Hi all: So I went to the gyn this afternoon. He's like the ideal Dr. - so kind and understanding and gentle. We discussed my pain and I asked him to refer me to a pain specialist. This is what he told me:
The pain clinics here have extremely long waiting lists and he doesn't believe that they would take me at this point.
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Where are you from, Clare? If you don't want to post the name of the state where you are from, please write to me personally. I may be able to help you find a pain clinic.
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He said that he would have to prove to them that he believed that there was no "organic, treatable" cause for my pain first.
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Have all of your diagnostic tests (blood tests, x-rays, etc.) been negative or normal?
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Under the guidelines, if it was adhesions they would have to be confirmed and operated on before he could try to get me into a pain clinic.
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Under what or whose "guidelines" is he talking about? There are NO guidelines that say that a person has to have adhesions confirmed and operated on before a doctor can get them into a pain clinic!!! A pain clinic is the ONLY alternative available to a person, who suffers from the pain of adhesions.
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He said that means a laparoscopy. He said he'd do the lap, remove the adhesions (IF there are any), but that if I needed a laparotomy that he would do it later if I agreed.
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Oh, sure he would do a laparoscopy and remove the adhesions; and it's highly possible the laparoscopy would become a laparotomy. I would not trust this doctor to do surgery for me; because he is not being totally honest with you!!!
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He said that the pain I have with orgasm may not be adhesions at all but nerve complications from the first laparotomy, and if that was the case there wouldn't be anything he could do about that. He also said that there may be a totally different cause for my pain.
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Just the fact that you have had a laparotomy in the past is a definite red flag that you do have adhesions!! Adhesions are the way the body heals itself after a surgery; and there are other causes of adhesions such as any blood or foreign material left in the body cavity will cause adhesions too. Here are 2 web sites that will give you some good information about adhesions:
http://www.adhesions.com/patient.html
http://www.drcook.com/adca15.html
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Please understand me - I believe and trust this guy, but as I told him I really don't want another surgery.
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I'm sorry but I would not trust this doctor!! I suggest that you seek another opinion or two before you allow any doctor to do another surgery on you!! Better yet, do some searching on your own for a doctor, who deals with pain management.
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He told me to think about it, and here I am, thinking about it. I'm disappointed because I thought I could avoid another surgery. I have a demanding small business, so each time I have a surgery I have to hurry back to work before I'm actually ready, and now I realize I'm having a really good whine.... That feels better! I guess I'll be fine now - thanks for listening!