My doctor thought I suffered from neurosis
when I complained of a recurrent pain
that I thought might be endometriosis.
I never guessed that such self-diagnosis
suggested the distress was in my brain.
My doctor thought I suffered from neurosis,
prescribing acupuncture and hypnosis
and Elavil. I started to explain:
my sister had had endometriosis,
with pain a lot like mine. He upped the doses
of tranquilizers. Was I under strain?
My doctor thought I suffered from neurosis.
If I remained insistent, the prognosis
was poor. A patient hardly could be sane
to claim that she had endometriosis
against her doctor’s fixed belief. Psychosis
was possible. Perhaps I used cocaine?
My doctor thought I suffered from neurosis.
A surgeon, though, found endometriosis.