Okay, I think this is going to be a long one so if you can get to the end and offer me any advice that would be great.
I've always had really heavy, really painful periods and have managed the pain over the years with the pill and the implant. I've been off contraception since August 2017. In January of this year I began experiencing a really intense pain in my uterus and ovaries. So painful and overwhelming I was sent home from work. My period came and went, I'd never been in so much pain. After my period ended, I expected the pain to end. But it didn't, and it still hasn't.
I've been to and fro the doctors so many times now I can't count. At first they quickly wanted to dismiss me with talk about periods, but I demanded an internal examination, ultrasound and blood-work because something didn't feel right. The internal exam didn't come up with anything, my blood-work came back okay other than really high levels of prolactin which they can't figure out why. My internal ultrasound came back with me having some really large, inflamed cysts on my left ovary. This was all done by early February. The doctor I saw also said I presented symptoms of endometriosis, especially with my menstrual history and symptoms and was eager for me to see a specialist about all these issues so delve into it further. I felt good, albeit still in a lot of pain, at this point.
I was still in constant pain every single day, sometimes so sharp that it would make me vomit or nearly pass out. My left ovary is always the most painful but I also get some pain on the right one and some uterine pain in the centre. I was prescribed Cocodamol 35mg for the pain and that worked for a while. All through this I was off work on sick.
The pain was constant again through another period and eventually the Cocodomal stopped working and still isn't working for pain relief. They've just tried me with tramadol but even that isn't effective and it gives me the worst migraines and makes me vomit 7-10 times a day.
I went to a consultation yesterday with a gynaecologist and I can honestly say I wish I'd never gone. I went in and he asked me two questions "How long are your periods?" and "When do you get pain?" Answers were 31-ish days and constantly. He then performed an internal exam on me (lasted approx 45 seconds) before he told me that it was just period related and that the pill would fix things. After expressing my concern about the cysts, he proceeded to mansplain to me that "ovaries don't cause pain" and that cysts are normal (which they are for some women) and he doesn't understand why they would cause me any pain. Well, most of my pain is localised there so how do you explain that?
I expressed my concern about fertility and the pill not being the answer to the problem but he said that I should go on the pill for a few years and we can "deal with that later". Well, no, I'd rather deal with that now.
He also said that the pain I experience during and after sex is perfectly normal (how many times have you ladies heard 'visit your GP if you experience pain during or after sex, it shouldn't be normal', all the time, right?!)
My GP really pushed for the appointment for me and hurried it along and I was so grateful, but I really don't think the specialist gave me the time of day and made me feel very belittled. I wanted to stay and push further but I wanted to burst into tears so just kind of ran out of there.
I'm going to try the mini pill to see if it will ease some symptoms, but I feel kind of robbed that they're not pursuing anything else. The level of pain I get in my left ovary is agonising, and this is all month long. I've been off sick now for two months and the pain isn't changing at all.
I'm exhausted and feel so let down by all of this. I'm not sure what to do next. Does anything else have any similar experiences or advice?