This may have been the longest two weeks of my life to date. Grab a cuppa, as there is no restriction as to its contents. Snuggle into a rocker. I will turn on the fans. Let’s talk.
Like the entire rest of the country, the Third Circle of Hell (TCH henceforth) was covered in what is considered a crippling amount of snow, namely 6ish inches. Since people on or south of the Mason-Dixon line have no idea what to do in those conditions, they did what people here excel at… nothing. My entire week after my trip was cancelled.
One thing which was cancelled was advanced today, but it is a topic for a much later date. Its posts are written, but on ice. When the time is right, you, too, shall know. The other thing which was cancelled was finally rescheduled, although I am livid at the results.
Some of you may recall I recently called for a medical break the day after my birthday. This week, I finally received the results from my MRI. Waiting nearly a month for results is barbaric to my mind, and I only got them Monday because I flatly refused to wait an additional six weeks for the “next available appointment”. With sufficient explanation to the receptionist sentenced to rescheduling everyone whose appointments were missed because my county was at home quaking in fear (Not cold, everyone had heat.), she overbooked me and agreed to take the heat from the physician. She is a star in my book.
The doctor with a standard MD and an additional specialty in neurology, not so much. His answer to me was, You don’t have what I thought you did, which is good.
The radiologist who read my MRI did not see what the neurologist had put on the order for him to determine. This means my results were negative. This does not mean something is not wrong. It only means the guess my doctor ventured was all which was even contemplated.
At this juncture I am compelled to add, no mention was made of the condition with which I was diagnosed years ago: degenerative disk disease, despite the fact it could play a factor in my current pathology. Rather than suggest something more definitive, the single answer I was given was a prescription for pain medication.
Screw That.
Over the course of my life, every doctor who has ever seen me for pain (and most who saw me for non-pain) has made an unsuccessful attempt to medicate me for pain. I flatly refuse pain med until I reach a level where I can no longer function at a basic level, which means sitting or standing for more than 15 minutes.
I have been through physical therapy (PT) to alleviate some of it and maintain a modicum of regular PT to cope. My answer to the neurologist was simple: I am non-compliant. Prescribe what you want, but I will not be taking anything until the pain is killing me.
Are you insane?
No, frankly. A list is in order for validation.
1. Pain is a symptom of something wrong. Medicating pain without identifying its source is as fruitless as putting tape on a crack in a dam.
2. Pain med at the level commensurate with my level of pain has narcotic effects: sleep induction and addiction. I have young children who need me awake and cognizant. My body’s natural resistance to the meds reduces the chance I could become addicted but increases the chance they will be ineffective until the dose is high enough for overdose given my body weight and produces mental deficiencies up to and including brain damage.
3. If I wanted my senses dulled, there are far more fun ways of doing it than some pill.
So, now what?
Now, we wait. I have trips planned to see Big V and #1 grandson with new grandson and to bring Middle V to see us. Somewhere in the middle, I have to schedule a trip to civilization to see a real doctor. Perhaps, I would be better served with a trip to a witch doctor. At least that would be entertaining.
Until next time,
Why do professionals look for assumed-lesser others to make judgments and claim them as their own? Does anyone still take pride in being thorough?
#Hashtags: #malpractice #ethics
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Tess Kann
/ February 22, 2014Sigh. Seems all professionals on all fronts act like mechanics. No matter the outcome, they will get paid. Bandage solutions appear rampant. Here as well.
Sorry to hear you need to speak a lot louder to be heard.
Tess Kann recently posted..The Sky’s the Limit
El Guapo
/ February 23, 2014Oh for goodness sake.
I hope you left your doctor with a clear understanding of why he’s a jackass and his best attempts to not be one anymore.
Any chance of sending the MRI film to someone else so they can look at it sooner?
El Guapo recently posted..To Be Or Not To Be. That Is The Foolishness.
Prenin
/ February 23, 2014Hi hun! 🙂
Sorry you’re hurting and I agree about the meds!
I had problems in the real world and my psychiatrist tried to put me on some serious medication which would have left me severely addicted!!! 🙁
When warned by the Hospital pharmacist I decided to refuse them and haven’t looked back! 🙂
Some good news: After 20 years of struggling alone against treacherous so-called friends and family I am finally getting some help – Art therapy.
Trouble is I need to go by train to get it for a couple of hours every Friday – when they finally have a slot open for me!
Rochdale is not a safe place to go, but it’ll be in the morning so I should be OK.
Wish I could help you with your problems sweetheart – that’s the problem with being so far away… 🙁
Love and huge hugs! 🙂
Prenin.
