Audio posted of Dr. Echenberg’s conversation with a new patient
I felt like a car accident on the side of the road that people were passing by … I felt dismembered, desensitized, and discarded on the side of the road by the medical profession’s lack of understanding … now, I feel like a survivor of excruciating pain I didn’t understand until now. I’d rather live in understandable pain than live in pain I don’t understand that makes me feel like I don’t want to live anymore…
From the audio of a new patient of Dr. Echenberg’s
Those quotes are from a new patient of Dr. Echenberg who kindly consented to have her appointment taped for educational purposes on our site (see below). This is 20 minutes that anyone who has suffered with sexual and pelvic pain will find heartwrenching and identify with. This conversation followed Dr. Echenberg’s standard 45 minute physical exam and discussion of the patient’s completed 12 page questionnaire.
It is important to note that the patient is a 39 year old woman who was referred by her 32 year old sister, who had been previously been treated by Dr. Echenberg. This patient was so reluctant to come, so fearful of being mistreated by yet another doctor, that she had canceled at least one other appointment before coming in. Her diagnoses include overall chronic pelvic pain, painful bladder syndrome (or interstitial cystitis), vulvar vestibulodynia (pain in the vaginal opening), and severe myofascial pain.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
