TTC 2nd time with endo. WWYD if hospital won't treat it again?

[Coldhands]

I took 3 years to conceive DS. Found out I had endometriosis and had the laser surgery to get rid of it, conceieved 5 months later.

DS is now 2 and I would like to have another DC in a couple of years. I was talking to my doc today and discussing my symptoms, I do still have endo.

I assumed if it took a while to conceive again, I oculd go back to the hospital and they would investigate the endo again and I could have the laser surgery, but my doc has said as I already have a DC they won't do this. They would treat the endo which would mean stopping my periods all together which is obviously not what I want. They won't do anything for fertility problems this time.

Obviously I know once you have been pregnant, this can make a huge difference with getting pregnant again but there is this fear that the endo will mean that I will take a long time again. I was going to come off the pill early next year but my doc says it may take a while again and it may be worth while coming off the pill now.

Obviously I am not going to go just on what people say on here with such a big decision but I was just wondering what others would do in the same situation.

I would ask your GP to refer you to the Gynaecologist again. Endometriosis is known to be a recurring problem and treatments such as the lasering you had done are only effective in the short-term. I don't think your GP is correct in saying you won't be treated again. By the very nature of the problem it was bound to require further treatment.

You could always go down the line of heavy bleeding, erratic periods, quality of life...etc to get your laser treatment if you feel they won't do it as a fertility treatment

My GP is also having the same issue with another patient atm, and she referred her but as this other woman already had a DC, the hospital referred her back to the GP saying that they will treat the periods with a coil, implant, hormone treatment etc but no surgery. Obviously all the 'treatments' they will use will be useless if you are ttc.

Hi Coldhands, I saw your reply on the duplicate thread but didn't have time to answer. I'm sorry I blamed your GP unfairly, then.

But really, if they are saying this, it's worth either challenging it or asking to be referred elsewhere. I think I'm right in saying we have the right to be referred anywhere in the country now? So you could ask to be referred to Wakefield or Basildon or Oxford among other places, where (AFAIK) they have people who can do excision.

You might be able to argue with them on the basis that the gold standard now is excision, which outperforms all other treatments in terms of symptom relief and length of time it's effective for. The coil/implants/other hormonal treatment really isn't the answer for a lot of women - they're usually better used as an adjunct to good excisional surgery.

If surgery is the best option in terms of symptom relief, they shouldn't be limiting it to people who are TTC their first child - I think this could be seen as discrimination, as the pain/other symptoms and the infertility are 2 seperate issues, but the 1st time TTC-ers are effectively being given better treatment for their other symptoms just by virtue of not having previously had children.

Vigilant - good call yes it could appear to be discrimination.

I had a lapo late last year and the endo appeared to have past 3 months later Im in pain again.

Ive doen lots of research aswell as I do not want to be passed from pillar to post for years - Excision is the "in thing" - have a read of this endoboard.yuku.com/topic/8155/t/Letter-from-Dr-Trehan.html very interesting read.

Im going back to a specialist in this area rather than a general gyno as I want at least 3 months pain free after surgery!

Vigilante Thank you for your reply. Thats quite interesting. I never thought of it as discrimination but I suppose it could be really. Why can't they give 2 women the same treatment just because one has a child and one doesn't. That is really wrong.

Fritata Thanks for that link. I will read it when I have a bit more time. If it does come to it, I will ask to see a specialist (I think I did last time tbh, not exactly sure who he was but I know he was the head of the whole fertility clinic.) Thinking of it, he probably was a specialist if he was the head of the fertility clinic.

But yes, surely the surgery should last more than 3 months. I know someone who was one of the first to have the laser treatment. They recommended she have her DCs asap then just have a hysterectomy (I know thats not spelt right),

Glad it was helpful.

If he was head of the fertility clinic, he is quite possibly not an endometriosis specialist. There is a real problem with gynaecologists who don't specialise in endo thinking it's not a very complex or serious condition and they can deal with it, when actually they don't have a wide enough experience or up-to-date knowledge on the best treatment options.

I would go for someone who can perform excision - I had it done more than 2 years ago, including a bowel resection, and am still pain-free.

Just read that link, then went on the website Fritata. I wish I lived near Dr Trehan (or whatever his name was). He really knows what he is talking about

or try this site and put in endometriosis and search my your postcode I did this and it came to light that the endo specialist shared the same secretary as the general gyno I had been referred to - so I rang up and asked his secretary if he would see me and he said yes, I called my Dr and she faxed a letter over to him! These days it seems you have to do your own research and really push to see who you want to.

www.drfosterhealth.co.uk/consultant-guide/

You are a star!!!!!! Fritata

Have a very unMN (((((((hug))))))

Have found someone at my local hospital, and as I suspected, the last surgeon I saw is just a general infertility consultant.

well Im afraid it seems you have to do it all yourselves nowadays.

When I read some of the horror stories on the endo.uk site it got me thinking - I do not want to spend months/years being passed to pillar to post although my gyno is one of the best, and came highly recommended her expertise lies in fertility and pregnancy not endo which from what I gather is a highly specialised area.

Good luck to you and please, please keep me posted on how youre doing if not only to give each other support!

Thanks Fritata I will. Don't know when I will go to the docs again about it though. I may just go to ask for a referral but probably wait until I need a repeat prescript. Otherwise I feel like its a waste of time if I don't save up more than one reason to go.