Previously, when I had called to get my ultrasound results from the OBGYN, she had told me that the specialist and I would discuss if I needed surgery or not, and that I would probably be put on some medication (most likely metformin) to treat my PCOS. She also mentioned that they might put me on Clomid to help with the infertility.
While the thought of surgery was scary, I had done my research and knew that, depending on where the fibroids were, the surgery probably wouldn't be that bad. Also, while Metformin is normally used to treat diabetics, it's common for it to be prescribed to treat PCOS, and, aside from a few side effects which my friends who take it warned me about, it's really not that bad.
The Clomid, if prescribed, would be really interesting. Because it makes both ovaries ovulate at the same time, there's a higher chance of having twins. Twins happen to run in my family and in my husbands family, so taking the Clomid would bump up our odds of having twins even more than normal.
Armed with this knowledge, I walked into the appointment with the Specialist feeling hopeful that everything would be resolved.
I walked out feeling crushed.
The specialist was rude and condescending and I got the impression that she didn't care and didn't want to help me at all. .
She refused to do surgery on the fibroids. Even though they were in a spot where I could get the less invasive surgery, she said that due to their size, she wouldn't be able to do the surgery at all. It's not that I wanted surgery - who does really? - but I knew that the size of the fibroids could make it hard for an embryo to implant in the uterus, and could cause miscarriages later on.
She also refused to diagnose me with PCOS even though the ultrasound showed, very clearly, that I had poly cystic ovaries. She stated that since I had a regular cycle, I was fine. The thing is though, you can have regular cycles and have PCOS. Just like you can have normal skin and hair and be thin and have PCOS. The only sure fire way to tell if someone has it is to test them.
Once I explained that it did run in my family, along with fibroids, endometriosis, and thyroid issues, she seemed a little more willing to admit that, yes, there might be a problem. However, she couldn't prescribe anything to treat it because 'Specialists don't write prescriptions - only GPs do.'
Then, to add insult to injury, I had to suffer through another pap smear for the second time in as many months (the first one came back clean, and when I mentioned that she told me she was starting over from the beginning with me... can we say, huh?) and told to loose weight.
I walked out feeling crushed.
The specialist was rude and condescending and I got the impression that she didn't care and didn't want to help me at all. .
She refused to do surgery on the fibroids. Even though they were in a spot where I could get the less invasive surgery, she said that due to their size, she wouldn't be able to do the surgery at all. It's not that I wanted surgery - who does really? - but I knew that the size of the fibroids could make it hard for an embryo to implant in the uterus, and could cause miscarriages later on.
She also refused to diagnose me with PCOS even though the ultrasound showed, very clearly, that I had poly cystic ovaries. She stated that since I had a regular cycle, I was fine. The thing is though, you can have regular cycles and have PCOS. Just like you can have normal skin and hair and be thin and have PCOS. The only sure fire way to tell if someone has it is to test them.
Once I explained that it did run in my family, along with fibroids, endometriosis, and thyroid issues, she seemed a little more willing to admit that, yes, there might be a problem. However, she couldn't prescribe anything to treat it because 'Specialists don't write prescriptions - only GPs do.'
Then, to add insult to injury, I had to suffer through another pap smear for the second time in as many months (the first one came back clean, and when I mentioned that she told me she was starting over from the beginning with me... can we say, huh?) and told to loose weight.
On the upside, she did schedule me to get blood work later this month. One test to confirm that I am ovulating, and another is to check my thyroid and blood sugar levels (which really needed to be done know that I know my family history).
Later I told my husband and our friends what had happened. They were all shocked and insisted that I get a second opinion- especially about the prescription for Metformin, because, if left untreated, PCOS can cause some serious medical issues later in life. Currently we are trying to find a better doctor, but it's hard to find one who has good reviews, is up to date, and is in our insurance network.
Later I told my husband and our friends what had happened. They were all shocked and insisted that I get a second opinion- especially about the prescription for Metformin, because, if left untreated, PCOS can cause some serious medical issues later in life. Currently we are trying to find a better doctor, but it's hard to find one who has good reviews, is up to date, and is in our insurance network.
Someday we'll get this all figured out...
No comments:
Post a Comment