February Highlights

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I have been so busy! February was a crazy,busy month! I was at a doctor appointment for me and/or one of the kids 5 times a week, every week! I didn't get a lot done at home, or online, obviously. To make matters worse, I also didn't get a lot of answers. Here is a breakdown of the specialists...

Dentist: twice to fix 9 deteriorating teeth

Urologist: five times to begin DMSO treatments for interstitial cystitis. I had a bladder infection the second week of treatment and so I only got 2 of my six treatments in February. These treatments are weekly for six weeks. I have four more treatments in March (IF I don't get another infection)

Family Doctor: Two Visits. The first visit he said he thought I had a hernia and that he didn't think we should worry about it, until I got my foot fixed. Then he said, come back in 6 months for a physical, unless you think you need to come in sooner. I am so sick and tired of being in pain, and decided that if fixing the hernia would take away some pain, I should get it fixed, besides it hurts when I sit up or bend over. So I called him back and told him that I wanted to get it fixed. He referred me to a surgeon and I had an appointment to see him at the end of He month. Two weeks later I got a call from my doctor and he said that he had talked with surgeon about my "HERNIA" and together they decided that it was NOT a good idea to fix it because SOMEDAY it may develop into another hernia. I reminded him that because of it's location it hurt to sit or bend over. He apologized and admitted that he really couldn't help me. GREAT! Keep taking ibuprofen and extra strength Tylenol for pain he said. He also said that if it still bothered me in four months, then maybe I should go see the surgeon. He also said that if I exercised it MIGHT go away. How can I exercise when it hurts to walk and my knee catches and I'm dizzy and my back and neck hurt so. He didn't know. He suggested swimming or a stationary bike. I can't afford to go to the pool when I have to pay a $30 copay every day at the doctor! I also can't afford a stationary bike! So that wasn't very helpful either.

Surgeon: 1 visit: He did agree to see me, despite his conversation with my family doctor. My mom said she knew him very well so I asked her to come along thinking that maybe he would take pity on me and help me since he was a friend of my mom. Well, he appeared kinda ill (scratchy throat, not particularly friendly) and he didn't recognize my mom, so that plan backfired! He examined me and said that he couldn't definitely say if I had a hernia or not, so I should wait 3-4 months and see if the pain goes away. THEN he would send me for a CAT scan to find out exactly what it was. I told him that I was severely anemic and that they did not know the source of it. He said, then you'd better not take Ibuprofen (contradiction of family doc). He had no other recommendations other than to wait, wait, and wait some more.

Hematologist: 3 times: 1st visit was to check my blood for anemia. He said that my levels were a little low, but his computer wasn't working and he couldn't compare it with my previous tests to see how low. I told him I've been tired, dizzy, bruising easily and then asked him about calcium and vitamin infusions. I was told by another doctor that they could do infusions. Since my teeth are decaying and my darn toe keeps breaking I thought that a calcium infusion might boost up my levels and help promote bone growth. He said someone should be following my vitamin levels and then he said, I don't know if it should be me or your family doctor. DUH, he is the blood specialist, and I am in HIS OFFICE, so I guess it should be him. He ordered lots of blood work and then said he would see me back in a couple weeks to discuss them. I went to the vampires and they took 12 vials of blood! I was even more dizzy after that! When I went back, the doctor said that the results showed I was severely anemic, and had way too low of levels of calcium and Vitamin D. Then he said, you are way too young to have such low levels of calcium and vitamin D, if you don't take care of this you will have some real problems! (HA, if he only knew all of my problems, what else could go wrong? I don't even want to think about that) So he signed me up for iron infusions that would last 3 1/2 hours. RIGHT! Try 7 hours! When I went for my first infusion it did not go so well. I am hard to start an IV and so they have to do it in my hand which HURTS. The first IV was between my pinky and ring finger on my left hand. Shortly after the IV started my hand felt wet. I looked down and the IV had slipped out of my vein and iron and blood were all over my book. I rang the bell for assistance and they came running over to fix it. It would be 4 hours after the IV started before I would be done. A new nurse came over after several attempts, she finally got a new IV started in my right hand. It burns I said, so she said, it's just because of the location, here, use this hot pack. Several minutes later I was in so much pain I thought I would cry. I removed the hot pack and found a huge lump in my hand where the IV was. The IV slipped out of the vein and was going underneath my skin! I rang the bell again, and they removed that IV and put more hot packs on the area. Then another nurse came in to try for another start. She asked another nurse to try. By the time they were done it had taken 10 tries (throughout the day) to get one IV to work. It finally ended up in my left forearm. Before the iron infusion the premedicated me with prevacid and bendadryl in case of an allergic reaction. The infusion should have been 4 hours (not the originally quoted 3 1/2 because they used a different type of iron that is slower) and so the benadryl should have lasted 4 hours. Well with all of the IV problems I was there a lot longer than 4 hours! So later in the afternoon, I had an allergic reaction. So they stopped the IV, administered benadryl and prevacid, and then restared the IV. What a fun day! To think, I get to do it again in March! Woo Hoo!

Pain Specialist: 1 visit: This was ridiculous. He came in, and asked how my meds were doing. I said fine, I guess, I am still in pain and when I sit down the burning sensation in my neck is worse. Then I asked him about a tens unit. I said I know you want to do a spinal chord stimulator after my foot is fixed, but what about now? Wouldn't a tens unit work? He said that a tens unit was for muscles, not nerves and with my fibromyalgia it might help. He said let me set you up with a physical therapist and have them teach you about a tens unit and also do some deep ultrasound massage. Then he left to write the prescriptions and I didn't see him again. The visit was less than 5 minutes! The nurse brought me in the scripts and referral. Give me a break! That was not worth $30.

Phone call from Physical Therapist: Once: They called to set up my appointments. They said that the doctor recommended 2-3 visits a WEEK at $30 per visit according to my insurance. Then they said that a tens unit would be 20% out of pocket and that they usually cost around $800! I was in shock! I can't afford to buy all the vitamins I need, let alone go to PT 3 times a week for $90! I told them that I would go one time and see how it goes. That visit is in March, so we will see what happens. I definitely want to try the tens unit. So I may have to go a few times, just to get it. Come back soon, to find out what happens...

There you have it 14 doctor appointments for ME in February! The rest of the visits were for the kids. Asthma, athletes foot, shots...maintenance mostly, but also time consuming! I'm working on a year long scrapbook project called Project 12. Each month you do one layout that highlights that month. My theme for February is Doctor Appointments! Thanks for taking the time to read through this dramatic episode of my life. It is my goal to write more frequently next month. I have been putting off writing because it makes me depressed when I go back and realize all the crap that has taken place, but now I'm looking at is as a therapeutic and creative release, so maybe it will make me feel a little better rather than worse. Come back soon to find out how I'm doing. Have a super day! Shellie