MolimOrion
Veteran XV
So basically I didn't have any medical issues until about 10 years ago. At that time, when I went to the doctor, what I learned most is a doctor hears about people's medical problems all day long, and really doesn't want to hear about them.
You live with yourself, so you know your body more than anyone. If you don't go to the doctor that much, I had believed you want to give them as much detail as possible. And I'm pretty detail oriented in their defense.
Without going into much detail, I have IBS, and there are a plethora of symptons, all unpleasant, and detracting from quality of life. IMO, they don't know what it is, and they just run a bunch of tests, and rule out the major stuff, and then pretty much say you have IBS if they can't find the culprit of your pain.
The big thing they do (other than being all too eager to stick their finger up your butthole) is an upper/lower GI (same tube, so the upper first thankfully). Upper GI went fine. In the lower GI, I woke up in the middle of it. I remember sitting almost completely up in some pain, and doctor looking to the nurse, and saying, give him some more, and then I was back out. I woke back up when it was over, went to the bathroom, and there was a little bit of blood. About 2-3 days later, after eating, I started having more intense than usual IBS pain right around where the appendix is. I went to the ER, but the pain had subsided a bit, and from the tests, it definitely wasn't appendicitis. They said I should contact my doctor about the lower GI results the next day. So I went home and made a follow up appointment.
Sadly, that follow up appointment ended up being with an "almost doctor". She seemed to have a little chip on her shoulder about not being "the doctor". Whatever. I proceeded to tell her how I had the lower GI, how I woke up during it, had pain, etc. She proceeded to tell me how the lower GI test came up with nothing, I was like that is great, but I think something happened during it. She proceeded to tell me (this was in November 2001), that it was possibly 9/11 that was causing my pain. I told her I had this IBS stuff before 9/11. She said 9/11 affected us in ways we don't even know. So if you made it this far, you probably know my type of rhetoric, and I guess I pretty much, in several, subtle words, told her how retarded she was, and that if she ever wanted to become a real doctor, she should stop talking to her patients like that. I just walked out, and never went back.
I vented my frustrations to some friends, and a friend who had heart surgery let me in on her secret of how to get a doctor to actually care about your medical needs. She said a doctor only hears about problems all day, and it's better to try to form a good relationship first, every time, before even mentioning your medical problems.
So I get a new doctor, of course they get the records from the last place. Remember that "almost doctor" ? She had some "not so nice words" to say about me. Anyways, I comforted my doctor letting him know we had a personality conflict, and about the 9/11 thing, and that I figured it would be best if I just switched doctors. That made sense to him.
So my doctor plays golf, likes to ski, and his sons play tennis with him, and they like to snowboard. We both love Oregon, and can't stop talking for 5 minutes just about personal stuff, before we even get to the reason I am there to see him.
However, when trying to get him to understand about what happened during the lower GI, it is almost a lost cause, because to him, they already did a lower GI, and once every 10 years is good for that. I've struggled trying to find the right way to tell him I think something happened during it, and that is why I have a constant ache around the appendix area now (8 years now? and far worse than the IBS pain at the 4 corners ever was). Of course it isn't appendicitis, after that long, and if I had to guess, and I am no doctor, I would say when they were all the way at the end of the large intestine, close to the where it connects, they accidentally lacerated it (maybe pushed it too far, or blew the air a bit too hard?), or kinked it, and it has just remained like that. How would they even fix that if that is the case ? It just kind of sucks because it has been so long, and can you imagine even explaining that story to a doctor ? Do internal lacerations of the intestines ever heal even though it is always wet in there ? What could possibly be causing the pain every time food goes through that specific spot (roughly where the small intestine meets the large intestine) ?
Higher priorities came up and I got a hernia on my left side in 2004. Outpatient surgery, 30 minutes later, you are walking out the door. No issues since, except for minor pain from minor nerve damage that is expected with any hernia surgery. It was pretty easy to convince the doctor I had a hernia, since I had a big bulge above the left pubic bone. Not much pain though.
Then in 2007, I was lifting something again, using my knees, not my back, (seriously re-thinking that childhood advice) and I felt sharp pain on the right side down there. I immediately knew I had a hernia. I was like "fuck, another week to sit after getting cut, with only vicodin for the pain. and it is not going to be fun to push those first several bowel movements afterwards."
