Just so you know...

The biopsy that was scheduled for yesterday...did NOT happen. In case you're new or happened to stumble here by accident let me give the background info here.

In November, I went to a female doctor for some spotting problems. I was also supposed to have my yearly exam at the same time. I was not concerned. They did not do the yearly exam because in their office they only want to handle one procedure at a time. HELLO!!! You're in the same spot, I have the same amount of clothes off, and you're ALREADY poking around in that very spot! Stupid doctors. This just smells of scam to me. Let's only do one thing at a time so they have to make another appointment and we'll get more money from them. WHATEVER!

So at this appointment, they checked me out and felt nothing wrong. I told them that both my mom and grandmother started going through perimenopause when they were my age. Did that make a difference? Hell, no! They told me that anytime they think a woman might be going through the change, they do a biopsy of the uterus in order to rule out uterine cancer. Again, this appointment was in November. I made the biopsy appointment for yesterday. Obviously, they really aren't that concerned about cancer or they wouldn't have let me wait two months for the biopsy.

For the past two months, I have been stressing that this doctor just wants extra money from me and my insurance company and are willing to take a biopsy in order to get it. I did a check on the Internet and found out many things regarding this procedure.

1. This procedure does not give any proof that a woman is going through the change. Duh! It's checking for cancer. That wasn't my concern. It's still not my concern.
2. From MedLine Plus: "The symptoms of uterine cancer include:
a. Unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge
b. Trouble urinating
c. Pelvic pain
d. Pain during intercourse

Uterine cancer usually occurs after menopause (emphasis mine)...."

Another website went into detail about the "unusual bleeding or discharge" which showed me that I have NONE OF THESE SYMPTOMS!!! There is no reason for me to have this procedure.

I called the doctor Friday afternoon to cancel my Monday appointment and I got an answering machine because they do not take calls after 4:30. They're open until 5. Whatever! Anyway, I was upset not knowing how I was going to get out of the appointment but knowing that I did not want to go through with it. I haven't felt right about this procedure since they first mentioned it to me 2 months ago.

So, I was worried that I was going to have to cancel the appointment first thing Monday morning and they were going to charge me for an office visit. Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I was okay with paying for the visit instead of having the procedure. It's not like they can charge me for a procedure they don't actually perform.

Not five minutes after all this went through my head, I got a call from the doctors office confirming my appointment. WooHoo! You know I cancelled that bitch. They then asked me when I wanted to reschedule it. I told them that I would be talking with my primary care physician before I called them back. She sounded completely confused. I guess no one has ever questioned them on a procedure before.

Actually, I'm going to talk to my primary about it and see if they can recommend ANOTHER ob/gyn because I no longer feel comfortable going to that doctor if they are willing to cut a person before doing a simple blood test that will tell them if my hormone levels are in the parameters to suggest that I'm going through the change.

Thanks to everyone for all your thoughts and concerns. I just wanted to update you on the fact that I took control of my health in regards to this unneccesary procedure. :-)

Guess what!?! I haven't really slept for the past three weeks. I couldn't figure out what the problem was and sleeping pills weren't helping me sleep either. Friday night, I slept like a baby. This whole time, I haven't been sleeping because I've been stressing about this dumb procedure. It's great to sleep again. I have slept every night since I cancelled the appointment. Amazing what stress does to a person.

By the way, if you feel uncomfortable about a procedure your doctor wants to do, get a second opinion. Please!

In other news, BB's first day back since having the triplets was today. This ought to be an interesting transition. She feels as though no one in our office needs her because we did our jobs without a hitch. MB will have a rough time because she is no longer in charge and will have to wait for BB to make up her mind before we go forward instead of just making decisions. This is not going to be fun.

So glad I'm just the receptionist that also takes reservations. :-) Have a great week. Until later...