Posted 9/12/2011 5:28 PM (GMT 0)
I have so far been very fortunate that all of the doctors I've gone to see over the years have been wonderful -- they actually listen to me and have an excellent personality. Part of that is because I'm usually referred to them by my main family doctor (we've been with him for at least 15 years, and I'm so lucky we picked him to go see when I needed a checkup all those years ago).
I had to go see my OB/GYN for a regular exam on September 1st, and I'm normally just fine with this doctor and very little discomfort... but that particular day I was in serious pain. I couldn't even turn my neck because my shoulders, neck, and back of my head were hurting so much. I hurt all over, but the neck area just made me realize this was not going to go as well as my past experiences.
Oh of course, I tried to relax, and as I said I do like my doctor very much (this doctor is apparently good friends with my family doctor and they're very much alike -- you feel like you could chat for hours with them about non-medical stuff. In fact, my husband and I usually do end up yakking too long with my family doctor when we see him. My husband has joked that he wishes he could go see the OB/GYN because he's so great... well, he does see him in a sense because he goes with me for checkups).
Anyway, when my OB/GYN came in to see me before the exam, I warned him that I was being sent to a rheumatologist by my family doctor (the one he's friends with) for possible fibromyalgia or something similar. I told him I was having a particularly bad day.
Without hesitation, he picked up his file and started writing notes when I started telling him about this. He asked where I was hurting, and even commented about how that is a common area of pain for that sort of thing. He told me he would try his best to be as gentle as possible.
To his credit, he DID try to be as gentle as he could as well as soothing and calming, but ow ow ow. The breast exam was horrific (I also have fibroadenomas, so I already have tenderness, but it hurt worse than ever), and the pelvic exam and pap smear were also more painful than usual. He went as quickly as he could to get it over with for me as well as telling me to add Vitamin E to my daily routine for breast tenderness.
The doctor kept telling me to breathe, and I tried to breathe and relax, but the pain was so bad. I was gritting my teeth and making a growling/moaning noise. It took everything I had to keep from yelling out.
My husband was in the room with us and he tells me that the look on both the doctor's face and the nurse's face were of the "I hate seeing someone in so much pain" sort. He could tell they felt terrible for me, but it was necessary because I needed to get checked out for a couple things (I'm all clear so far on the test results, thankfully! I can focus on the rheumatologist visit coming up in a week or so).
After the visit, I ended up bawling my head off in the car while my husband comforted me. I was fine a little while later... I just hated that it went from a "yeah, this isn't obviously fun but it was tolerable" to "oh no... I sure hope the pain doesn't continue to get WORSE over time." :(
I'm just so thankful that I have yet another doctor who respected what I told him and tried his best to work with me. I wanted to share my experience with a doctor who listens to his patient and at least seems to have read up on fibromyalgia a little. Although it hurt horribly, and I'm a little worried I will now automatically get nervous expecting pain, at least I do look forward to seeing this doctor and his staff because they are great with their patients.