Cripes! Called in all the meds I was allergic to yesterday (after waiting two hours for a call back). They called this morning with a prescription for a med I'm allergic to. (Calcium channel blocker.) I asked about "what now"? They seemed confused. Transferred me to appointments. Who seemed confused. Waited for an hour while she "researched" why I needed an appointment. . . Have one for Thursday. None of this is heartening. . . .
It was hard to watch that guy in the tree. I could not believe he could turn like that and just take off a branch behind him! If I tried that I'd be in traction! LOL!
Failed the test (manometry). Evidently, they can't decide what's next. Retry? Finally go ahead and diagnose and then schedule either a balloon dilation or refer me on to a surgeon? I *like* Dr. Reilly, and trust him (he actually talks to you, asks questions, and did the endoscopy), but I've been "palmed off" on a very likable, but possibly incompetent, PA. . . .
As for the prescription, Calcium Channel Blockers are one of a very small group of meds that work to relax the LES. May be that she's thinking since I'm only allergic to two of them, the third might be the charm? Don't know. I just know it's a bad/swift reaction, and very difficult to fix. I *still* have water retention in my legs from the half pill I was getting in the hospital.
I may be failing to communicate that I consider impending starvation to be an emergency.
I think a face to face is likely to be a good thing, but my patience is really running thin. . . .
As for why the appointment: the person on the phone couldn't offer anything else without a new order from the doctor. Where I go, they would have found time to talk to the doctor sometime in the next few hours and gotten back to me. Maybe it doesn't work quite that way where puddle goes. But in any case, puddle may be right about the value of a face-to-face discussion here. In fact, it's even possible they did talk to the doctor, who decided a face-to-face was needed.
Puddle, how do you get into your ebay account? I need to change my phone number from my landline to my mobile. But nowhere can I find a link that says "Your Account" or anything similar. Help!
Goodness but I'm confused. Won an item on ebay but they don't use PayPal. They use something called Moneybookers. First I tried using my credit card. That required my cell phone number so they could send a text containing a verification code which I was to enter in order to complete the transaction. Donno what I did wrong, but the text message never arrived. So I selected bank transfer, which I didn't understand. Apparently, it means a bank wire transfer and there's all this info that I'm conna have to read over the phone to the person at the credit union, including impossibly long numbers, and I'm panicking just a little. Sure wish the text thing had worked! I'll never use anything but PayPal ever again, cross my heart!
OTOH Heartlight arrived in today's mail, so I can get started on that tonight.
Well, let the truth be your guide. It sounds like it's time to be very clear with your doctor that you are quite concerned about your well being in the near future and that you very much need them to do something near term...like, yesterday! Be determined, stay calm if you can but be doggedly firm.
When my kids were little there was a mantra that the group Children in Hospitals recommended to parents who had to take a small child to an ER or for an outpatient procedure. Back then it was common for the nurse to take your child off for an x-ray while you were expected to stay in the waiting room. Of course, most children panicked and freaked out and good luck getting them to hold still for an x-ray...only to be returned to you traumatised (because they got strapped down for the x-ray in a darkened room...all while hurt or feeling sick!)...and the trust between you was broken. So CIH taught parents to remain calm and simply say, "I will remain with him/her." Each time the nurse gave another realisation you were to repeat the mantra, perhaps even smiling kindly while you said it, "I will remain with him/her." That one phrase made all the difference in the long run. And it made all the difference for me and my son (the wildlife*biologist) when he was 2 1/2 years old and broke his arm above and below the elbow one evening. I got to remain with him and was beside him for the x-ray. Good thing too, because when the x-ray technician walked over to the wall she accidentally turned off ALL the lights (not leaving on even the red lights) and the poor little kiddo, laying on a small table in the center of a large room, with a big ol machine (camera) towering over him would have freaked right out. But he could hear my reassuring voice and remained calm. Better for everyone.
I say all of this to underscore that pleasant firmness can go a long way to getting medical folks to cooperate with you. I recommend writing down what you have eaten, giving a very detailed list for at least three days. Say how much you tried to eat and how much of each item you think you actually got to keep down. Then say you are neither willing nor able to do this on and on without so much as a date for the procedure! Surely they can give you that at least!
Well, let the truth be your guide. It sounds like it's time to be very clear with your doctor that you are quite concerned about your well being in the near future and that you very much need them to do something near term...like, yesterday! Be determined, stay calm if you can but be doggedly firm.
