my gyn appt

Hi girls well i'm back from my appt with the gyn and I will try and type this in as few words as possible and remember everything she said......I am feeling really awful from the zoloft still, am very happy that I didn't take a 2nd dose tonight, still having trouble breathing bad bad headache and wicked nausea.....

firstly I had to wait over an hour to see her my appt was at 4:00 and I didn't see her until 5:00.....she actually took someone before me that wasn't before me as that would make me the last patient and I was a little mad about that until she told me it was so she could take her time with me

she was very thorough and went over everything that she had missed while her partner was treating me, listened to my symptoms and then read my operative report....she said "hmmmm but your pain is mostly on the right" so I repeated verbatim what her partner had told me (while looking at my "notes" in my daytimer) and she got right onboard.....she says that there is a chance it can be done by scope if the general surgeon is willing to do that....she said intercede gel can be used with the scope but not the liquid.....but they (the partners and the g.s.) would have to put their heads together and figure it out....next problem is sometimes in Canada intercede isn't covered...she said they would do everything they could to get the hospital to cover it BUT I could end up having to pay for it which is $300............oh my god, I am a very poor single girl where would it come from??

I told her about my bladder leaking she says that it is heriditary to a certain extent and that combined with lack of estrogen is what is causing it, she gave me some premarin vag cream to try on my arm to see if I'm allergic and she said that might fix it for me (couldn't use the others as they are derived from soy) if I don't react to it , it goes in my vagina but we thought we should try it in a less sensitive area to start , she examined me and said there was no prolapse and that she didn't feel anything out of the ordinary.

....after they discuss what they will do with me they will call me back in and inform me and then see if that's what I want....I said whatever you decide is what I want, but just so you know I don't want to come back ever so if it would be better to cut me open do it....maybe it would let them remodel that incision that still hurts? I asked when it might be (when they were going to call me back in...) and she thought I meant the surgery and she said likely sometime in the next couple months it would take some time to get the "team" together.....

I believe she is going to do what she can to help me, I don't think she is stringing me along, she said she just wants to carefully proceed........I really hope I don't have to pay for the intercede I don't know where the money will come from....and if I end up losing my job because I"m having another surgery I really don't know where the money will come from, for now I resolve to say nothing at work about this...

so I wait to get called back in......it sounds to me like I"m having surgery what do you all think??? I'm a little dizzy from it all, input please!!

DH actually was not on the computer at 11pm so I thought I'd check in to see if you had checked in! (am I redundant enough)?!

Well, it sounds like you're on the same page w/your doctor!
Although, I thought your pain was from the left-sided adhesions and your doc thinks it's from the right? Didn't the operative report say you had extensive left-sided adhesions?

Anyway...that would be awesome if they could do it lap as opposed to being opened up again...I wouldn't think you would want to go through an open procedure again. My incision still hurts almost 2 yrs. post. I don't want anyone messing with it again! (and you already had a revision. ouch) If they can do it lap----very cool, considering the recovery time is so much less and maybe you wouldn't have to worry about your job so much. You don't need that added stress.

As far as the $300 goes--what price to put on pain-free days? Can't family members help you out? I know you think your family/friends are "tired" of hearing about your medical problems, but they love you, I'm sure and just want to see you back to your old self! Besides, I'm sure your doctor would set up payment plans, no?

Heck, when dh and I moved 900 miles away from family w/no jobs (cuz we were 'young n dumb'), I broke a tooth and had a porcelain crown ($550.00) on layaway for almost a year! Don't even think about money. Think about getting well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11




I hope you're feeling encouraged this evening, Gidge. Sounds like your doc wants to help and is listening.

thanks Sheila and you're right I am encouraged, it's all still sinking in tho'!!

my family doesn't have any money to help me out, I just finished paying for my Dad's ashes to be interned since my stepmum couldn't afford it, so it will be up to me, and it's actually the hospital I will owe not the dr....but first things first right! The only reason I would prefer an open procedure is I've already had two scopes and stuff left behind both times because they couldn't "access it" with the scope....I want this to be the last time and since the incision still hurts?? Also she said even if they decide to do it with the scope I should be prepared that it might have to turn into a laparotomy if they couldn't get at what they wanted.

