My doc appt's today...

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Forgive me, ya'll, but I have to vent about my experiences today. (I'm sorry this is so long, but there's a lot to say.)

First, I saw my PCP this morning. As always, she was very kind, wonderful, and understanding. She was happy for me that I'm moving towards explant, and told me to hang in there about how the medical field treats implant issues. She pointed out that ten years ago most medical professionals still didn't believe in Fibromyalgia -but now they do, so hopefully "someday"...

She is sending me for pulmonary tests, chest xrays, and has some concerns about chest pains I've had as well as possible sleep apnea. Her office will call me with appointmnents.

She is sending me to a surgeon to probably have my gallbladder removed. She's always felt it was an issue, though ultrasounds never show anything. She said another of her patients had the nausea issues like me with bloating and abdominal pain, and that it turned out the lining of her gallbladder was infected. She said this doctor she's sending me to will have me do a dye test (which scares me), and if it shows infection they take you straight in for surgery because it's considered an emergency (which scares me even more). She also says he WILL want me scoped. BUT, she told me to tell him I want put all the way under for it. No conscious sedation... so maybe he will.

She's sending me to an ob/gyn that is now doing a surgical procedure to make periods lighter. (I wanted a partial hysterectomy to no longer have periods, since I can't take birth control pills to regulate them.) I've heard of this procedure for years, but no one around here was doing it. I guess someone finally jumped into the 2000's, so that's a plus (although I'm also scared about it).

I want a tubal ligation, she has always refused -still refuses. I love her, but it upsets me that I'm 31 yrs old and can't make the decision about whether or not I have kids. Her and her hubby are both in practice together (for women only--he's an OB/GYN), and they see a lot of women who have regreted sterilization, I guess, so I see her point.......... although I'm not one of those women! lol

She referred me to one of our only 2 alternative med specialists. (I've already seen the other.) She said he can do Candida testing as well as the other bacterial issues I asked her about. She also wants me to have a complete work up for Lupus and named a bunch of tests I've heard associated with autoimmune problems. (I've had a positive ANA for years, so we'll see what this brings.)

She definitely wants me to have a gastric bypass after I get all this taken care of. She wants me to go to the seminars and get that part out of the way, and get on the diet for it so that is in effect. I told her I'll look into it, but it terrifies me. "Dumping Syndrome" sounds miserable, and it's with any gastric bypass. "Lap Banding" doesn't cause it, but 1. the band is SILICONE filled with saline, and 2. No one here does it! My husband says "no" about it, and I'm sure a copay would be in the thousands anyway -so I think it's safe to say that's out.

I gave her info on how to tell her patients how to find our support group and a couple of sites to keep (Dr. Kolb's site) in case she has other patients with our issues so that she can refer them to this forum. She appreciated it. It took me 9 yrs of doing my own research to find you gals, so hopefully her next patient won't have to go through all that and will know what's wrong sooner. (She's had one other, I think, that she's mentioned before.)

So, that was that appointment................then came the neurologist.

Things have certainly changed with doctors in the past several years. It used to be they shoved drugs in your face, and now they think all you're after are drugs.

I told him about my upcoming trip, and about my concerns with how severe my migraines get from motion sickness and that I vomitted for 4 hours all the way back the last time I had a short trip. I told him about my enlarged pupil, as well as which 2 opthamologists had noted it, and how the retinal damage shows up on pictures of inside of my eyes. I know he believed me, because he put me on meds for it ---BUT he wouldn't prescribe anything for pain for the trip. He told me to take OTC Dramamine and Aleve! I'm so scared... that trip was only 4 hours -this is 7. It has me pondering whether or not to even attempt going.

Right now, I take Fioricet for migraines, which is habit forming, and it doesn't even take away my migraines -it only takes the edge off. It's prescribed by another doctor, and he frowned upon it. I had a stupid moment and when he asked if I take it every day, I said "Yes." I don't know what I was thinking when he asked me that...I think I thought he was going to ask if I have migraines every day -and my mind was ready with "YES." By the time I caught myself, had I corrected my mistake he'd have thought I was just saying that. But the truth is, I've gone through less than 60 pills in 8 months. So, I think he thought I was just after drugs........ but in my mind, I'm thinking there's no reason he couldn't have prescribed a '2 day' supply of something to knock me out 7 hours each way.

He prescribed Inderal (a blood pressure lowering medication) to help prevent my daily migraines. I've been on it before and was lethargic, but it worked... so he is trying 20 mg with me this time instead of 80mg. (He said most people take 160mg -that's how drug sensitive I am, and it sucks.) There's no chance of it preventing the motion migraines, though, because I was on this when I went on the 4 hour trip and it was 4 times this dose and didn't prevent it.

He put me on Topamax for eye pain, migraines, as a duiretic (for cerebral spinal fluid -instead of Diamox), and for 'Essential Tremor" that I think I've inherited from my Dad.

These 2 meds are going to be $85/month. While I know I need them and they will help these neuro issues, that's a lot so I don't know how that will pan out. He gave me a 6 week supply of the Topamax, but I'm not sure how I'll get it after that. There was nothing generic I could take. Plus, with the pupil dilation issues it rules out most of the migraine drugs, because some may worsen it. I'm just hoping these issues will improve after explant and I won't have it to worry about!!!

I'm just so scared... Scared of more surgeries, scared of going under anesthesia so many times, and scared about my trip. I'm seriously unsure about it now. My hubby's suggestion is to drive 4 hours per day for 2 days each way. My appointment is on a Friday, and we would leave Wednesday and drive half way, then finish the drive Thursday and be there, then I'd have had overnight to get over any sickness by my appointment Friday afternoon. Then stay in Norfolk Friday, leave Saturday and drive half way, then the last half Sunday. But I hate making him work so much to make up for the financial loss of time off and motel fees for so many nights over a 7 hour trip... though in the long run, if it leads me to explant and wellness... I have to remind myself it will pay off later.

So anyway, I just wanted to share how these appointments went... and vent. I'm sorry... You gals are about all I have! I'm a mess over this. Thanks for reading.

Brigite

PS: Sorry so long.