So I waited a few months, went to my doc, and told him I thought I had a hernia. I gave him the symptoms, how it happened, but there was no bulge. I followed my same system, talk with him first, then wait for him to ask, etc. But in hindsight I think there is a fine line between telling the doctor every single detail, and just sitting there trying to make him believe it is serious on his own.
So he sent me home, and I pondered how I was going to this hernia taken care of. I called back a couple times over 2007-2008, and each time it was take some ibuprofen, and if the pain gets super intense then call back. Of course with a hernia the pain isn't going to get super intense unless you get strangulation, at which point you got a few hours left.
Finally got an appointment for earlier this year, but I had a gap in insurance coverage, and so I couldn't go to that appointment (I offered to pay cash, and they still said no, wtf). I ended up having to go to a new doctor. This process started in June. The first doctor thought I didn't have a hernia. The second doctor thought I did. The third doctor, the surgeon, thought I didn't have a hernia. But he ordered a CAT scan for this past Monday. So Monday I went, and they had me push real hard during the CAT scan, so they could see the hernia. You can bet your sweet ass I pushed hard, as from my experience, this was maybe the last opportunity of convincing the doctors I had a hernia. They said call back on Wednesday for the results.
Monday night, I'm on my knees in front of the front door, family getting dressed, ready to take me to the emergency room. This was the most intense pain I've ever had, and it was right where the hernia was. It happened out of the blue, and we were on the phone with the surgeon. He says don't go, take some ibuprofen, and call for results of CAT scan in the morning. It took 2 hours, but the pain did subside. I could feel every single last piece of food go through that area, and I haven't had solid food since. Fuck that shit. It's just not worth the pain. I'm guessing maybe I shouldn't have pushed so hard during the CAT scan.
So Tuesday morning, I call to get results, and they say I have a hernia. They say the surgeon is going on vacation until October 15th though. I asked for a conversation with him, to let him know about the increase of pain that occurred on Monday. He told the girl to tell me if the pain got that bad again, to go to the ER. Got it. First time, ibuprofen, second time, ER. So 2 weeks of liquid food, here I come. Sleeping sitting up on the couch might not seem comfortable, but I actually think I am getting better sleep like that. I just want this hernia surgery done and over with now.
Cliffs:
IBS
GI
ER
9/11
Hernia
Cat Scan
Enlightenment
Vacation
You live with yourself, so you know your body more than anyone. If you don't go to the doctor that much, I had believed you want to give them as much detail as possible. And I'm pretty detail oriented in their defense.
Without going into much detail, I have IBS, and there are a plethora of symptons, all unpleasant, and detracting from quality of life. IMO, they don't know what it is, and they just run a bunch of tests, and rule out the major stuff, and then pretty much say you have IBS if they can't find the culprit of your pain.
The big thing they do (other than being all too eager to stick their finger up your butthole) is an upper/lower GI (same tube, so the upper first thankfully). Upper GI went fine. In the lower GI, I woke up in the middle of it. I remember sitting almost completely up in some pain, and doctor looking to the nurse, and saying, give him some more, and then I was back out. I woke back up when it was over, went to the bathroom, and there was a little bit of blood. About 2-3 days later, after eating, I started having more intense than usual IBS pain right around where the appendix is. I went to the ER, but the pain had subsided a bit, and from the tests, it definitely wasn't appendicitis. They said I should contact my doctor about the lower GI results the next day. So I went home and made a follow up appointment.
Sadly, that follow up appointment ended up being with an "almost doctor". She seemed to have a little chip on her shoulder about not being "the doctor". Whatever. I proceeded to tell her how I had the lower GI, how I woke up during it, had pain, etc. She proceeded to tell me how the lower GI test came up with nothing, I was like that is great, but I think something happened during it. She proceeded to tell me (this was in November 2001), that it was possibly 9/11 that was causing my pain. I told her I had this IBS stuff before 9/11. She said 9/11 affected us in ways we don't even know. So if you made it this far, you probably know my type of rhetoric, and I guess I pretty much, in several, subtle words, told her how retarded she was, and that if she ever wanted to become a real doctor, she should stop talking to her patients like that. I just walked out, and never went back.
I vented my frustrations to some friends, and a friend who had heart surgery let me in on her secret of how to get a doctor to actually care about your medical needs. She said a doctor only hears about problems all day, and it's better to try to form a good relationship first, every time, before even mentioning your medical problems.