I do have mostly right sided pain BUT extensive left sided adhesions, she said sometimes the pain path isn't direct?

thanks for the input.......I've never had a dr tell me they would get back to me and bring me back in to tell me what they're going to do, so I sorta feel like I"m hanging here, on the other hand she was very proactive so maybe I will hear soon?

's

Hi there Gidge !

First off I am sorry you are still having pain. Sound very familiar to me. I have had similiar problems with adhesions. My doc has used the intercede twice on me so far. First time in March of last year which apparently did not work because when he did my hyst four weeks ago tons more adhesions and everything was stuck together agian! He said he put alot of intercede in during my hyst surgery and I am already having pain again so I dont think it worked this time either. Everyone is different so it may work for you. Also, I had a laperoscopy like you are planning on having before my laperotomy last march. My doc said he could not get to all the adhesions and it was to risky so he did what he could. Sounds to me like you might have the same problem. I would seriously think about the fact it may turn into a laperotomy especially since they are trying to place the intercede in there. If you dont want to be opened up again it something to think about! Good luck to ya and let us know K??

s

Gidge,

It sure sounds to me like your doctor is being very thorough to try and make sure that the problem is taken care of correctly this time. I think you have reason to feel positive about this. I hope that they get back to you quickly with a decision of what needs to be done. Please let us know as soon as you know anything.

As for having to pay for it yourself, possibly the hospital will take payments. And also, sometimes when the patient is paying themselves, then the hospital and/or doctor will lower the cost.

Gidge,
It sounds like it was a very productive appointment. I'm very happy for you.

I wouldn't worry about the $$$ Take it one step at a time. You've got enough on your mind right now. When the time comes you will work it out. I'm pretty sure the hospital would work something out with you.

Sending some

Hey Gidge,

This all sounds very promising Your doc does sound like she's on the same page as you!!!

I would call her back after say a week or two....just to see how things are progressing with the surgery date etc.

As for the $$ can you call your employers Insurance Company? Maybe something like this would be covered...or partly covered? If not....I'm sure the hospital, or your Dr. could work out some sort of plan...please don't worry...things will work out!

Sorry I missed your post last night...I was in bed by 8pm!

Sending you big 'S and lots of

Frankly, if $300.00 would get me out of pain - I'd sell my car, my clothes, my furniture, everything but my soul. Good luck.

Gidge,
Good going girl!! It sounds to me like things may be moving in the right direction for you.
I know when my doctor went in the last time for the rectocele repair he warned me that if the adhesions were too bad then he would have to open me up "cause there was no way to get them all and apply the interceed with a scope", plus with the endo an open incision makes it so much easier for them to see everything. I know it makes it harder to recover from, but in the long run it may be better then a lap for ya.
As for the $300.00, maybe since you have some advanced notice you could try to save a little each week to pay for it, I know that around here a lot of hospitals will take a reduced amount if you have cash on hand, so that may be an option for ya.
As for losing your job, I don't know the laws in Canada, but here they can't fire you if you are on leave for medical reasons, reguardless of how long or how many times, I was off work a total of 16 weeks and they had to hold my job for me, but I ended up quitting anyway cause of the lifting required.
Wishing you luck and sending lots of s, I'll keep you in my prayers.
s
Carmel

thanks for all your replies girls

I know you're all right, don't worry about the money , take it one step at a time.....I'll just be happy to get the call to come back in as I haven't signed any sort of consent yet, I"m not on any sort of waiting list.....if they don't call by the end of the week I think I will touch base, her assistant was gone by the time we were done, so it can't hurt.

I don't think she is going to drop the ball on this one, sounded like she was taking it very seriously and was going to start working on it right away.......

I got thinking last night about the right end of my incision and how much it hurts, and I think that even if they do tell me they want to do it with the scope I'm going to ask about the possibility of exploring that end of the incision anyways........then I might not have the 6-8wks off but just a little more then the usual two?? What do you think?

I"m very sore today from the exam.....figures she couldn't reproduce my pain very much there in the office but now I"m a hurtin' unit!!

As for the premarin cream it gave me a rash on my arm and boy does it STINK!!! I'm going to do some research into Vagifem and see if ti's avail here in Canada.

thanks for being there girls 's