Prenin recently posted..Saturday – Hello Linda!
James Frost
/ February 23, 2014I don’t want to abuse anyone or the profession but doctors are getting crazy.I’m talking about those professionals who only think about money rather tan the patients.
gigoid
/ February 23, 2014Milady Red…. I’m sorry to hear you have pain so often…. I can empathize…. though I’m 63, I’ve been told I have an 85 year old back, injured at age 45, and progressively worse ever since, since I also have the degenerative arthritis you speak of, just to liven up the party…
Any whom, I agree it isn’t wise to cover one’s natural signals from the body, but, the unrelenting nature of the pain with arthritis can eventually be debilitating, and actually causes the body extra stress, from the effort, and fatigue, of of fighting the pain…. Fighting pain without any kind of relief, over time, can actually lower your resistance, increasing chances of infections and worse…
I’m fortunate in being able to take the second level narcotics, such as Norco, and not become drowsy, or suffer cognitive deficits, but, most folks can’t, so I see why you don’t want to… It’s a tough question… but, try cannabinoids, as they work, and don’t have any side effects at all, beyond some drowsiness from using certain products…
I’m switching from Norco, that I’ve taken for 8 years, to strictly cannibinoid products… it BETTER work…. So far, so good….
The topical creams they make out of the indicus strains are phenomenal at reducing the pain over the short term…. The elixir I take, as well as the chocolates that are high in the pain relieving C,B, and D proteins (MJ has so many ways it helps treat different issues, they had to give letters to the proteins that work on them…), both work pretty well over a longer time, up to 6-8 hours…. I’m liking it, though it’s more expensive than the pills; it’s much better for my liver, and no more addiction to the artificial opioids….
I hope you find a solution, because I can tell you, it ain’t no fun to have to deal with it, with, or without the pain relievers….
Oh, and the doctors?…. Fuck ’em…. I have a hard time finding any as well read, or half as smart as I am, so, I end up not going to one very often… only when I’m so sick they have to cart my half-dead carcass to the hospital and hook me up with needles and such to maintain basic life support…. I have a feeling you’re the same way, so, just tell them what you need, and bully them into doing what you want…. it works pretty well, as long as you don’t buy into their false sense of infallibility, and undeserved sense of entitlement….
I do hope you feel better soon…. it really is a pain in the a__, as well as other points of interest around the body….
Take care, sister, and Blessed Be….
gigoid recently posted..Bedraggled remnants are all that remain….
Gail Thornton
/ February 23, 2014I agree with you, El Guapo, I think it is time to take the film to real professionals until the diagnosis is clear and treatable beyond the use of the opiods. This is not just an individual matter, there is the care of children here at stake, so the choices are limited as to how to take care of your pain, Red. I am surprised your post is not more rageful than it is, considering what you have gone through thus far. Perhaps you are beaten down by the constant incompetance of the doctors you are seeing.
I love you and am sending you light.
Gailxxx
Gail Thornton recently posted..Prose – The Bright Side of the Moon
Binky
/ February 23, 2014Most of the time these days it seems you have to be your own doctor as doctors often seem to be too busy to do their jobs. Especially if you have something rare or unusual. I hope they can come up with a definitive diagnosis soon.
Binky recently posted..Nature of Existence Part II
Gray Dawster
/ February 24, 2014Why am I not surprised about this outcome? Doctor’s are in a world of their own these days and instead of rooting out the problem they add a cocktail of drugs to hide the symptoms, how crazy is that? 🙁
I am also opposed to taking pills for this, that and the other and painkillers being one of the doctor’s favourite out of the hat remedies makes it a widely over prescribed joke in my opinion, not that suffering in agony is funny but I know what you mean.
Let us hope that a doctor with some gumption takes over next so that your condition can be properly diagnosed and the correct treatment administered 🙂
I hope that you have had a relaxing weekend Red 🙂 You certainly deserve it my sweet friend.
Andro xxxx
Valentine Logar
/ February 24, 2014You know what I say, time to come to civilization. I will make an appointment for you tomorrow, or next week or next month. Plenty of room for you at casa Logar.
Valentine Logar recently posted..Untethered
Carl D'Agostino
/ February 25, 20141. Pain is a symptom of something wrong. Medicating pain without identifying its source is as fruitless as putting tape on a crack in a dam.
YES, TOO MANY DOCTORS TREAT SYMPTOMS WHICH SEEMS STUPID. I WANT WHAT’S WRONG TREATED LIKE YOU.