When my kids were little there was a mantra that the group Children in Hospitals recommended to parents who had to take a small child to an ER or for an outpatient procedure. Back then it was common for the nurse to take your child off for an x-ray while you were expected to stay in the waiting room. Of course, most children panicked and freaked out and good luck getting them to hold still for an x-ray...only to be returned to you traumatised (because they got strapped down for the x-ray in a darkened room...all while hurt or feeling sick!)...and the trust between you was broken. So CIH taught parents to remain calm and simply say, "I will remain with him/her." Each time the nurse gave another rationalisation you were to repeat the mantra, perhaps even smiling kindly while you said it, "I will remain with him/her." That one phrase made all the difference in the long run. And it made all the difference for me and my son (the wildlife*biologist) when he was 2 1/2 years old and broke his arm above and below the elbow one evening. I got to remain with him and was beside him for the x-ray. Good thing too, because when the x-ray technician walked over to the wall she accidentally turned off ALL the lights (not leaving on even the red lights) and the poor little kiddo, laying on a small table in the center of a large room, with a big ol machine (camera) towering over him would have freaked right out. But he could hear my reassuring voice and remained calm. Better for everyone.
I say all of this to underscore that pleasant firmness can go a long way to getting medical folks to cooperate with you. I recommend writing down what you have eaten, giving a very detailed list for at least three days. Say how much you tried to eat and how much of each item you think you actually got to keep down. Then say you are neither willing nor able to do this on and on without so much as a date for the procedure! Surely they can give you that at least!
From Wikipedia. I seem to recall seeing a Happy Birthday, Howard post a while back. But I was in the hospital at the time, so I suppose I could have been hallucinating.
Howard's still the one!!
ReplyDeleteCripes! Called in all the meds I was allergic to yesterday (after waiting two hours for a call back). They called this morning with a prescription for a med I'm allergic to. (Calcium channel blocker.) I asked about "what now"? They seemed confused. Transferred me to appointments. Who seemed confused. Waited for an hour while she "researched" why I needed an appointment. . . Have one for Thursday. None of this is heartening. . . .
Re the pic. That youngster certainly *is* limber. Me? I'm just A Girl of the Limberlost. . . .
ReplyDeleteSorry. . . .
ReplyDeleteNo need to say sorry! In fact, you "made me look," as I looked it up in Wiki. LOL!
ReplyDeleteWhat sort of insane office staff (and doctor!) calls in a prescription for something the patient is known to be allergic to?!!!
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm also unclear as to why you need an appointment. Is that because they may have nothing to offer you that's not already on your list?
Well, if that be the case, maybe that kicks this whole matter up a notch and you get your procedure earlier...?
It was hard to watch that guy in the tree. I could not believe he could turn like that and just take off a branch behind him! If I tried that I'd be in traction! LOL!
ReplyDeleteFailed the test (manometry). Evidently, they can't decide what's next. Retry? Finally go ahead and diagnose and then schedule either a balloon dilation or refer me on to a surgeon? I *like* Dr. Reilly, and trust him (he actually talks to you, asks questions, and did the endoscopy), but I've been "palmed off" on a very likable, but possibly incompetent, PA. . . .
ReplyDeleteAs for the prescription, Calcium Channel Blockers are one of a very small group of meds that work to relax the LES. May be that she's thinking since I'm only allergic to two of them, the third might be the charm? Don't know. I just know it's a bad/swift reaction, and very difficult to fix. I *still* have water retention in my legs from the half pill I was getting in the hospital.
I may be failing to communicate that I consider impending starvation to be an emergency.
I think a face to face is likely to be a good thing, but my patience is really running thin. . . .
Funny thing: I've never read the book, and have NO idear why I know and/or remembered the title, grin.
ReplyDeleteAs for why the appointment: the person on the phone couldn't offer anything else without a new order from the doctor. Where I go, they would have found time to talk to the doctor sometime in the next few hours and gotten back to me. Maybe it doesn't work quite that way where puddle goes. But in any case, puddle may be right about the value of a face-to-face discussion here. In fact, it's even possible they did talk to the doctor, who decided a face-to-face was needed.
ReplyDeletePuddle, how do you get into your ebay account? I need to change my phone number from my landline to my mobile. But nowhere can I find a link that says "Your Account" or anything similar. Help!
ReplyDeleteCat, on your main "my ebay" page, near the top left hand corner, you have three tabs: ACTIVITY MESSAGES ACCOUNT. . . . click "account". . . .
ReplyDeleteHad to go look, lol! It's been more than five years since I looked for that page. . . .
