Seriously debating ER visit

[pandorarose.livejournal.com]

This is the situation, back in 1997 I had no a miscarriage and they later discovered that I had a mess of cysts that I needed to have removed. During this time my grandma passed away so that kinda put that on hold ... fast forward to now. *smiles*
My cycles have progessively gotten worse as in the severity and being irregular. Last month it had been well over 2 months since my last cycle and it was hella hard ... I went through 2 boxes (large) of pads and tampons within 10 days. The pain was a constant 5 and nothing I took killed the pain ... it would only take the edge off and I'm still trying to get my strength back cause I'm still wiped. The pain has been pretty constant since then and has gotten to the point of taking my breath away at times. At times it is painful to walk because the pain spreads throughout my lower and mid-back, through my hips and lower to mid- abdomen. We just got insurance and it's great coverage ... I'm wondering if I should wait and try to get to see a doctor or if I should go to the ER and have things checked out. To make things even more interesting ... I am diabetic and since we have not had insurance I've had to "wing it" as far as my meds are concerned, which was going fairly well until this week when my sugars started to claim from I suppose the stress of worrying and the pain.

Anyways, if any of you lovely ladies have any suggestions or if this sounds like somethign you've been through ... please reply. I could really use some advice. *smiles*

Thanx,
Shana

Comments

[postbox.livejournal.com]

I would seriously consider going to the ER...it just doesn't sound like something you should wait out, plus, even if you don't have insurance (or money!) the ER can't turn anyone away.
You can also give them a fake name and just not pay at all. Say you left your ID at home and give them a fake social security number..you can use the same first 5 numbers, but change the last 4 (since those are the numbers that decipher the city and state you were born in)
It sounds too important to wait on..please please go!

[pandorarose.livejournal.com]

Now that we have insurance the cost isn't so much an issue since the co-pay can be billed. *smiles* I just know that if I go tonight that I will be there most if not all night and I have to work tomorrow ... (and have no paid leave) ....

[postbox.livejournal.com]

Understandable. But if the pain is that bad, I seriously wouldn't wait...whatever it is that is wrong can only get worse before it gets better. All the symptoms you described were definatly not normal, I guess it just depends on how bad it hurts, and how long you think you should hold out. I really hope whatever it is gets better, it just sounds terrible. :(

[the-leh.livejournal.com]

I'd go to the ER.

[pandorarose.livejournal.com]

Thank for your input ... I really appreciate any advice or suggestions ... *smiles*

[brina-is-sassy.livejournal.com]

I'd go to the ER.

[pandorarose.livejournal.com]

Thanx for your input ..... I really appreeciate your input. *smiles*

[pandorarose.livejournal.com]

The copay is relatively the same with either the urgent care or ER and the urgent care is already closed ... bleh .... *smiles*
The only reason that I have not already gone to the ER is because I don't want to seem silly ... our ER is a catch all since many don't have insurance. And there are many people that (I feel) really need medical care and don't get it ... and my problem seems so minor ... (even though not to me) *smiles*

Ty

[pandorarose.livejournal.com]

I can appreciate that ... I remeber all to well sitting all night waiting for my grandma to be seen by the doctor on duty and there were at least 2 girls that just needed midol and a young mom with a baby that had colic and another that just needed some tylenol and to be rocked to sleep ... *smiles* It is really difficult when people can't be seen by a doctor for lack of insurance or because they can NEVER get in to see their doctor.

[ncsu-lady.livejournal.com]

I think you need to get your sugar checked and some pain managment. However its up to you if you want to put this off tonight.

Its hard enough having one problem but two can really make it tough (I can empathize).

However if you have insurance you *definately* need to get to a gyno as well as make sure your sugar level stays ok. Pain meds can also interfere with them.

[pandorarose.livejournal.com]

I know as of earlier today my sugar is sitting in the 300 range .... nice .... *sarcastic* I will be getting my meds refilled this week, gotta love a $5 co-pay ... yay me .... *giggles* Getting in to see an ob/gyn is a nightmare ... last time I checked it was a 6 week wait ... and that's in an urgent case .... *growls* That was the one of the reasons I thought about the ER as an alternative. I am so glad that I joined this community, everyone here has been very helpful. *smiles*

[robynchick.livejournal.com]

I think you've got it covered! *hugs* I wish you luck!

[dobberoo.livejournal.com]

I hope you get yourself looked at and fixed up.
My mother had the same problem you mentioned, except it was ongoing for a year, and she ended up needing a hysterectomy.

Good luck.

[racrichton.livejournal.com]

You almost definitley have PCOS. (Polycystic ovary syndome) I can not belive that no one caught that when they saw the "mess of cysts! Seriously, you have a TEXTBOOK case. While I'm not a doctor, and my diagnosis isn't you know "for real", this is textbook in an area i know a lot about (I've got it too) The common signs of PCO are :
-irregular or missed, and painfull heavy periods
-miscarriage
-mess of ovaries
-overweight-ness concentrated in the tummy
-acne
-excess body hair

it increases the risk for type 2 diabetes because it is speculated to start as an insulin disorder, where your body makes too much insulin, because it doesn't use it correctly.

I hope this helps you out, for me it a joy and a pain all at once finding out i have PCOS, I'm 21 and love kids, and I've always wanted a large family, and the possibility of not getting that really gets me down. On the plus side, I finally figured out why nothing I ever tried could work in weightnoss, and now i'm on a pcos management program and losing weight, and it's fantastic.

I would really recomend seeing a doctor (perhaps an endocrineologist), because, this can be helped in a multitude of ways. The first thing they like to do is put pcos patients on birthcontol, which serves two purposes (1) it regulates the cycle and makes periods less painful, and (2) it's actually been shown in some studies to somehow "reverse" cysts, and because of the way it works, it prevents new cysts from forming. When a PCOS patient is not on HBC everytime you have a period, you get a new cyst, because your body does not properly ovulate. If anything, if it's an option open to you, i'd recomend going to planned parenthood and getting on HBC, for me, it has made a world of difference (I've been on HBC since I was roughly 13, and took two months to not bee on it because i wanted to know what that would be like, and let me tell you, I'm not doing that again)

I really don't mean to scare you or anything, or seem like a know it all, I'm jsut hoping to fully explain things. Definitley see a doctor, as it could just as easily be something else, but it sure sounds like PCOS.

[jennifer.livejournal.com]

If you're having issues with your blood sugar, I would really recommend you go on to the ER and get that stabilized. My mother's a diabetic and I've seen firsthand how serious issues with that can be.