OT- Dr appt results
So had my appointment yesterday and have mixed feelings. They did identify the issue: one of my Fallopian tubes is massively swollen. They were able to replicate the exact pain I feel during the ultrasound. Now I'm all hunched over at work in pain and mad but I hate the complex that comes with asking for time off due to a "female issue".
Here's the problem. The doctor said it can't be endometriosis because I am on depo (????) and also she said it didn't show up on the ultrasound. I thought I had read that you can't diagnose endo with an ultrasound alone so this confuses me. Regardless, she is leaning towards an STD. When I told her I've only been with my husband for almost 9 years now and nobody else...she said "well, when these results come in, you'll know something about him then, won't you?"
I was shocked about how "matter of fact" she was about this and not offering any other explanation. I know the test is going to come back negative, but unfortunately I need to wait three days before I get any results back. She also would not share with me if there was any possible way for me to contract these STD's without intercourse....I KNOW DH and I have not been with anybody else. However I also know that my EX had been with multiple partners while we were together. Given that it's been 11 years since I was ever intimate with him, I doubt I could have contracted something and not have any symptoms until now....
Dr claims if the tests come back negative they will need to go in with a camera to see what is going on and that planned parenthood does not offer that service so I am unsure where to go from here. She also said they could not tell from the ultrasound if my tube was blocked or not, but she could definitely tell it was enlarged. She said removal of said tube was a strong possibility unless we try antibiotic treatment (makes no sense why would you treat an infection if the results come back negative?)
So while I am possibly even more confused and stressed out, it is nice to finally have a "sort-of" explanation for everything. Unsure if planned parenthood was the way to go about this since I was strongly given the impression that all partners cheat and that's why women have so many problems. Maybe I should have asked DH to go with, maybe she would have changed her tune if he had been there. This is going to be a loooong 3 days.
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If your recent pap came back
If your recent pap came back all good, I'm confused as to how this doc thinks it's an Std based on an ultrasound. It sucks her bedside manner was so terrible. I always had amazing docs at PP in college. I'm sure some can become jaded as they've seen such an increase in stds the past several years.
HPV can remain dormant in your system for over a decade. I don't think the same is true for other stds.
It's perfectly possible to
It's perfectly possible to have a clear PAP smear test and still have an STD. THe PAP only checks for abnormal cervical cells. Unless the doctor specifically checks for STDs, you might never know ...
I haven't had a "flagged pap"
I haven't had a "flagged pap" since 2014 (that was the HPV from my ex), they have all been clean since and have been cleared of HPV. She said a pap is not the same as std testing and this wouldn't have shown up on my pap. I wish someone would have educated me about this, I thought it was one and the same. Would have got the extra testing done a LONG time ago after my ex and I split had I known they were not related. But 10-11 years seems a looong time for something to be dormant with no symptoms.
Gotchya. Sorry, it's been a
Gotchya. Sorry, it's been a long time since I was tested!
As far as I know, the only
As far as I know, the only STD's that lays dormant for so long with no symptoms are HIV and Hep. C...that can lay dormant for around 10 years. Herpes can lay dormant also, but the symptoms of that are more visible and you usually see something before 10 years. It's possible, but....hopefully it's something easily fixed and not Hepatitius, as that can be serious. I think your Dr. needs to work on her bedside manner....
Edit: Just saw Winterglow's comment below. Pretty much a dup. of what she said.
My MIL has Hep C....maybe I
My MIL has Hep C....maybe I need to talk to her. She's not very open about it. I could have sworn she said it was "gone now".
Hep C can be cleared without
Hep C can be cleared without medication by some people. Others can't clear it on their own but suffer little harm before passing depending on when they contracted it and if they continue to be exposed to it. There is a cure for Hep C now, but it is very expensive and you have to meet certain criteria before they will administer treatment. Basically, you have to be very low risk for contracting it again AND you must be symptomatic.
HIV and Hep C can both be
HIV and Hep C can both be symptomatic when it's first contracted. The symptoms are fairly similar to the flu, just worse. The other "big 3" STDs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) can be asymptomatic, which is why people (especially women) don't realize they have them until they get sick-sick. They can stay in the body for years. Syphilis, until the invention of antibiotics, would cause heart failure and mental illness in patients as it progressed. Someone can have herpes and never have an outbreak, and something like 90% of the adult population gets HPV at some point in their life. There are over 100 different strains of HPV, and only a handful of them pose a danger to health. Most people clear HPV before they even know they have it.
The good thing
The good thing is that you have started down the road to figuring out what is going on. Obviously the doctor was not as compassionate as you would have liked but you have to remember that she sees a lot of STD positive tests and I am quite sure that the vast majority of those women were resistant to even the idea of being tested in the first place. She doesn't know you or your DH. And she has to rule out PID damage from a silent longterm infection like chlamydia. Hang in there. Fingers crossed that you will have an answer soon and it will have an uncomplicated solution.
