Hysteroscopy experiences AT MAYO specifically
I’m coming to Mayo tomorrow for the second time since August, though this will be my first appointment with OBGYN dept.
I am scheduled for a vaginal ultrasound and a hysteroscopy as an in-office procedure.
Some background as it may matter…
I’m 42. No pregnancies/fertility anything, never tried to conceive. No history of irregular paps or anything.
I have SEVERE PMDD, for this reason, for the last 10+ years I’ve been on oral BC skipping all periods to prevent hormone fluctuations as much as possible.
In March, I had a heart attack out of nowhere. That means estrogen is now off the table. I was switched to a progesterone only oral bc. I was warned I may have a mild period when switching, which I did. However, I’ve had several periods, all over the place, randomly occurring. Some have even had as little as 5-10 days between the end of one and start of the next.
I do NOT miss or skip pills. Never.
The bleeding is not as heavy as my regular periods were, however, the cramping is awful and now it radiates into my chest, with really screws with you after a heart attack.
There is no placebo week. I should NOT be having periods at all. That’s why I’m being seen.
As I’ve been getting more info on the procedure, it’s come to my attention that this is often extremely painful. They advise taking non-asprin pain relievers even starting the night before. Tylenol does nothing for me and I can’t take NSAIDS due to the cardiac stuff.
I know they will not sedate me, especially as I’m coming to MN alone. I inquired about local anesthetic and honestly was treated pretty rudely. This is not an option. This is an in-office procedure. If I’m “one of the people that is unable to tolerate the pain” it will need to be rescheduled in the OR at a later date. Obviously this isn’t an unusual occurrence. I read a medical journal that talks about women being forced to endure these without any anesthetic when it’s completely unnecessary as there’s no reason local anesthetic can’t be given in office.
I do have Fibromyalgia, but overall, I have a fairly high pain tolerance most of the time. However, when I had my angiogram, for which I was sedated, it was excruciating and I was screaming. I’m told this isn’t normal and most people just feel pressure. They tried to keep telling me it didn’t hurt…like hell it didn’t! Two other cardiologists since then have told me it’s common for patients with Fibro to find the angiogram painful. I’m very worried I will have the same experience with this.
I’m especially worried as my cervix has NEVER dilated or anything.
Obviously it’s not uncommon for people to have issues with the procedure or rescheduling for the OR wouldn’t be so casually mentioned.
I’ve seen lots of people comment on hysteroscopies done elsewhere, elsewhere doesn’t matter, different place, different practices. I want to know specifically about those that have had this procedure AT MAYO (I’ll be in Rochester). Did anyone think it was fairly painless?
If you did find it painful and need to have it rescheduled, were they able to do it within the next day or two? My appointment is Wednesday afternoon. They don’t do appointments on weekends. I CANNOT extend my stay, I’m leaving Saturday morning. So if I need to do it in the OR, it needs to be Weds eve, Thurs or Fri…
I’m worried they won’t do the OR with me being alone though, has anybody done this?
Because of my heart I’m limited in what meds can be used.
It’s also a concern because when I’m in pain my blood pressure spikes…again, recent heart attack, so I need to avoid these spikes as much as possible. I’m also a very anxious person which doesn’t help the matter.
The person I spoke with was very condescending and very dismissive of my concerns. I don’t want to risk going into a huge panic or dealing with intense pain and putting extra strain on my heart. I tried to explain this and she just kept repeating “you must come to your consult, and then the procedure will be done in office”…yes. I get it.
Why don’t they listen to patients?! I’m not asking for like NORCO or something, literally just numb it or something. I can’t handle any additional medical trauma but also need to get to the bottom of the issue I’m having.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Women's Health Support Group.
@mkhogan ,
Your are correct about being your own advocate. At Mayo, the department that handles patient's concerns is Patient Experience.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic/patient-experience
You're right. Thank you. It us patient experience. Thanks for correction. If you're in clinic at tochester, they also have office handy in main building.
I had an endometrial biopsy done at Mayo Rochester about 10 months ago. I was told that some people can't support the pain and must go to hospital. They also told me to take Tylenol before. It was uncomfortable for a few moments, but it was soon over and I drove myself home.
When I had a colonoscopy, I had general anesthesia and stayed in a hotel next to hospital, so no issue being alone and not being able to drive.
For health concerns, one should make them aware. For me, general anesthesia could offer some risks so I had them talk to my Pulmonolgist about it before my colonoscopy.