Feel free to discuss any topic of general interest, so long as nothing you post here is likely to be interpreted as insulting, and/or inflammatory, nor clearly designed to provoke any individual or group. Please be considerate of others feelings, and they will be considerate of yours.
Ok Moderators, this may be in the wrong place so PLEASE IF YOU NEED TO MOVE IT DO! But I desperatley need some advice on something that I am freaking out on.
Basically I am having a flexible cystoscopy on monday (aka a camera up into my bladder) which I am perfectly fine with, I want to know what is going on in my bladder.
I just got my hospital admission forms through today and have established that who is doing the procedure is male, which wouldn't be too much of a problem, except for the fact that they are only using a local anaesthetic so I will be awake.
This sounds fine enough right? Well the problem is last year I was sexually assaulted by a friend, and I'm worried that I will have a panic attack in the middle of the procedure due to the doctors gender and the memories it will bring back. (I'm having flashbacks now just thinking about it)
My colonoscopy earlier this year was with a male doctor and I was fine with that, but i think thats because of where that was as compared to the .
Hey Natty first being a male I cannot understand the horror that you went through and I am sorry that you went through that. From that perspective, I would talk about your concerns with the physicians office before the procedure, for you this is an issue and don't let them tell you to 'not worry' about it. It's your body and more important your feelings, don't compromise.
I would think that given a bit of planning that you could ask for a female to do the procedure and frankly if it was me, I would ask for conscious sedation which should make the procedure a blur in your memory at best.
Best wishes Natty and certainly stand your ground on this.
Since I know nothing about your NHS policies and options, all I can suggest is to find out what your options are, and if changing doctors is not an option, request a higher level of sedation. You should be able to call the hospital, and find out what their policies, (and options), are, in a situation such as that.
I'll bet that you have the option available to you to request a female doctor, if you wish.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
By all means, discuss this with your doctor. I cannot imagine that he will not make arrangements to make you comfortable. If that means a different doctor, ask. No one will want you to have a panic attack during the procedure.
I am sorry you are having flashbacks now. Are you getting help for your post traumatic shock?
I agree - ask for a female doctor and some sort of medication, if at all possible. I had the same procedure close to 30 years ago, and it seems to me that I needed to be able to communicate with the doctor, so I'm not sure how out of it you should be. It's been so long I can't really remember. And by now things might be different.
I had to have an endometrial biopsy recently, which was done in the doctor's office. I knew it was going to be very painful, so I got permission to take Xanax ahead of time. Also, when I had a lumpectomy ten years ago I did not want to be put all the way out. The anesthesiologist agreed with me, so I had the least amount of medicine possible and was aware, at times, of what was happening. She let me use my Walkman so I could listen to my relaxation tape (soft music) during the operation. It really helped! Maybe knowing this will help you figure out what you might do to be as relaxed as possible for the procedure. I've never had a panic attack, so I'm not sure if focusing on relaxation would help or not, but thought I'd share what I've done in case it is helpful to you.
I hope you can get a female doctor. I have a friend who was inappropriately touched by a doctor and she gets panicky when she visits another male doctor. She discussed the incident with him and he was understanding about it. I'm sorry that you were assaulted, especially by a friend. That had to be devastating.
Good luck with your procedure.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Celie wrote:I am sorry you are having flashbacks now. Are you getting help for your post traumatic shock?
Yeah I was getting counselling and on anti-depressents for what had happened (Although I wasn't actually diagnosed with PTSD and the anti-depressents appear to have led to these current health issues).
I've tried ringing the number I need to at the hospital but I can't get through. So I'll try again tomorrow, and hopefully get through, if not, I'll have to say something on the day. Leaving it late but it can't be helped.
Thanks for all your advice and support.
Naty.
x
'The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be.' Horace Bushnell
Also, everyone who apologised for what I went through, please don't be sorry it wasn't your fault this thing happened to me, and in a way it made me a stronger person.
'The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be.' Horace Bushnell
In this part of the world, the hospitals seem to know about handling this kind of thing. I have a feeling yours isn't going to be vastly different.
A while back I had a body scan that involved lying still on my back with a huge piece of equipment suspended one inch from my nose. Mildly unsettling to me, but I could understand how it might really concern some folk. There was this bloke there who was clearly concerned. The staff appeared to have an established routine to handle this where they showed him the equipment, then talked to him about sedation levels etc. It wasn't a problem to them, just part of the job.
Now I know that isn't the same, but I have feeling the hospital/clinic you are going to will have a routine they employ for your type of situation as well. It won't be the first time someone has had these concerns, and I'll bet they just need to know so they can tick the appropriate part on the form and get the system to swing into place.
Keep trying to get hold of someone at the hospital in advance, because that will make it easier for them to help you. If you can't get onto the right section, I'll bet they have a patient support service of some kind that is able to act as your advocate.
My attempts to get in touch with the hospital completley failed today, my mum is going to try and ring on my behalf for me tomorrow as I have to move all my stuff back to uni before coming back. but it looks like i'll have to tell them on the day :S
'The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be.' Horace Bushnell
Dear Natalie:
I hope the procedure goes smoothly on Monday and that the hospital staff is sensitive to your concerns. Will be thinking of you then, too, though I suppose that will be Sunday evening for me here in Canada...
Breathing exercises (focusing on breathing in and out slowly)or any kind of meditation work really well for things like that. I used to have a huge fear of dentists ( from childhood) and when I learned how to do Transcendental meditation, I started doing it whenever I was in the dentists chair and it really helped. Really, anything to keep the mind occupied and relaxed will work.
Regards,
Linda
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."
The 13th Dali Lama
Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
