On 2/16/2008
tennisgem wrote:
three months ago I felt discomfort around my clitoris (on the right side, kind of like in the crevass area, it kind of felt a little raw), vaginal entrance and around the anal area - went to obgyn who said yeast infection. swabbed me for it and told me she would test for it. although I was doubtful, she seemed sure it was yeast, and prescribed cream. First cream didn't work - and she called me to say my yeast test was negative, but that was common - a false negative, but she was 100% sure I had a yeast infection. The cream didn't work so two weeks later she prescribed me another - that burned me like mad and I discontinued immediately - she gave me another - that didn't work. so she told me to go in for biopsy. She biopsied me in three areas, one just inside the vagina and two on the outside, and ignored the area beside the clitoris and the anal areas, saying they looked fine. I told her they were painful and had appeared enflamed at times - but she ignored me. Anyway, I found out later she had NOT tested for yeast, so I made her do a complete panel (all came back negative) - a week after my biopsies, she told me to come in and see her and the specialist (who used to do gyn/oncology) as he would examine me too. I went in a week later and was sitting on the exam table waiting for her to get the specialist - she came back in and said oh, he won't see you because you have to wait 3 weeks after a biopsy before he'll see you. I was really annoyed - I'd wasted 3 hours of mine and my husband's time and as they work in the same office, wouldn't you think she would KNOW that I had to wait three weeks before coming back to see him? SHE was the one who had told me to come in, one week later. Anyway, the treatment in general at this office was appalling - during the biopsies the doctor kept dropping the equipment on the floor and couldn't find the tools she needed and was going in and out to find stuff - totally disorganized. Anyway, I thought, time to get a second opinion - so I got a copy of her notes, which were like chicken scratching and impossible to read, and went to another obgyn who referred me to an obgyn/oncologist. I went to see him, telling him all my symptoms - the pain/puffiness around my clitoris/labia majora, and around the anal area... and told him the story so far. He examined me and said that yes it's Vin ii (although he just saw the biopsy results for that) and said I need a partial vulvectomy - that he'd remove the area about the size of half a dime, and it was really minimal. I said, what about the other painful areas and he said no, nothing to do with him, i must go and see my regular obgyn for that - and I said, but how do you know it's not all connected? I could have Vin II in other areas - and he said no, the only area with Vin II was a tiny area around my vaginal entrance, which is what he would remove. He said he could easily tell Vin 2 areas, the skin was firmer and looked different. I didn't think of it at the time but half the size of a dime is TINY - the area biopsied was much bigger than that - so how can he think that removing an area that small will remove all infected cells? I feel like he's being way too conservative, although obviously I don't want him to take out a big area - but if he has to, he has to.
He did a biopsy of my cervix and said if there are problems there, he will take care of them d uring surgery - but I just don't feel right about this - my anal area (not right around the anus, but further out towards the buttock) is constantly burning - feels like it's chafed - and I feel like it all HAS to be connected. It's been like this for over three months - i've tried hydrocortizone cream, yeast infection creams, savlon, bacetrin, moisturizer - nothing makes a difference, it just feels constantly chafed.
This "second opinion" person, the obgyn/oncologist, was referred to me via a friend. I don't know if my health insurance will pay for me to have a third opinion... I don't know what to do. I'm waiting for the gyn/onc to let me know the results of the cervical biopsy and then I'm going in for a partial vulvectomy - not laser as he wants to send it to the pathology lab. Anyone got any ideas? Or does anyone know a really good obgyn/oncologist in Fort Lauderdale they can refer me to???? Is it possible that the enflamed area with VIN can be irritating the skin around it and making my other areas sore? any ideas?
T hank you everyone for your help.