IC confirmed.....Urologist is a jerk

[punkewe]

I had my cystoscopy with hydro done 3 weeks ago. I had my follow up appointment this thursday. The Dr. told me that he saw only a few glomerulations and biopsy revealed inflamation but otherwise normal. He talked to me about treatment options (oral meds, home instills). I already take medications that cause alot of drowsiness and fatigue, so for now, i am holding off on doing the elavil/atarax. He gave me some vesicare to try, I have tried detrol and one other med in this family (can't think of the name right now) and they both did not help and caused unplesant side effects.

He asked me what my most bothersome symptoms were and I said, "All of it frankly". But I told him that some days the pain is debilitating especially if i try to have sex. I am sure alot of you know this. He asked me to try and take an ibuprofen or tylenol before-hand. I explained to him that was like throwing an ice-cube into a volcano. He then said he could write me a script for 20 percocets and to take one before sex. I asked him about handling the pain any other time, (which I feel like I need something stronger than tylenol at least 2 or 3 times a week). He told me that i have a "very mild" case of IC and that he would not be prescribing me pain medication on a regular basis. Then gave me a spill about people abusing the "privelage" of being given pain medication. PRIVELAGE! If there is one word i sure as hell do not associate with IC, it is privelage.

I can't believe what came out of his mouth! It infuriates me when a dr or nurse tells me how i feel. As far as him saying that my ic was very mild, I do understand there are varying degrees, but that by no means measures the level of pain one has.

I won't be going back to him.

I live in east TN and I am about an hour away from Knoxville. I made an appointment with Dr. Dogweiller today. I've heard enough great things about her on here that I trust she'll take care and compassion of my IC.

Wishing you all a great weekend

~Punk~

[Vicki]

Punk- Definitely see Dr. Doggweiler. She is fabulous and compassionate! I used to go to her in Memphis. -Vicki

[stac7_8]

Hey I'm sorry that happened to you I kinda just had the same thing happen to me today. This Dr. that i saw told me that he wasn't sure if I had IC and that he laughed at the other way my other dr dx me and gave 5 darvacet until I go back and see him. So I truly can understand where u are coming from. It truly does not make any sense to me whether u have a "mild" case or a "bad" case. The PAIN is just that Pain and we can not tell u ok it is going to happen today and only last for 5 min. Or lets plan it....write it down in our schedule and u make sure to give me my med about 45 mins before hand. Trust me I understand!!!!

The guy I went to for my 2nd op. is the one that DX me with IC. I was very honest with him about my pain meds. I have been getting vicodon from my 1st gyno for alomost 3yrs now. I have had alot of female issuses also. So when I asked for something I told him he did not have to give me Vicodon but something and he did 1 time and then told me I needed to see a Uro because basically in plain lanuage he felt like I was a seeker. Now I will be honest and tell u that I have had 1 doc and 1 doc only give me my pain pills. But I thought I was going to keep this doc.....not now...he thinks that I'm seeking and if he would have ever looked at my records he would of seen that I was not a seeker by any means.

Sorry for going on.....I just understand and I needed to vent. But hang in there girl.....maybe u can go to a pain clinic. Ask for a referral....that's what they are there for. Take care

[tigger_gal]

sending you hugs, I went round for round today with the nurse practioner! I really feel offended that they do this to us.

[Moonheart]

I feel so fortunate now. I'm so angry thinking of the way you ladies are being treated. My uro is not comfortable prescribing pain meds but he understands I've been on them for about five years now and he is giving me 100 MS Contin to use at my discretion, every 2-3 weeks now. I only take 2 on some days, and I've taken as many as six on other days. I never take them just for the sake of taking them. I am trying to listen to my body and not take them scheduled just because if I don't have pain. I really respect that he trusts me enough to do this because I do know his level of discomfort prescribing. I'm going to be going to the pain clinic in April and he is being very decent until then. I feel very blessed.
I will be praying that every one of you gets the pain relief you need and deserve. It's so wrong for you to be treated like this.

[Berkshire Road]

Amen, Moonheart!

[jen74]

Arrrrrrh!!! I get so mad when I hear how many of us are treated so crappy by these idiot doctors. Oh I am usually a very kind person and would never wish this awful disease on anyone, But I honestly do wish some of these arogant idiot doctors would have to live like we do with this pain. Let me tell you, they would be running to their doctor buddies getting pain meds, I guarentee you that. It is so unfair. I am sorry you had that bad experience.
Jen

[humpieumpumkin]

Jen!

Please get a second opinion! I know its a HUGE pain but it could be just the right thing for you. My new doctor is a sweetheart and it was worth the effort. As far as the pain meds, the percocet before sex sounds like a bandaid. Try "pushing out" your partners penis during penetration, I have found that helps. Same thing with a cath or scope too. Were here for you, try and hang in there. Oh, and by the way, when I cancelled my appt with my old uro and they asked if I wanted to schedule and I said no to those awful women it was one of the most liberating experience of my life! (yes i'm only 22, and yes I dont get out much!) Moonheart hit the nail right on the head as well.

Erika

[ICLori]

I agree, we just have to keep searching until we find a doctor who GETS our pain!

I just had a GREAT pain management meeting (with a civilian doctor, woo hoo, no rotten military doctor for once!) Friday and I got treated with respect, listened to, sympathized with, and was given as many Ultram as I needed/wanted! (Probably more than I will need, but I wanted to just have them just in case, just to give me a sense of control.)

So there are good doctors out there, but sometimes we have to endure many encounters with really bad doctors, doctors who don't care, don't understand, etc. before we find a good doctor.

Hoping everyone here eventually finds a good doctor who helps them with the pain...

Blessings,
Lori
P.S. BTW, it's not just IC patients that are being treated badly in terms of pain - I have been doing a lot of reading up on this, and it turns out there is a huge health care crisis in this country and a huge undertreatment/refusal of treatment for pain, especially chronic pain. And there are huge gender differences between how men and women are treated. It's just unreal! When you start reading up on it, (there are tons of articles about this on the internet) you wonder why there aren't riots on the street about this! I guess because those of us in pain, are hurting too much to riot, LOL! But seriously, people dying of cancer are being undertreated for pain, people who have back pain are being undertreated, we are being undertreated and left to suffer - and there are more chronic pain patients than you'd believe, too! I was shocked by the numbers. Most of us sooner or later will have some form of chronic pain (risks increase with age.) So it's not like chronic pain in general is a really rare thing. But very little attention has been paid to it by the medical community, and there is this big attitude in our country, because of the war on drugs/addiction etc., that all pain meds are always bad. So there is a huge, huge problem and I hope and pray it gets fixed soon, for all of us who have pain.

[humpieumpumkin]

Thats a great point Lori. We are not singled out among pain patients...

Erika