ENDOMETRIOSIS: TAKING CONTROL
Endometriosis is a chronic disease that will require ongoing treatment and investigations by a qualified specialist. It is important that you choose your doctor carefully.
If you are buying a car you would not take the first one you see, so why should shopping around for a doctor be any different?
Road test the doctor, ask questions, talk to other women. Your health is worth the effort. You should be encouraged to be involved in your health care and to make informed decisions about treatment and surgery.
Many women are surprised to learn they have a chronic illness, so they are usually in a state of shock when treatment options for their endometriosis are discussed.
You need a doctor who understands the emotional as well as the physical aspects of the disease and who can provide counselling and support.
For those women who have had little contact with the medical profession, or for teenagers who are not ready to be assertive or demanding with an adult, challenging your doctor or seeking a second opinion can be difficult.
Where do you start? How do you know if the doctor you have selected will be the best for you? How do you take control?
Many women have asked these questions before so do not feel you are in any way inadequate or foolish for being afraid to question your doctor. After all, they are professionals experienced in the treatment of gynecological problems so it is not uncommon to feel that your doctor knows best and should not be questioned.
Many women say they do not feel confident enough to seek a second opinion. Others may feel they should not waste their doctor’s time by asking questions. These feelings are also common but also learn to trust your own judgment. It should be possible for you and your doctor to work together. If the treatment schedule mapped for you is not what you expected, discuss the options with your doctor. Consider all the options and make sure you are happy with what has been planned.
Unfortunately, women frequently complain that they feel embarrassed that they may ask a ‘stupid’ question. It is essential to overcome this. Many doctors incorrectly assume their patients understand what their illness is, how it developed and how it may be treated. And it can be confusing when doctors use medical terminology – with which only they can be expected to be familiar. For instance, a doctor may talk about ‘patent tubes’. What is really being said is that the fallopian tubes are functioning and normal.
Obviously it would be easier if doctors used a language that their patients understood, so do not feel embarrassed to ask for an explanation – even though it can be a normal tendency to sit back and pretend you know what the doctor is on about!
Remember, it is your health, your body, so it is up to you to take control and be assertive.
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