read the stories of other women going through exactly the same thing as me. Same symptoms, same negative test results, and same opinions from doctors. Many aren't diagnosed until many years later. I really hope I'm not years sorting this out. I will lose my mind! I am going to ask her for a requisition for an MRI as well. Perhaps that will show something. I will have to shell out the money and get it done in the US though. (If it's good enough for "our Danny" it's good enough for me!)
I wonder if he will let me stay in his Florida condo?