Should you get pain medication for a cervical biopsy? w/ special guest Avocado Allie

Avocado Allie is back!! On this episode of the Period Chats Podcast, I reconnect with the amazing Allie, our PCOS “cyst”er, who also happens to be a social media influencer, yoga instructor and model. Today we’re talking about going to the gynecologist - the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable. We’ve all had different experiences with gyno’s, and it doesn’t get talked about enough in general, so today we’re sitting down for some relatable real talk about it. In this episode, Allie and I exchange a few stories of experiences with different gynecologists and what those visits did to our overall emotional state around the topic. A lot of gynecologists still approach the conversation of birth control by touting old-school beliefs, and this can cause a negative experience for patients who may feel gaslighted or judged. On the other hand, for some reason our conversations with almost all of our on-call nurses have ROCKED. Allie shares about her recent male gynecologist staring off their visit by mansplaining PCOS, and then suggesting that there are two camps of PCOS patients - those who are trying to get pregnant and those who are on birth control - and that there shouldn’t be anyone else. (Effectively putting the somewhere between 1-in-10 and 1-in-5 people that get periods who have PCOS into two broad boxes). This doctor performed an extra painful biopsy, and later sent her for an ultrasound that she should have gotten first. The horrible experience caused her to research other people’s stories about excessive pain after endometrial biopsies. She dealt with heavy emotions caused by the poor treatment and unexpected pain, and posted on her media outlets. The response was copious - which feels so normalizing, but also upsetting that so many people experience similar things! And it may make many of ya’ll feel less alone as we unpack why these types of procedures are often rushed, under-explained, not accompanied by any pain mitigation - and how all that is somehow still considered normal in most gynecology offices. Allie also shares about how Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and doctor visits sometimes interact, and once again I feel way less alone as I recount phone calls for cleanliness reassurance and anxiety spikes around doctor visits as well. In this episode, I also recount the time when the gynecologist told me I had an STI when it was really an autoimmune stress response after a yeast infection. We know these are frustrations that many of us can relate to regarding the medical system, but the vibe of this episode is definitely not a gripe-filled complaint sesh; it’s a relatable and relieving conversation about the wisdom we’ve gained during the imperfect treatment we’ve survived, and how it has added to our passion to invite others further into the world of holistic physical and mental health. Follow Allie: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@avocado_allie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avocado_allie/