Showing posts with label Mayo Clinic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mayo Clinic. Show all posts

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Professional Nonsense


Calling all idiots: Maturity is purely biased on opinion. A serious life is nothing but a stubborn one. An elitist prude is just as much of an uncultured swine as a redneck white trash wife beater. And my generalized judgmental remarks are just as sophisticated as a four year olds sense of self.
My maturity peaked when I was twelve; it’s just been down hill since then. But what really decides maturity? Is it the way we communicate with one another, is it the way we react to society’s unspoken rules and morals? Is it our experience with life’s obstacles and trials?
What about professionalism? From my observations we gauge ones professional behavior on how serious, devout and unattached the worker is.
This certain behavior is what I’ve generally experienced with doctors. I truly believe they mean well, but the healthcare system has become a physical wellness version of a fast food chain.
My diagnosis along with thousands of others have been delayed, overly scrutinized; yet over looked because of the manner doctors and health care professionals have approach the situation.
My experience however at the Mayo Clinic pretty much shattered my generalized belief of what the health care system is capable of. They prove that professionalism does not require a doctor to become aloof and unattached to be able to fully provide the care needed for their patient.
Between battles with insurance and doctors, it took me three and a half years to get to the Mayo Clinic. I was told there was a possibility of getting help there but not to get my hopes up. From the moment we checked in the organized offices, patient/customer service and bedside manner blew me away. For the first time in years I felt like my voice was actually heard. They listened to every detail; every concern then they attacked the problem, not the patient.
I had a team of doctors from different specialties gather together with and without me to talk specifically about my case.
In two weeks I had more tests knocked out then I had within the last two years. Each test examined by each doctor, evaluated then the results were immediately passed down to me. It’s been believed that I have POTS , although my disease has a lot of similar symptoms it’s actually caused by my heart rate and blood pressure having minds of their own, along with other random glitches in my system.
My old neurologist told me flat out that it’s impossible that I’m still fainting because I have a pacemaker, yet we discovered that is far from true. My heart rate can be high because of my pacemaker and in normal range yet my blood pressure can drop to freakishly low levels.
Never give up and never surrender your patient rights. I had to push my local doctors to give me a second chance and allowing me to go to the clinic. The medicine and therapy regimen my doctors have put me on has completely turned my life around. I still have my bad days; I still sometimes have to push myself one moment at a time. My bones still freeze muscles still spasm but my energy is up along with my hope.
You don’t have to be a hard ass in order to be a good doctor. I think it’s funny that many judge Doctors abilities about his knowledge about medicine. But what good is that knowledge if you’re too stubborn and cocky to see the whole picture or judge the patient too quickly. Professionalism is not run by maturity, but by common sense and the ability to see with your eyes and not your ego.

Friday, September 24, 2010

"Doctor there's no way I can be pregnant, gestation freaks me out."


Today I had the privilege to go visit my ObGyn and as I was lying there and feeling like I was on a crate of dynamite while riding a horse I began to have a delightful discussion with mydoctor. Why is it that when something new and weird shows up the doctors always resort to asking if I could be preggers? Even the ones who KNOW how much birth control I’m on, including the ultimate beauty of abstinence. That’s right people I’m abstinent, by choice! I know who’d a thought that there were still virgins in this world? Well I could show you a few people who qualify. Yes, we all live in bomb shelters and have never been exposed to the outside world. Beside even if I wasn't a nun I still would do everything in my power not to get pregnant, gestation freaks me out.
So Dear Doctors,
Just because I’m weak all the time, have extremely low blood pressure, and vomit every morning at the exact same time and after every meal; it does NOT mean I’m pregnant.
Please figure out what’s wrong, and believe me when I say, there’s no way in hell it’s possible!
Sincerely, your high paying patient.
On a more happy note I received my Mayo Clinic paper work in the mail today. It’s been a long fight, many tests, even more doctor’s visits, a couple of surgeries but I finally made it. I’m on my way! And even though I know that there’s no cure, I still believe a miracle can happen that will help treat me so I can have a better quality of life and longer life span. Wootie! Wootie!
And to top it off Jimmy Eat World’s on letterman tonight! So minus the lame brain doctor It’s been a freaking awesome day and I’m one happy girl!!