For what it's worth, yes,
For what it's worth, yes, there are STDs that can lay dormant for many years. The main ones are HIV, herpes and hepatitis. Trich can also lay dormant. I'd like to smack that doctor for immediately jumping to "your husband is cheating". Can you imagine the potential harm that could do?
but 10-11 years dormant??
but 10-11 years dormant?? That seems extreme. Not ruling it out, my ex was a man-whore, but that seems like an extremely long time to have no symptoms. I also wish someone would have educated me about how a pap is NOT the same as STD testing, I would've had the testing done as soon as my ex and I split. I thought I was covered because I got my paps/check ups regularly.
It's not so much that the STD
It's not so much that the STD remains dormant as it is the repercussions of having an STD can. If you had untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea, which can both go without symptoms, you can develop Pelivc Inflammatory Disease (PID), which can cause infertility and other issues.
Part of the reason why people are freaking out about antibiotic-resistant STDs is because they aren't "undamaging" like a cold. Long-term exposure to chlamydia can cause reproductive health issues, as well as joint degeneration. Syphilis, when untreated, can lead to cardiovascular problems and mental illness. We just don't see these side effects because they are treatable...until they aren't.
So, it's possible that it is an STD that has been wreaking havoc on your reproductive system. It could be an ectopic pregnancy that caused infection/other issues (and you're ungodly lucky that it stopped where it did). It could be endo. No, that can't be officially diagnosed from an ultrasound, but a doctor can see where surfaces are thickened, in similarity to the lining of the uterus, which can be an indicator. Being on depo would keep that lining thin, so I *think* what she was saying is that it wouldn't be endo because your fallopian tube shouldn't be any more swollen/thick than your uterus (if that makes sense). Still faulty diagnodtically, but I can see why she said it. If it's not an infection, you'll need for testing, unfortunately.
It is DOES end up being an STD, I HIGHLY recommend getting DH tested and treated, otherwise you'll reinfect yourself if he is also infected.
MRI
If you can, get an MRI. I’ve had ultrasounds and CT-scans to try to identify the source of abdominal pain. Told after each one - we’re not seeing anything that would cause you pain, maybe it’s your diet. Later had an MRI and they found endometriosis.
My friend had the same issue and after repeatedly pushing and switching doctors multiple times, she was recently diagnosed with massive adenomyosis (endo in the uterus) and told the only way to ease her pain was a full hysterectomy. She even had exploratory laproscopic surgery two years ago and they missed this. She was finally diagnosed after one doctor ordered an MRI and worked closely with a radiologist to understand it.
Women’s health is in the dark ages and even female doctors doubt women and don’t investigate thoroughly when they report pain.
She is right.
She is right. I was riddled with endo and I had doctors question me about drug seeking. I was blown away. I had cramps so severe that at times I would get dizzy when they hit me. But answering their questiton about the severity of pain was drug seeking? I guess I was supposed to lie and say I was in their office just to check out the decorations or something.
I had it!!!
I suffered and I MEAN SUFFERED with endometriosis for many years before I had a major surgery. They found it every where on the inside of me and I do mean everywhere. Told me it was slim to zero that I could have babies.
The only way they could diagnosis me was with having laparoscopy. I had two of them.
Have you had one of those scopes yet?
FYI, docs put me on the pill all year round to stop ovaries from working. I did not have a period (YIPEE) , yes it helped slightly but I begged for surgery it was so bad. I could not sit, could not stand. Felt much like an etopic pregnancies that I had, VERY bad pain.
So maybe that is what your doc is trying to communicate to you "Oh you cant have it because of your birth control"? That is bs.
I AM so so so sorry you are going thru this. I would go to another doctor. Demand laparoscopy and vaginal ultrasounds to check for cysts too.
(((SUPER HUGS COMING YOUR WAY))))
thank you for hugs :-)
they did the vaginal ultrasound already, that was how they discovered my tube was swollen/enlarged. Boy was that a suprise...I thought it was an "outside" ultrasound, when the nurse told me "no, it's a inside one, do you have to use the restroom?" I thought I was going to pass out lol. Nothing else showed up on the screen. Laparoscopy is the next step if the testing comes back negative (still waiting on results) but my insurance is refusing to cover the laparoscopy. I often wonder if the only reason they give women insurance is to become "baby making machines", it seems like anything not child-bearing related is taboo and "not covered"... like having really great car insurance and finding out the ONE time someone hits you, you aren't covered. SO frustrating.
Women’s health is in the dark
Women’s health is in the dark ages and even female doctors doubt women and don’t investigate thoroughly when they report pain."
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You are right about that. I had kidney stones, on the floor crawling. Anyone who has had these knows what I am talking about.. I had to beg for more than Motrin. Female doc told me if I ask for more than the 6pills she gave me, she would suggest I speak to a drug counselor. WTF?
I was furious. AND I asked her to look in my chart to see when the last time I was given any pain meds....she couldn't find 1 darn pill.
That was over 10 years ago.
I am not a man hater...but men end up in the hospital hooked up to Morphine drips until their stones pass thru their ding-a-lings (sorry if that offended anyone).