Please offer some guidance with my doctor

[calgontakemeaway]

So after being bounced around from doctor to doctor, my GI finally had suspicions I had endo I was referrer ed to whom he considered the best in town. I eagerly got my referral and made my appointment. He got me in that week as I had been in the ER so many times for a stabbing pain in my right side. We go over medical history,he gives me about a 2 second exam and proclaims it's likely endo and we can schedule surgery the following week. He offers NSAIDs in the meantime, which I had told him twice cause me to bleed (that is why I saw the GI in the first place). He leaves the room and I wait for him to come back with a script so I don't end up back in the ER, or with more information on the surgery, but no. The nurse takes me to check out and says I shouldn't need anything more than Ibuprofen (she and I had the same conversation about the NSAIDs). All in all, I saw him maybe six minutes.

Day of surgery comes. I am petrified, but praying it is endo and there is a reason I had pain all these years. I don't even see the doctor before the surgery, and the recovery nurse told me to follow up in a week, I did indeed have endo (which I feel weird saying yay! to) and he left me with pain pills and nothing for vomiting, which I was doing a whole lot of.

Over the week I feel awful-to be expected. My feet swell to twice their size, couldn't even see my ankles, about every time I took a pain pill I vomited it up, I couldn't sleep for more than three hours when I did take a pill because I would wake up in pain. Caller on call doctor, said he didn't have my chart so he couldn't call anything in so call my doc Monday. OK....

Yesterday I call right as they open. I get his nurse, who I had been warned isn't very nice. She kept saying "You went through all your pain pills?" I kept explaining no. I had some left (he gave me 10) but they weren't helping and I was vomiting. I was also running a fever and still sick to my stomach. She said he wouldn't be in until 1 and she'd speak with him. Within an hour my parents were set to take me to to the ER because I was starting to have severe cramping and I was having trouble urinating as well as vomiting so they called the ER. ER said they can only treat me according to what the surgeon says,so if he isn't on call there they may not be able to do much. Called dr. office again and spoke to Wicked Witch of the East(should say South) nurse, who said he was not on call at the hospital and I was exasperating her with my questions so she told me to just come in at 1.

1:00 comes around. She is not very nice to me at all. Doctor got help up delivering a baby, and I timed how long he was in my room. 4 minutes. Wrote me a script for the pain and nausea (while saying "don't be calling for refills) and informing me he got out most of the endo but my option for tx is Lupren at $400/mo or Depo. I said I'd like to look into it and asked about side effects, he called the nurse in with a sample and gave me the Lupren right there! When I got home and read about the medication I was horrified that was his option. Period. And yes, I am three days post up and still in pain.

Is this normal?!?!?!?!?!?! I have never had a child so my experience with Gynos is limited to a yearly. This guy just basically TOLD me what I was doing,and my choices were Lupren or Depo. I am researching on here because I know there has to me more...but when I asked about side effects of the ginourmous needle about to stick me the nurse actually said, "I don't know, I don't take it". I am in pain, confused, scared, and very angry I have this drug in my system. There's no endo specialists near me...are female OBGYNs better? I am so tired..and offended by the nurse...and of being up at 6 am after waking up at 2 from the pain. I need to explore other options, just don't know where to even begin or if this is the way all OBGYNs are....

[Karen]

Um first off, NO, not all gyns are like this! That sounds like an awful, awful experience, and I do hope you'll complain about your experience through the proper channels. First off, your post-op issues should have been taken much more seriously than they were, and I'm shocked that you weren't taken better care of. Please please please see if another doc is available, and get your post-op symptoms taken care of asap!

Have to run, hope the other girls will be able to chime in.

Out of curiosity, what country are you in? Different countries have different health care systems and different procedures, might be helpful to know so others can give their experience.

Take care!

[JC]

I'm horrified at the treatment that you got. It really sounds like the doctor just rushed you through, didn't listen, didn't care.... ugh!
I agree with Karen, your post-op issues should have been taken care of. You can be prescribed nausea pills that you don't have to swallow. They're called sub-lingual zofran. You put them under your tongue and they dissolve straight into your bloodstream. So if you're vomiting up your pain pills, this would be a great option and I'm surprised they didn't help you with this.

You have the right to ask questions and have them answered. They gave you Lupron without telling you what it's about. I'm appalled by this especially since Lupron is not a drug to really mess with. It's a BIG decision. The side effects are horrific and it's very difficult to go through!

You have much more options than Lupron or Depo. It's not fair that they gave you this tiny window to look through when there's so much more you could do for this. I think you're doing the right thing by researching your options. At this point, I think you need a new doctor. You deserve to be heard and listened to. It's not fun to bounce from doctor to doctor, it's depressing actually. But at this point, your gut instinct is telling you that you were not treated right. I feel bad that they did this to you.

