to lap, or not to lap???

kennedybm · 10-11-2004, 01:25 PM

Here's the short version...

Been having lots of pain. Gyn thinks I'm getting endo (strong family history). She gave some options:
1. Go on Lupron.
2. Have lap, go from there
3. Have an ultrasound, then
if normal...go on lupron, or do nothing
if not normal... have lap, go from there

Well, I had the ultrasound on Thursday...the u/s tech said things look normal but I haven't heard from the doctor yet. But I really don't want to just start a major medication without a definate answer. Maybe nothing is wrong, maybe it's something else, maybe it is endo. I'm not very good with uncertainty.

So here's my question. Should I have a lap and ease my mind, or should I trust the doctor and avoid surgury???

Any advice anyone has is appreciated!

Thanks so much!!

CelticSpirit · 10-11-2004, 10:21 PM

From what I understand, a lap is the only way to know for certain if you have endo or not...

I was told this when there was a question if I had endo a couple of years ago...But, if you have a strong family linkage...you probably DO have it. Especially if you have all the symptoms.

MsJill · 10-12-2004, 12:01 AM

Hopefully the Dr. is planning to use the LAP for two purposes - to confirm the presence of endometriosis and to burn off by laser what endo she does find. I had this procedure, and it made a huge difference. However, I'd be making sure that the removal was part of the deal.

The surgery is not particularly difficult - General anaesthetic, so you take a day or so to recover from that, and a little discomfort for a few days afterwards (mine was more from gas bubbles around my shoulder blades than from the incisions - glad I'd been warned about that LOL).

I'd definitely recommend the surgery before Lupron - in fact, I'd be doing a lot of reading into the side effects before I took Lupron under any circumstances.

The other thing to be aware of is that endometriosis is made worse by unopposed oestrogen, so getting your body regular and making sure your oestrogen/progesterone balance is right is an important part of long term management.