OB/GYN Discussion Thread

Rebecca Cox4 said:I just have to warn you all about this guy Podobnik—what he did (or rather, failed to do) for my friend, and later, for someone else too. My friend saw him regularly for years—at least twice a year for her exams. Now, the doctor wasn't perfect—from what she could tell over the last four years—but whenever she actually voiced a concern, Podobnik would just brush her off: "It’s nothing, everything is fine, you're young and healthy, don't worry..." But her gut was screaming at her—she felt something was wrong. So she went to a different OB-GYN, who ran tests, sent her for an HPV screen, and it turned out she was positive. After a biopsy, they found CIN III—basically, she'd been dealing with this for quite a while...
And that same Podobnik made the exact same mistake with an acquaintance of hers—who we later found out had the same gynecologist—and she ended up needing a LEEP procedure or whatever that's called... SO, ladies, stay far away from Podobnik... anything but good things...

I used to assist Podobnik and... girls, seriously, DON'T!!!

I’m looking for a doctor who will actually take my issue seriously—someone who won't just provide a quick fix for recurring inflammation, only to have it come right back. I need a real solution, not just a temporary patch.
It would also be ideal if they take Blue Cross/insurance and are located here in Chicago.

Frank Campbell2 said:They didn't give me that Herplex stuff. I see it’s for herpes, though. Looks like we’re dealing with different issues because HPV is what’s bugging me. My doctor prescribed Klimicin vaginal cream instead. On top of that, I’ve been taking those Biobran tablets—they aren't prescription, but they run about $107 for a pack of 50. I take two a day. I also got some herbal tea for vaginal rinses from a herbalist, plus some aloe vera syrup and burdock root syrup. My CIN levels actually dropped from 2 down to 1, but I stopped everything because I'm pregnant.

My doctor gave me Herplex for the CIN, but for the HPV, she put me on Sumamed 500... I think she wants to tackle the CIN first so it doesn't turn into cervical cancer, then deal with the HPV later. I went to the pharmacy looking for those Biobran tablets, and the lady there said they were amazing and everyone is buying them. Meanwhile, my gynecologist just tells me it's all a huge waste of money... so now I'm stuck not knowing what to do. Let me know if you notice any results... fingers crossed it works. 👍 ...my OB/GYN mentioned that Dr. Grubisic is really great for CIN and HPV... I think he might be a bit blunt, though. Have you ever seen him?

Frank Campbell2 said:I honestly never felt the need for a prescription for any of them, even the ones I picked up myself. But tell me, how do you actually know which specific kind you need? It’s not like they all work for the same type of infection.

It’s much like when you visit a specialist; you go in, and they present you with options—Option A, Option B, or Option C. I usually just point to the first one and ask for the prescription (I believe it was something like Clotrimazole or similar). Once, my primary care physician even handed me Plymicol—she wasn't technically supposed to write the script, but she did—and other times I’ve just gone straight to the pharmacy to buy exactly what the gynecologist suggested, and they worked fine enough.
Since I’m on birth control, these yeast infections seem to be a recurring theme, so I assume many of those vaginal suppositories are designed specifically for that purpose...

I would actually love it if you could walk me through how things work with your doctor, because I am genuinely curious about the protocol used by serious medical professionals.😉 I have this nagging feeling that they don't just hand out suppositories without hesitation.

And you’re telling me you really don't need a prescription for them?

Does anyone have any experience with gynecologists over in Chicago? I think there are about three main practices around here—since I’m still pretty new to the city, I honestly have zero clue which one I should actually book an appointment with...😕

Ronald Booth said:Does anyone have experience with gynecologists in St. Louis? I think there are only three, but since I'm new to town, I have no clue which one to go to...😕

Wait, you think there are only three? There are way more than that. Maybe you were just thinking of the big names?

Anyway, I usually see someone downtown, but honestly, I’m not really feeling it. I know some people mentioned Dr. Matkovic is a solid choice if you're going private, and for the public clinics, I think it's Dr. Stanic.

pipita5 said:- they've received the most praise: Harni + Gudelj(aside from those headlines in the papers),

Sorry, I can't seem to find where the part about the newspaper headlines was mentioned... could you fill me in on what that was actually about?

thanks

I’ve managed to read through everything here, and honestly, there’s a ton of useful info.

I think I’ll go book an appointment with either Dr. Miller or Dr. Davis; I’ll just see which one isn't backed up with a massive waiting list.

Since I'm a virgin, though, I have some questions about what the exam is actually going to be like. Also, is it smarter to visit the gynecologist before or after having sex?

