Tuesday, January 8, 2019

You Want Me to Take WHAT?

What a relief!! I left the doctor's office with a SMILE!


Nervous optimism?
Let's recap the last visit that I vented about, so then we can see what a positive difference today's visit was. Basically a kid decided that no matter what I said, my issue is obviously just Meniere's Disease. It felt like he did a google search to read what it is, then questioned me about my diagnosis - with a tone like I was making it up and didn't know what it really is. Then he would recite the generic list of symptoms. Get this, he asked me to tell him what vertigo is - then confirmed what it is and explained it to me in the most patronizing tone. As I said to my husband today .... and I cracked myself up with this one... "I've had Meniere's Disease longer than this kid has had pubic hair." He doesn't get to talk down to me ever again! His basic instructions after NOT listening to a word I said were to reduce my salt (which I can hardly even reduce) and avoid caffeine (which I so rarely drink that it hardly even counts as having). A pointless visit that only pissed me off and made me vow to never have an appointment with him again.

For today's visit I was nervous, but going in with a completely open mind. I was seeing my new primary care provider that I've never met. Maybe I would love her? Maybe she'd be completely different and actually listen? Maybe she wouldn't listen and I would leave that medical facility all together and search out a new family doctor?

I was seen right away, and had to do a standard little questionnaire, which resulted in a follow-up questionnaire because I had to be honest ... I have NOT been happy or motivated to do things in the last few weeks. My life hasn't been a life. I have been suffering in pain and can only lay down and barely sleep. I assured them I am NOT suicidal, that its just misery from the pain which is the reason for the appointment.

Then my new PCP came in and I immediately felt a sense of ease. We started from the very beginning. She never once got hung up on Meniere's Disease. As I hoped, it was like it doesn't even exist! She listened to everything I said. She asked me new questions. My husband was with us and able to help out with some things, and even offered up that I am a vegetarian - which could possibly come into play!

To keep it all short, this is the latest:  tons of blood work done to check for vitamin levels and other things the ER blood work didn't look at. Perhaps there is a vitamin deficiency and we can find an easy fix! Or maybe we can at least rule some things out. Another possibility is that I have cerebral fluid leakage - which would NOT show up on an MRI and could explain why my MRI looked normal. I happily left with a referral to the neurologist I requested based on a friend's positive review. So now we wait for the blood work to come back and contact from the neurologist. I have a new prescription to help with the pain so I can get through my workday without intense pain or turning into a drooling zombie -- because drooling zombie is all I have been in 2019 so far! ALSO .... I love this.... she WANTS me to increase my caffeine! The thought is it could help raise my blood pressure, which could help if my brain is in fact leaking. HA! She actually suggested 5 Hour Energy to see if it brings any relief!

So that's where things are. I am writing this in intense pain, but with a sense of relief and optimism that we are going in the right direction on finding a cause and hopefully a fix!  And I will happily go see her again for sure. Hallelujah!!

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