So I get a new doctor, of course they get the records from the last place. Remember that "almost doctor" ? She had some "not so nice words" to say about me. Anyways, I comforted my doctor letting him know we had a personality conflict, and about the 9/11 thing, and that I figured it would be best if I just switched doctors. That made sense to him.
So my doctor plays golf, likes to ski, and his sons play tennis with him, and they like to snowboard. We both love Oregon, and can't stop talking for 5 minutes just about personal stuff, before we even get to the reason I am there to see him.
However, when trying to get him to understand about what happened during the lower GI, it is almost a lost cause, because to him, they already did a lower GI, and once every 10 years is good for that. I've struggled trying to find the right way to tell him I think something happened during it, and that is why I have a constant ache around the appendix area now (8 years now? and far worse than the IBS pain at the 4 corners ever was). Of course it isn't appendicitis, after that long, and if I had to guess, and I am no doctor, I would say when they were all the way at the end of the large intestine, close to the where it connects, they accidentally lacerated it (maybe pushed it too far, or blew the air a bit too hard?), or kinked it, and it has just remained like that. How would they even fix that if that is the case ? It just kind of sucks because it has been so long, and can you imagine even explaining that story to a doctor ? Do internal lacerations of the intestines ever heal even though it is always wet in there ? What could possibly be causing the pain every time food goes through that specific spot (roughly where the small intestine meets the large intestine) ?
Higher priorities came up and I got a hernia on my left side in 2004. Outpatient surgery, 30 minutes later, you are walking out the door. No issues since, except for minor pain from minor nerve damage that is expected with any hernia surgery. It was pretty easy to convince the doctor I had a hernia, since I had a big bulge above the left pubic bone. Not much pain though.
Then in 2007, I was lifting something again, using my knees, not my back, (seriously re-thinking that childhood advice) and I felt sharp pain on the right side down there. I immediately knew I had a hernia. I was like "fuck, another week to sit after getting cut, with only vicodin for the pain. and it is not going to be fun to push those first several bowel movements afterwards."
So I waited a few months, went to my doc, and told him I thought I had a hernia. I gave him the symptoms, how it happened, but there was no bulge. I followed my same system, talk with him first, then wait for him to ask, etc. But in hindsight I think there is a fine line between telling the doctor every single detail, and just sitting there trying to make him believe it is serious on his own.
So he sent me home, and I pondered how I was going to this hernia taken care of. I called back a couple times over 2007-2008, and each time it was take some ibuprofen, and if the pain gets super intense then call back. Of course with a hernia the pain isn't going to get super intense unless you get strangulation, at which point you got a few hours left.
Finally got an appointment for earlier this year, but I had a gap in insurance coverage, and so I couldn't go to that appointment (I offered to pay cash, and they still said no, wtf). I ended up having to go to a new doctor. This process started in June. The first doctor thought I didn't have a hernia. The second doctor thought I did. The third doctor, the surgeon, thought I didn't have a hernia. But he ordered a CAT scan for this past Monday. So Monday I went, and they had me push real hard during the CAT scan, so they could see the hernia. You can bet your sweet ass I pushed hard, as from my experience, this was maybe the last opportunity of convincing the doctors I had a hernia. They said call back on Wednesday for the results.
Monday night, I'm on my knees in front of the front door, family getting dressed, ready to take me to the emergency room. This was the most intense pain I've ever had, and it was right where the hernia was. It happened out of the blue, and we were on the phone with the surgeon. He says don't go, take some ibuprofen, and call for results of CAT scan in the morning. It took 2 hours, but the pain did subside. I could feel every single last piece of food go through that area, and I haven't had solid food since. Fuck that shit. It's just not worth the pain. I'm guessing maybe I shouldn't have pushed so hard during the CAT scan.
So Tuesday morning, I call to get results, and they say I have a hernia. They say the surgeon is going on vacation until October 15th though. I asked for a conversation with him, to let him know about the increase of pain that occurred on Monday. He told the girl to tell me if the pain got that bad again, to go to the ER. Got it. First time, ibuprofen, second time, ER. So 2 weeks of liquid food, here I come. Sleeping sitting up on the couch might not seem comfortable, but I actually think I am getting better sleep like that. I just want this hernia surgery done and over with now.
Cliffs:
IBS
GI
ER
9/11
Hernia
Cat Scan
Enlightenment
Vacation
