Questions to Ask Your Gynecologist
about pelvic pain, painful periods, and endometriosis

I wish someone had handed me a list like this when I was eighteen. I walked into appointments for years, said "my cramps are really bad," got told it was normal, and walked out. I didn't know what to ask. Now you do.

How to use it: print this page (it's plain black and white so it prints nicely). Cross out what doesn't apply to you. Circle the ones that matter most, in case you run short on time. Bring your pain diary. Write the answers on the lines. It's all right to bring someone with you, and it's all right to say "can you explain that again?"

BRING WITH YOU
[  ] Your pain diary, or at least notes on your last few cycles
[  ] A list of every medicine you take, including over-the-counter ones
[  ] Whether your mother, sisters or aunts had bad periods or endometriosis
[  ] This list

ABOUT MY SYMPTOMS

1. Is the amount of pain I'm having normal? If not, what could be causing it?
______________________________

2. Could this be endometriosis? What else could it be?
______________________________

3. My pain happens at these times: ________________. Does that pattern tell you anything?
______________________________

ABOUT FINDING OUT

4. What tests do you recommend, and what will each one tell us?
______________________________

5. Do you think I need a laparoscopy? Why or why not?
______________________________

6. If I have one, will you remove any endometriosis you find at the same time?
______________________________

7. How long is recovery? When can I go back to work?
______________________________

ABOUT TREATMENT

8. What are my treatment choices? Which do you recommend for me, and why?
______________________________

9. What are the side effects of each one? How long would I take it?
______________________________

10. What should I take for pain, how much, and when should I start taking it?
______________________________

11. How will we know if the treatment is working? When should I come back?
______________________________

12. What happens if it doesn't work? What's the next step?
______________________________

ABOUT THE FUTURE

13. Could this affect my chances of getting pregnant someday? Should that change which treatment we choose?
______________________________

14. Is this likely to get better, get worse, or stay the same?
______________________________

15. Is there anything I can do on my own that might help?
______________________________

BEFORE I LEAVE

16. When should I call you between appointments? What would be an emergency?
______________________________

17. Is there a support group or anything I can read?
______________________________

One more thing. If a doctor tells you your pain is normal and you know in your gut that it isn't, you are allowed to get a second opinion. You are allowed to get a third. It took me ten years and one hygienist to find a doctor who listened. I hope it takes you a lot less.

From Not Just Cramps, a home page by Crystal Landon, [email protected]. I'm not a doctor; these are just good questions. Feel free to print and share this list. Last updated September 20, 1999.