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bill. You're right: I don't know *who* they talked to. I'm just so tired of this.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Puddle!
ReplyDeleteGoodness but I'm confused. Won an item on ebay but they don't use PayPal. They use something called Moneybookers. First I tried using my credit card. That required my cell phone number so they could send a text containing a verification code which I was to enter in order to complete the transaction. Donno what I did wrong, but the text message never arrived. So I selected bank transfer, which I didn't understand. Apparently, it means a bank wire transfer and there's all this info that I'm conna have to read over the phone to the person at the credit union, including impossibly long numbers, and I'm panicking just a little. Sure wish the text thing had worked! I'll never use anything but PayPal ever again, cross my heart!
ReplyDeleteOTOH Heartlight arrived in today's mail, so I can get started on that tonight.
Well, let the truth be your guide. It sounds like it's time to be very clear with your doctor that you are quite concerned about your well being in the near future and that you very much need them to do something near term...like, yesterday! Be determined, stay calm if you can but be doggedly firm.
ReplyDeleteWhen my kids were little there was a mantra that the group Children in Hospitals recommended to parents who had to take a small child to an ER or for an outpatient procedure. Back then it was common for the nurse to take your child off for an x-ray while you were expected to stay in the waiting room. Of course, most children panicked and freaked out and good luck getting them to hold still for an x-ray...only to be returned to you traumatised (because they got strapped down for the x-ray in a darkened room...all while hurt or feeling sick!)...and the trust between you was broken. So CIH taught parents to remain calm and simply say, "I will remain with him/her." Each time the nurse gave another realisation you were to repeat the mantra, perhaps even smiling kindly while you said it, "I will remain with him/her." That one phrase made all the difference in the long run. And it made all the difference for me and my son (the wildlife*biologist) when he was 2 1/2 years old and broke his arm above and below the elbow one evening. I got to remain with him and was beside him for the x-ray. Good thing too, because when the x-ray technician walked over to the wall she accidentally turned off ALL the lights (not leaving on even the red lights) and the poor little kiddo, laying on a small table in the center of a large room, with a big ol machine (camera) towering over him would have freaked right out. But he could hear my reassuring voice and remained calm. Better for everyone.
I say all of this to underscore that pleasant firmness can go a long way to getting medical folks to cooperate with you. I recommend writing down what you have eaten, giving a very detailed list for at least three days. Say how much you tried to eat and how much of each item you think you actually got to keep down. Then say you are neither willing nor able to do this on and on without so much as a date for the procedure! Surely they can give you that at least!
Well, let the truth be your guide. It sounds like it's time to be very clear with your doctor that you are quite concerned about your well being in the near future and that you very much need them to do something near term...like, yesterday! Be determined, stay calm if you can but be doggedly firm.
ReplyDeleteWhen my kids were little there was a mantra that the group Children in Hospitals recommended to parents who had to take a small child to an ER or for an outpatient procedure. Back then it was common for the nurse to take your child off for an x-ray while you were expected to stay in the waiting room. Of course, most children panicked and freaked out and good luck getting them to hold still for an x-ray...only to be returned to you traumatised (because they got strapped down for the x-ray in a darkened room...all while hurt or feeling sick!)...and the trust between you was broken. So CIH taught parents to remain calm and simply say, "I will remain with him/her." Each time the nurse gave another rationalisation you were to repeat the mantra, perhaps even smiling kindly while you said it, "I will remain with him/her." That one phrase made all the difference in the long run. And it made all the difference for me and my son (the wildlife*biologist) when he was 2 1/2 years old and broke his arm above and below the elbow one evening. I got to remain with him and was beside him for the x-ray. Good thing too, because when the x-ray technician walked over to the wall she accidentally turned off ALL the lights (not leaving on even the red lights) and the poor little kiddo, laying on a small table in the center of a large room, with a big ol machine (camera) towering over him would have freaked right out. But he could hear my reassuring voice and remained calm. Better for everyone.
I say all of this to underscore that pleasant firmness can go a long way to getting medical folks to cooperate with you. I recommend writing down what you have eaten, giving a very detailed list for at least three days. Say how much you tried to eat and how much of each item you think you actually got to keep down. Then say you are neither willing nor able to do this on and on without so much as a date for the procedure! Surely they can give you that at least!
Happy Reading! :-)
ReplyDeleteHoward Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948)
ReplyDeleteFrom Wikipedia. I seem to recall seeing a Happy Birthday, Howard post a while back. But I was in the hospital at the time, so I suppose I could have been hallucinating.