Most people would be horrified if a doctored looked them in the eye and said "you have severe symptoms". I on the other hand was thrilled on Friday when a doctor looked at me and said "You have severe symptoms of IC and your bladder behaves in a way that is not normal for a 27 year old". I was thrilled b/c I have known this for a long-time and have been suffering on and off for a long time and it felt good to hear real medical professional agree with me.
Even though I have had an IC diagnosis for a little while now and a PFD/V diagnosis for even longer, it has been hard to get doctors to take my symptoms seriously until now. Many doctors would say things such as "you have IC but it's not that bad" or "take Elmiron and you will feel better" (oh if only it were that simple).
Before diagnosis it was even worse. It's hard to pick the worst thing that has even been said to me. It's sort of a toss up between the ER doctor who said "You are making this up to get pain pills" (even though I was in 10 pain and told him that I wanted no pain pills only an answer), the ER nurse who told me I was "banned from the ER for all matters related to my bladder or pelvis because nothing is wrong with me" or the Urologist who called me a drug addict for being on 30 mg of Elavil (a mild old school anti-depressant with a max. dose of 150mg---not even a narcotic).
After going through all that, it is like wedding bells to hear someone tell me I have severe symptoms. This new doctor has me scheduled for all the tests and procedures I have researched so hard but all other doctors denied me. This doctor gave me the proper referrals for physical therapy. This doctor knows that IC is a real illness. This doctor knows that IC chicks are in their own category and can't just be lumped in with 70 year old men who have slightly overactive bladders.
It's been over 2 years since the first time I felt a debilitating symptom of IC, over 6 years since the first time I had a urine culture come back negative for infection, but still have high WBC and over 13 years since my first severe UTI which only seemed to lead to other issues. But finally, after all this a doctor finally agrees with me that IC causes severe symptoms. So you see, what can be the worst words that one person could ever hear, can be the best for someone else.
Posts
2 comments:
Reading this post made me cry. It took me SO long to get this very same diagnosis. I was so lucky to find my current urologist. If it weren't for him and his fantastic staff, I wouldn't be feeling the way I do now. Not to say that my pain is even 50% controlled, but I will take that over being told nothing is wrong with me and to stop "seeking" drugs or attention is amazing!
This post hit the spot! Not just for my pelvic pain, but also for my other pain symptoms. The day the doc say to me "you have one of most severe symptoms I have ever seen" I broke down in tears because finally, FINALLY, I found a doc to take my conditions and treatment seriously.
Post a Comment