I really just want a check-up to make sure everything is fine and get some solid advice on contraception. One more thing—can they check if my hymen is elastic without actually piercing it?

Joshua Clark said:I assisted the Lookalike and... don't do it, ladies, just DON'T!!!

Why not? Are you absolutely certain he handled everything with one hundred percent accuracy? These women are simply sharing their own personal experiences.

LOL
That "girls, don't" thing
actually meant
DO NOT GO TO HIM FOR THE LIFE OUT OF YOU!!!!

nimblestag31 said:I’m not even from the city, but I really have to give my gynecologist some credit🙂

Dr. Vlastelic—yes, a male gynecologist—has been my go-to since my very first visit, and I see no reason to ever look elsewhere. He always takes a few minutes at the start just to chat, which helps break the ice and settle the nerves. I still remember my first appointment; I walked into the office feeling completely tense and rigid, and he managed to calm me down almost instantly... The only slightly odd thing is the prospect of him becoming an assistant in the OB-GYN department in a few years.😁
But honestly, it doesn't matter; I feel such a sense of rapport with him, almost like we're old friends. At the end of the day, he’s one of the very few people who actually knows that part of my life inside and out.

Are you talking about "that area"?

Hey!
Thanks for all the OBGYN recommendations. I ended up seeing Dr. Wahid and he was great.
He sent me for a TVS ultrasound. Can someone explain what that actually is? Like, what does the procedure involve? For the first part, I'm assuming it's just an ultrasound 🙂 Also, any advice on which hospital to go to? They told me I could use Mercy, Mount Sinai, or maybe a local community clinic.
Thanks

Didn't he explain exactly what he was sending you over? 😕

So, he said ultrasound. How am I supposed to know what they're actually doing over there??

I’m right there with Wahida on this—it’s basically the law as far as I’m concerned. 😍

Alright, so I think you’ll need to have a transvaginal ultrasound done (that’s the TVS one, I guess that’s what was on my referral too).

Now, if he’s the one who gave you the referral, you can head to pretty much any hospital—though, just a heads-up, I’m pretty sure you have to call ahead and make an appointment everywhere.

But, if you get the referral from your primary care doctor, you won't be able to go to the main Women's Hospital (they usually only take referrals directly from gynecologists).

The actual exam only takes a minute or two; it isn't painful or even uncomfortable at all. 🙂 It’s just like a standard gynecological check-up.
At the end, they give you those printed images, and then you just take them to your gynecologist. Definitely ask them to look over everything and explain it to you if anything seems confusing! 😘
My doctor is honestly the best because he actually takes the time to answer my sixty million questions—which, let’s be real, I always come prepared with. 😳

From what I can tell, the guy is actually great and really puts in the effort. He didn't act like he was just waiting for me to disappear. 🙂 Thanks for clearing that up. Small issue, though—I’m not really down for those ultrasounds or whatever because they hurt. And once they're done, do I get the results right away, or am I stuck waiting later?

You get your results right away and then you just take them straight to your gynecologist.

Are you skipping out because it hurts? Seriously? Don't be so irresponsible with your own health.
First off, it doesn't hurt! You just have to relax all your muscles and it’s honestly fine! For me, getting a Pap smear is way more uncomfortable than an ultrasound!🙂

Does it actually matter if you schedule an ultrasound for like 2 or 3 days after your period ends?
My doctor told me that's the best timing, but honestly, it’s such a struggle for me because my cycle is super irregular. Plus, when I do skip a month, I have zero clue when it'll finally show up, so I just can't seem to catch that perfect 2-to-3-day window to get an appointment booked. It's been months now!

lonefox7 said:Does it actually matter if I go for an ultrasound 2-3 days after my period ends?
My doctor told me that’s the best time, but it’s such a headache because my cycle is totally irregular. Since I never know when it’ll end, I can never seem to book an appointment within that tiny little window. It's been months of me trying to catch that timing!

Honestly, I don't know if this applies to everyone, but they told me I had to go right after my period ended—apparently, that's when things are most clear. I was dealing with PCOS issues, so I had to be super precise about it.

Look, you probably have a rough idea of how long yours usually lasts, right? On the day you get it, just call them immediately and book it. Seriously, tell them you have an irregular cycle and ask if they can squeeze you in—that worked wonders for me, they got me in right away. If your period typically lasts about five days, just aim for day six or seven. Just grab the slot before it slips away!

Why don't you try going through a private clinic instead? I know if you go through the hospital system, they order everything in bulk, so you end up stuck waiting for weeks on end. But honestly, when I was in that situation, I just walked right up to them and said: "Look, I’m on my period right now and heaven knows when I’ll deal with this again, so please, just get me an order today!" 🙂