It didn't start out that way. At first, it was frustrating because when I started to tell my doctor that I've been having long, irregular cycles since stopping birth control, his response was the exact opposite of what I'd expected. He asked when I went off the pill and why. Considering that I made an appointment with him at the time to discuss it and the notes from that session are in my chart, this was a stupid question. Then he started to lecture me about how it's not an instant process when you're 30-ish and when conception occurs, blah blah blah.
Um, thanks?
After showing him my charts and describing everything I'd been feeling, he finally got around to the actual pelvic. When he palpated my lower abdomen externally, I didn't feel anything. He started the internal check and on the right side, I still didn't feel anything. I was starting to think this was going to be a bust but when he moved to the left side, yikes. In one of my previous posts, I'd mentioned that the angry combination of sensations has always been on the left. Sure enough, it was the left ovary that was very tender. The doc has requisitioned a pelvic ultrasound to check for/confirm a cyst on that ovary. I'll be going in for that over March Break and we'll go from there.
The doctor also did bloodwork. I had been planning to ask him to check my thyroid levels, which he did. But he also noted LH and FSH on the form. When I tried to diplomatically suggest that perhaps CD39 wasn't the best day for those (knowing full well that it is not), his response was, "if they're out of whack, they're out of whack." Oy. I haven't heard anything yet, though, so either they haven't gotten the results back or they don't see anything wrong -- which would be interesting since my LH was actually surging at the time, according to my OPKs.
It would appear that I've surpassed the limits of my doctor's knowledge of women's health that I'd talked up so much before, but aside from that, I actually came away from this appointment feeling more relaxed about things. It's still frustrating to know that something's not right but I feel validated; my instincts told me that something was wrong and that there might be a cyst. It is looking very much like that's the case. A lot of uncertainty has been removed from the equation and so many things that I've noticed on my chart since September are making sense now. If it is in fact a follicular cyst, there's still not really anything I can do but at least I now know why I feel like crap for weeks at a time. That helps. It's not much to go on but it's a start. I'll take it.
I'm glad the appointment made you feel better. As nice as "ignorance can be bliss" is, I think you'll feel much better knowing you're moving ahead by having more information. Plus, having your gut feelings validated is comforting since it means you know and understand your body well. That can only help as you move forward. Keep us posted!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you have more information & are getting some initial tests! Yeah, it can be interesting dealing w/ obgyns when it comes to fertility, even good ones! I'll second that. But I'm glad you're feeling more peace about things, I know it can be so helpful to have some sort of plan! If there is a cyst would that mean PCOS?
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily. With PCOS, there are multiple and they present in a characteristic pattern that can be seen with ultrasound. From what I've read so far, women with PCOS don't really feel their presence. That could be wrong. There is a distinct cyclical pattern to what I've been feeling, which is what leads to believe that it's a follicular cyst but until they actually take a look, who knows. I'm really curious about the bloodwork, too, but I'd feel better about that if it was done on the right day.
DeleteSo glad you will be getting some testing done! I'm so happy that you're feeling good after your appointment!!
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