Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Doctor Dammit


When you're just fed up with doctors
Who don't listen, care, or try
And pain has made you go insane,
Lose your cool and cry.

When every doctor's clueless
And your future is in doubt
Then here's a little dammit doll
That you can't do without.

Just grasp it firmly by the legs
And find a place to slam it.
And as you whack the stuffing out,
Yell "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

If "dammit"s not a word you say
Then wring its little neck
As as you rip its head off
Shout "Oh heck, oh heck, oh heck!"


You may have gathered that I'm a bit frustrated with doctors. Yesterday was yet another disheartening visit to check the status of my "functional" cyst, which measured 6 cm last month and just under 5 cm this time. By the way, the five weeks between these two appointments is the longest I've gone without a doctor appointment in 3 YEARS! I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but I was in pain more often than not.

No doctor has ever had anything more useful to say about these frequent painful cysts than "Huh. I dunno". So very little is known about functional cysts that there's no effective means of preventing or even treating them. To make matters worse, my other issues - endometriosis with resultant infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss - also leave doctors stumped. There just isn't enough known about these conditions (why they happen, how they work, how to treat or prevent them) for doctors to be of much help to me, even if they tried.

Endometriosis has long been recognized as a serious disease in women, and yet there is still so much about it that is unknown. Certainly progress has been made, but you'd think it would get more attention and research given the fact that 10-15% of women suffer from it.

Imagine that 10-15% of men suffered from a painful, chronic, and progressive disease of the reproductive system. Imagine that the drugs to treat it made them hormonal basket cases and killed their sex lives. Imagine that the disease would often lead to multiple surgeries and the lopping off of a testicle or two just for starters. I suspect that enormous amounts of money would be devoted to the cause. The best and brightest in the field of medicine would be on the case. The road would be long but they would act swiftly and boldly to find effective treatments and ultimately, a cure.

Great advancements would have been made by now if men suffered this way. Instead, women are still being dismissed and patronized when they talk to their doctors about the pain they are suffering. And there's no hope for a cure any time soon. Dammit, dammit, dammit !

12 comments:

Kristin said...

It is maddening that so little attention is still paid to this disease. I love the idea of a dammit doll! That is wonderful.

Baby On Mind said...

Did you make that doll? I have seen dammit dolls but don't think I've seen a doctor version. Did you like the poem too? I love it!

Wonder what kinds of looks you'd get if you bring the doctor dammit doll to your appointments =)

Lin said...

I agree that far too little attention is paid to figuring what causes endometriosis. It is sad!

The dammit dall is awesome! Very cool...thanks for sharing both it and the poem!

Lollipop Goldstein said...

If women ruled the world...or at least allocated funding for research. I'm sorry, sweetie.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love the dammit doll! I am so sorry you are feeling ignored. It is maddening. I could have used that doll many times with my first RE and former OB.

areyoukiddingme said...

I'm sorry you need that little doll (although he's very cute and I love the poem). It's incredibly frustrating to deal with people who can't figure out your problem and appear to have no interest in trying.

Lynn said...

I soooooo want that doll! I'm sorry you're having such a hard and painful time right now. I pray the pain will ease soon and the road will get a little easier for you.

Anonymous said...

I love the doll maybe you should sell them like voodoo dolls.

Once A Mother said...

i love the little doll. i am so sorry that you are having such a rough time. my issues (lost my baby girl to cancer, now dealing with SIF) are different then yours, but i can relate to the frustrations that come with having no answers. hoping things get better for you soon.

Anonymous said...

Cool ! A voodoo doll ! Brilliant. :)

I think you're onto something. Look at the little blue pills, for men. When are we going to have our own pink pills ? I know about all the issues surrounding female desire but we can send someone on the moon and we can't do more research about endometriosis, find something to light our fire, cure functional cysts ? Tsk.

I'm sorry you are feeling so much pain.

Me said...

Ha ha ha! I love the doll! So funny!

I'm sorry you're still struggling. That is so frustrating. I also agree with the man thing. Maybe it is because women are more tolerant with pain than men and that men are just a big bunch of SISSIES!!

I hope you get feeling better.

CeCe said...

Thanks for your comment on my blog. I am sorry to know that we have 2nd trimester loss & infertility in common- but I am glad to connect with you. I will be following your story.