Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Just Another Day In Limboland

So, I bet (at least some of) you are wondering what's happened since last week's trip to the emergency room. 

Truthfully, not much.

If I followed the ER doc's advice, I would have gone back to the ER over the weekend because my pelvic area pain has not resolved itself. 

But I really hate going to the ER. I'm paranoid that they're going to think I'm just another drug addict looking for narcotics. I compensate by repeatedly turning down pain meds and prescriptions. And yes, I know that's ridiculous, but I also know from reading blogs by ER doctors and nurses that a shocking number of people who show up in the ER are what they call "frequent flyers" and mostly looking for pain meds. 

So, I managed to get appointments for Monday with both my internist and my OB.

I saw the internist in the morning (yes, I actually left my home at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. appointment and survived!). She said the fluid seen in my pelvic area on ultrasound might just have been from normal ovulation and not from a cyst at all. She agreed with the ER doc and ordered a CT scan of my abdomen and pelvis. (Props to my brand new insurance company for approving the CT scan within two hours of getting the request. Unfortunately, it's not that quick to get scheduled with the machine.) I'm getting the scan on Wednesday morning (twice in one week with the early appointments! Ack!).

Meanwhile, I kept my appointment with my OB. Unfortunately, she didn't. They told me on Friday when they scheduled me that it was her on-call day so I was aware there was a risk that she'd be across the street at the hospital delivering a baby or doing surgery. I followed the triage nurse's directions and called 30 minutes before my appointment, when I was assured that she was not only in the clinic but running on time. I was skeptical, but the receptionist was adamant. (I love this OB, but she never, ever runs on time. She's always late.) So I showed up promptly at 3 p.m., about 20 minutes after I called, and was told she was running about 45 minutes late. No surprise. 

I was surprised when I was called back to an exam room within just a few minutes. But once there, I just waited. And waited. After an hour, I asked if there was a bathroom I could use, and the OB's medical assistant assured me that the OB was in an exam room and I would be next. It should only be a few more minutes ...

Yeah, well, I wasn't too surprised when the MA came into the exam room at 4:45 p.m. to tell me that the OB had been called to catch a baby at the hospital. "But she assured me she'd be back in 20 to 30 minutes!" the MA said earnestly.

I wasn't falling for that one, though. The MA promised I could be the OB's first patient the following day at 8:45 a.m. (Ack! Is there a conspiracy to try to kill me by forcing me to medical appointments that are way too early for someone who needs about 14 hours sleep a night?)

OK, well, I end up not checking the Caller ID log until very late at night although I'd glanced when I got home to see if the red light was blinking to signify a message. There was no red light, but apparently the MA called right after I walked out the door because she'd misspoken and of course the OB wouldn't be in the office today after 24 hours on call. So the appointment was for 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday.

Well, now I had two appointments I needed to reschedule because not only was my CT scan scheduled for Wednesday a.m. but Scott told me I'd written the wrong day on my calendar for when Ellie is giving her first-ever class presentation. I had it down for Jan. 14, but no, it was really happening at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13. And no parent would miss seeing that! (They're studying space, and Ellie was assigned the topic of the sun.)


Sigh.

So, after reshuffling everything, tomorrow I'll stop at the clinic to pick the barium or whatever else they're going to make me gag down on my way to Ellie's preschool. The contrast stuff has to be drunk 2 hours before the CT scan, which is at 10:45 a.m. Then I'll go see Ellie in the spotlight, before heading back to the clinic for my CT scan, which I'm told will take about an hour. (Doesn't that seem long for a CT scan?!) And then I'll go home to collapse until I see the OB on Thursday at 11 a.m. 


Ellie has a 3 p.m. pediatrician appointment for her 5-year checkup on Thursday that I'm guessing I might be in no shape to attend. :-( And then there's the kindergarten readiness thing at her preschool's sister elementary school that evening. (Which is pretty much our fallback school if Ellie isn't accepted at the other schools we're applying to for next year. But it's important we try to attend these things because they really don't want to be people's fallback school.)


Y'know, actually, I think maybe I'm going to go with the conspiracy theory. Because this all seems like an awful lot even if I were healthy (although if I were healthy, I wouldn't have all these medical appointments and it would be a much easier week. And life.)

But I hope all the Powers That Be hear this part: I absolutely know things could get/be worse, and I don't need a personal experience as proof!!

3 comments:

Jeanne said...

Aviva,

I have had so many weeks like what you described. It's exhausting. It's frustrating. Generally, it's darn painful. You'll get through it. You are very strong. Hang in there!!

Jeanne

website hosting said...

I am sorry to hear that ,and i think you are strong enough to go through it ,i believe you!And besides,i will support you.

Just Jenn said...

Oh not the barium! Bleh. Hope that one went okay. I always barf when they give me that one. =(