I Went To A Holistic Gynecologist And You Wouldn’t Believe What She Made Me Do

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Feel Good Project Day 14

I have been beyond blessed to know the REAL genuine sweetness of quality health care over the past year in my life, and have never felt so taken care of by the team that has rallied around me for at various stages along my journey back to health and wholeness.

So when I was referred to a new, holistically minded OBGYN in regard to this uterine fibroid I’ve had hanging around for awhile now, I was pumped!

I had long ago become disenchanted with my former gynecologist, as she seemed like a frazzled, money making, baby pumping factory who made me feel small if I was asking too many questions.

She even took one of my client’s baby by last minute C-section, as she had her daughter’s birthday party to attend, and that baby was going to make her late if it didn’t hurry up.

That hopefully paints a picture of the situation I was in.

Now, if you’ve never had a uterine fibroid, I am sure you can relate to how painful they can often be. Some of the worst pain of my life, well besides the ruptured ovarian cysts over the years. Those are quite fun too. Oh the joys!

Anyway, I was so excited about this new referral because a natural minded OB was just what I had been seeking, as I hadn’t been for an annual exam in over two years now. I trust the source who recommended her, so I was very much looking forward to meeting her this morning.

Well-long story short- the words of one of my favorite country songs by Kacey Musgraves pretty much sums it up:

‘Same trailer, different park.’

Same cold, sterile environment. Same rushed feeling, same feeling of leaving and wanting more answers. I walked out of the building with order slips for a thousand tests for things I already knew the answers to, but there was not enough time to explain this to her.

Definitely same trailer different park. Well, time for a NEW trailer. Brand spankin’ NEW park. I was one dissatisfied, unhappy camper.

I left feeling I could have answered my own questions better. And I could.

I was so beyond disappointed. The first thing I thought upon leaving the appointment, (well besides being sure of the fact that I was in no way interested in doing genetic testing for different types of cancer that happened to ‘run’ in my family, especially kinds that ran in the MEN in my family?) was that I should have listened to my gut.

When I was first referred I checked out the website of course and I liked what I read about the office, and the way the four women doctors seemed to all have studied alternative medicine therapies and treatments as well as typical medical school training.

Off to a good start.

But the very next thing I saw, was an offering of cosmetic treatments in the office by appointment-such as botox etc….as well as offerings for hormone replacement therapies for menopausal women. This all left me thoroughly confused.

I came to the conclusion that not all women were wanting ‘natural’ and ‘holistic’ care-and the office probably just offered many different things to a large group of patients.

It did cross my mind that this could not be a good fit-but again, I trusted the person who referred me.

The one somewhat useful advice I was offered in regards to fibroid treatment was acupuncture. Beyond that though-there was sadly no other difference between her and my old doctor.

At first I was mad because it cost me a lot of money for that appointment, and it felt like a giant waste. But then, I was overcome by this feeling of superb empowerment!

Wait a minute-I don’t have to go back if I don’t want to! I can choose to get further tests done or not!

I can get my results of my annual exam (which was glad I did as it had been awhile, and I am okay with those tests as they are not invasive it seems) and that was not a total waste of money in the end.

I LOVED what happened next.

I came up with a plan. Desperation breeds good ideas in me it seems.

The plan is (at least for now) when we have a baby in the future, is a birthing center birth where the facility mimics a home-soft, cozy, warm. Where women are encouraged to give birth in nice warm baths and greet their baby by their own means, not some sterile hospital environment.

Then it hit me. If babies probably don’t enjoy the cold, harsh conditions of such an office or a hospital, then why do I keep going there? The truth is I MYSELF don’t enjoy the way they make me feel-all sweaty and nervous, feeling like a another number being rushed by on a conveyor belt.

I don’t like it at ALL. Never have. THIS does not help me FEEL GOOD by any stretch of the word. THIS is the complete opposite of that. So why keep heading in the wrong direction?

Time to make the U turn and take charge of this situation.

Truth is-nobody will ever know my body like me. Of course they won’t-because they simply can’t. And because they can’t, they are not nearly as invested in me as I am. They don’t know what it’s like to be in my body with these organs inside, wrapped in this human skin.

That’s just how it works.

Even though that is the case, I KNOW the people I feel comfortable with and she was certainly not one of them.

SO, I am going to go back to my old plan from a few years ago that I ignored: make appointment at the birthing center for a tour to make sure I like the place etc. If I do-connect up with one of the midwives who I feel is best suited for me, and have HER journey with me from fibroid treatment options all the way to birthing a baby one of these days.

Today was an important day, as I felt like I took the reigns back even a bit more in regards to my health.

In ‘Mind Over Medicine‘, Lissa Rankin encourages everyone to gather their ’round table’-their specially picked team of doctors, practitioners, coaches etc to have on your side because you want them there and they are approved by YOU.

So all in all today was a great learning experience. Not a waste at all in the long run, and that leaves me feeling quite good:)

FEEL GOOD MOMENT OF THE DAY: Because my appointment was at 7am this morning with a forty minute drive (that’s how worth it I thought it’d be!) I saw the sunrise on my drive, filling the sky with pinks, golds and rays of happy warm Fall yellow! Add in the singing session at the top of my lungs (I was in such a mood), and I’d say it made for the perfect morning!

Image via americanprideandpassion.com