Female Disorder

[Deleted member 1860]

Thank you all for your support.

Unfortunately Planned Parenthood is not an option for most of us on Medicare. (Political BS I'm sure.) Most do not accept Medicare (none around me, some on the west coast apparently do?) and if they find out I am on Medicare, they will refuse service (been there.) I can say I don't have insurance (lie) but then I pay the full fare because in order to get reduced costs you need to show proof of income, and my proof of income is SSDI which is a flag that I'm possibly on Medicare as well....At least with Medicare, I can try to get certain things covered (even though they do not cover many GYN things.....So far I know they cover routine screenings, which is what I am having done on Monday, but I have no idea what my coverage is if something is abnormal.)

 

[Em C.]

That seems very stressful :( The only thing I can think of is move to Canada so you have healthcare automatically but I feel like that would be a bigger stressor haha

*more hugs*

 

[PlainJane]

:hug: you are wonderful ;) don't forget that!!!

 

[Fadeaway]

That is a crappy situation, but it will be ok! There are so many benign and easily treated things that it could be (yeast infection, B.V.)

Sorry to hear you had a crappy gyno. I had a gyno one tell me that as a general rule that their careers require them to be one some of the least judgmental people in the world. You bet that they have heard it all from all walks of life. As for your primary, well, unless they are uber religious I doubt they will bat an eye.

What about an urgent care? They usually take medicare and I do think that this would fall under the classification of urgent.

 

[Rumors]

Can I ask, are you Medicare or Medicaid? Vast difference in the two unfortunately... As for having sex and not being married, it is ok. You don't answer to them..only yourself. Don't be so hard on yourself! Still sending loads of hugs if that is ok.

 

[rightkindofme]

I'm sorry that Planned Parenthood isn't an option. That is ridiculous. I'm sorry that you've had bad experiences with groino's. Once I went to see a groino (I like that word better than gynecologist for pain during sex. She told me, "It doesn't matter how it feels to you. You are only doing it for the man anyway." I fired her.

It's totally ok to fire bad doctors. It is hard to try again after bad experiences though. It is so overwhelming. :(

I hope you find someone who isn't stupid soon.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I am on Medicare.

 

[SabrinaB]

Medicare should cover any GYN care you may need now or down the road, so that can be crossed off your worry list.

It's completely normal to get anxious and expect the worse when experiencing pain, discomfort, or other symptoms. And when I say normal I mean everyone, not just PTSDers, get that way. So celebrate that!

You do differ though from the average patient - you possess an impressive degree of insight and self awareness. I've worked in healthcare for 30+ years, caring for all types of people, and yet you manage to knock my socks off.

I've grown to admire the tough persona you project on these boards and now am in awe of your willingness to show your vulnerable side as well. To me that's the epitome of courage and strength!

 

[Chava]

It's worth it to take care of stuff and know what's going on (I had to have a uterine biopsy done...no cancer ((good to know)), but ultrasound indicated no normal situation in there...as horrible as the experience was I finally felt validated in it not feeling right versus just feeling at war with my body). I appreciated that I could watch the screen and see what the doctor was seeing. My ob/gyn is really careful, gentle, nice, and no bullshit...down to business but she doesn't act rushed... she explains what she is doing and always gives me choices. I did NOT have to agree to biopsy but she always explains why she is recommending a procedure or test. It helps a lot to have the information and choices. Also she has a nurse on hand so I can squeeze the shit out of someone's hand.

Know what will help you immediately afterwards for grounding if needed. I e-mailed my therapist, called a friend who understood what I was going through, and hid in a bathroom at the clinic and stared at the specks on the floor for a good half hour because I was frankly tweaking after a bad IUD experience. But I'm glad I can take responsibility for this stuff and learn more about my body. I just have to go in sort of careful steps. I need a f*cking laparoscopy, but it is also my choice. I might be ready this summer because I've tried everything else. It's probably been more pain, but that's how I had to do it. I have sketchy early csa memories but clearly remember the awful feelings from sexual assault. Having weird instruments put in there is horrible, so it matters that someone can slow down and explain exactly what they are doing and why and I can say yes or no to any of it, any time.

Find an ob/gyn you can tolerate, remind yourself why you're doing this, and mentally prepare with a list of grounding ideas. Oh, I also kept a stuffed animal in the car for after an IUD was inserted. I took my sweet time getting back home. Went to the art supply store, zoned out, called this same friend to say f*ck a lot. Even with a good doctor and knowing I had choices that helped me discharge some of the freak out energy after these different procedures.

Good luck. it will be worth it to know more about what is going on.

 

[moonbeam]

:hug: :hug: :hug: I have a similar issue with GYNs frequently. There is a walk in sexual health clinic I visit once a year for my exams here. It's easier and better than having to have a gyn.

Does your doctor have a nurse on staff you could see? They are usually a bit better and more knowledgeable so could probably reassure you more. Hopefully anyway.

This stuff really sucks. I hope Monday goes well and until then :hug: :hug: :hug: It will be okay. :hug: :hug:

 

[Deleted member 1860]

TY @SabrinaB

The medicare website doesn't say much other than it covers an every other year wellness exam. It doesn't say what it covers if something is actually wrong. And I know something isn't right b/c I am in pain.

I've run the gamut from OMG this is a STD! to OMG this is CANCER! and I think it may be a clogged gland. I am prone to those on my body and it wouldn't surprise me if I got one...ahem....there, too. So for now I'm trying to not worry about it, but also be armed with enough information so I can have a conversation with my doc about it. (She's a GP, I figured I'd start there b/c I don't know if I'd have to go on to a urologist or an GYN or what?) And actually I say "doctor" but she's a nurse practitioner, one of those super nurses who have almost as much power as a doctor and such. I trust her more than the doctor who runs the office.

I am going to ask for every available test so that I can put my fears to rest! This stuff is SO confusing b/c once you start to do research you just end up scaring the crap out of yourself since so many disorders are similar and have similar appearances and such. If she refers me to a urologist, I'll find one down in the city. If she refers me to a GYN, I'll find another one elsewhere.

Thanks for all the hugs! I appreciate them!

 

[Deleted member 1860]

OMG @rightkindofme

Sex is only for the man!?! After you let go of the anger, just pity her because she's never had good sex! (I'd say this is a fair assumption.) Which makes me wonder why she wanted to become a GYN? "Oh, well we've gotta make sure that these ladies keep in tip top tuned condition for their men!" I guess maybe it was the OB part that drew her to the field?