[italialynn]

I'm utterly appaled as well. I CAN'T STAND doctors like this!!!!
I know it's difficult to swap doctors post-op as some don't like to treat anothers surgery patient, but do you like your GI doc, could you possible see him for further care? Do you have a general doc you like and trust to see in the meantime?
I think your gameplan should be to start researching gynae's in the area to find one you like. I know it's a long, tough road, but there's nothing better than having a doc that listens to you and you trust. Unfortunately this is a disease where we get very up close and personal to our doctors and it's imperative to have one you trust with your health.
In the meantime, hang in there. Please, please, please take it easy as a lot of us have a tendency to try and get back to normal as quickly as possible.

[pixie1724]

Um, No this is NOT normal. I would look into switching docs- fast. Lord, This sounds like my first OB/GYN for my pregnancy. I had to switch because mine was a major jerk. I had just transferred my medical records to him and had just had a pap- but he insists in doing another one..okay, fine. or so I thought, I have never had a doctor hurt me so bad in my life. I couldn't move the next two days i was hurting so bad. Plus the entire time during the initial discussion he wouldn't answer my questions about my pregnancy, but would talk to my fiance. it was ridiculous

[sunshine78]

Uhm, BAD DOCTOR, BAD NURSE, they should be disiplined. Period. Do what you have to do, because honey, you got screwed. Before someone presumes to stick a loaded needle into you, they at least need to afford you the common courtesy of informing you what it is, what it's for, how long before the next dose, and side effects, so that you can make an informed decision. I can't even believe they did that to you. That pisses me off.

[omaklackey]

I'm sorry I dont' have time to look this up but according to the health information privacy protection act (which covers way... more then just privacy) you are also entitled to information about all procedures before they are done. Your clinic will have a formal complaint form to fill out and then if you do not hear from them in about a month, then you need to follow up on it. Its a big deal in our health care world that people get good and informed care so I promise someone out there can direct you to the right person to complain to. Start with the office manager of the clinic? That was who I was told to go to with formal complaints. Don't be shy but go in there guns blazing... if your not that kind of a person find someone (a lawyer, a friend who is a lawyer or someone who is NOT shy) to go in with you. I'm sorry this happened to you. Its terrible.

[calgontakemeaway]

Thank you all so much for your words of advice. I am in America, BTW to the poster who mentioned the country. Like I said, this is all new to me. I made my mom come with me so she could attest to the fact I had been sick and and in pain and unable to sleep this weekend because of the pain after the nurse gave me a hard time about the pain medicine, but she's never dealt with this kind of situation either. Honestly, he was like a breeze. Blew in, said "This is is for nausea and pain pills, we will check your incisions in a week or two, you will need Luprun or Depro". My mom and I both started to ask what those medications ever WERE and he was out the door. Man, I was scared when I clicked on the Luprun link here. I am definitely NOT going back to him. I wonder if it is because he is an older gentleman set in his ways that isn't familiar with endo and I am a younger female that didn't really even know what endo was, or if he just didn't want to bother with me. I will be filing a complaint about the shot because I did specifically ask what it was, what it did and side effects before she gave it to me, and while she had it in me is when she answered "I don't know but you're lucky because this is $400 and you will need this monthly". I am really uncomfortable with the idea of putting hormones like that in my body without a discussion of benefits vs. risks. And I have been cramping severely, bleeding a lot and have a stabbing pain on my left side which has made it impossible to sleep for the 2nd night in a row but the doctor made such a big deal about my pain pills having to last I'm afraid to take them because what if I get worse and am out? I live in a small town in the South where everyone (especially every doctor) knows every doctor, so I may drive the next bigger town over because they have a female BOGON there who deals with endo. I was also advised fertility drs may be more likely to work with me than OBGYNs...we'll see. But thank you again. Now I know that is complaint number#2 I will have to file (#1 I was have a trans vaginal ultrasound in the ER with my legs i the air and two radiologists came in, could see everything-nobody put a blanket over me-arguing where or not my ovary had contorted or my appendix was bursting. One guess what it was, which they of course didn't know at the time. Th ultrasound tech remarked several times she couldn't find my left ovary. That was because the endo had glued it to the wall so she couldn't find it). ::)I am so ready for treatment and to be done with these doctors. Thank you so much for all you help, it really it appreciated.

[Karen]

Sounds like a very good plan! I would encourage you to complain about your post-op care as well, as that is NOT normal at all and dare I say negligent? Fever, vomiting, urinary issues, etc. are all complications that should NOT be ignored!

Oh, and by the way, LOVE your username! An old coworker used to use that phrase with a dramatic arm gesture while at work every now and then and it always makes me laugh.

[hellsbells]

I feel sick to my stomach about how you were treated. That's a damn disgrace. Get your complaint in and get those people struck off. I'm SOOO mad for you!!!