RLQ Another Diagnosis Dismissed

During last night's visit with my GP, we were discussing a few things, and I stated how I was still experiencing the RLQ pain, and I asked if he could examine me for a possible inguinal hernia, afterall the issues I've had with impactions and straining, it's *possible.* Doc was "game," and examined me, and well, we're ruling out the hernia.  And I asked if we could get an MRI of the area, which he declined. Perhaps my new pain doc might consider doing this.

Back to square one!  

Hurry up and wait... 10/13 is the appointment with the pain doc. 

ETA: In 2018, I finally got an answer about the mysterious RLQ pain. I was seeing a gastroenterologist due to hitting age 50 and that's the age you get a colonoscopy. 

NEW DIAGNOSIS: When I had my bypass and they punctured my abdominal wall to get the surgical equipment inside, they must have knicked a nerve. 

The gastroguy showed me the film of my colonoscopy, and everything is healthy and pink in my pipes. Each of my concerns and questions: cecal volvulus? Negative. Walking appendicitis? Negative. Malrotated mid-gut? Negative. 

So while it's setting my MIND at ease to know nothing more serious is causing the pain, it still is PAIN. And luckily it doesn't happen every moment of every day. But still!

Follow-Ups & Fuming

For starters, this was the result of my ACTH stimulation test in August:

$475 for the doctor's office visit PLUS $400 for the ACTH stimulation test later...The only conclusion we came to was "White Coat Syndrome." Given everything else going on with my body and my hormones, we wanted to see what else was going on chemically--I'm still angry about the 2OGTT in January--we SHOULD have tested for so much more. And there's no way that I will allow any doctor to run another glucose tolerance test on me. I still feel my endocrinologist should have known better, after all, HE IS THE EXPERT, RIGHT?

So as far as all things endocrine--I am coasting on through until October, when I get my blood work done again, with my next appointment being November. 

Next item on the list is PAIN. Yep. Still in the trenches, fighting this fight. And it's not the usual, baseline bullshit pain of my various herniations, adenomyosis, spondylolisthiasis I, etc, either. 

Starting LAST AUGUST, that is to say, AUGUST 2015, I was experiencing rotator cuff pain and epicondylitis on the right side. The issue was so hot and angry, I had no idea I had pain on my left side. And only once the pain in the right elbow and shoulder started to resolve, did I realize OMG PAIN ON LEFT SIDE.    And after the physiatrist I had at that time in 2015 left me hanging over a long, painful Labor Day weekend, without any real resolution to my pain (and after BCBS declined the pain patch he prescribed), I had to find another physiatrist QUICK. And I did. Maharajah consulted "The Best of Westchester," and suggested I seek out this doctor for a consultation. And she was good, for a short while, and it all depends on one's definition of "GOOD."

This is all to say, she's "good" if/when I finally DO get my whopping ten minutes face-to-face with her. However, it has become ARDUOUS to get those whopping ten minutes with her.  Arduous, because nearly every single appointment I have scheduled with her has been met with a phone call the day after scheduling, with the office needing to RESCHEDULE. EVERY SINGLE APPOINTMENT. 

Let me reiterate that in a font size more appropriate:  

THAT OFFICE RESCHEDULES EVERY. SINGLE. APPOINTMENT. 

EVERY. SINGLE. ONE!!!!

Every single delay, by extension, delays any resolution to my pain.
Every single delay, by extension increases my pain--adding to my pain by way of ADDITIONAL AND UNNECESSARY STRESS.

August 19th, I scheduled three appointments that day. Usually if I burn a sick day, I try to jam as many appointments as I can in that day to maximize the time off. The appointment I scheduled with her office was in the dead center of my day. The entire day was built AROUND THIS APPOINTMENT.

And the inevitable happened: They called to reschedule. "We need to move the appointment to 8/24." 

And on 8/24, a scant TWENTY MINUTES before my rescheduled appointment, they called me to RESCHEDULE the RESCHEDULED appointment. I was huffy, I feel justifiably so, and clarified, "So let me get this straight, you are rescheduling an appointment which was already rescheduled?"  Unflinchingly, the secretary rescheduled me for 8/26. 

It was at this point I realized this is not a one-off type of thing, this constant need to reschedule on their part. This is a sign of one of two things, or possibly a combination of: Piss poor management on behalf of the secretary; and or the doctor having a God complex where the time and needs of her patients are secondary to her own schedule. It was at this point, I realized I need to find a new physiatrist.

So, in pain, I walk the 1500 footsteps (yes, I Helen Keller'd the shit out of my footsteps!) to get to the office with five minutes to spare. Zero courtesy given. No call ahead of time to say the doctor was running a bit behind and perhaps I should plan to arrive 30 minutes later. No courtesy. And I was made to wait an additional FORTY-ONE MINUTES BEYOND my scheduled appointment time.

I got my ten minutes. She did her exam, and I'm convinced in the process of doing the exam where she insisted I try to lift my leg, that I tore something. I got my MRI for my left hip and my Rx for more PT, and I was on my way.

Only problem now was, by the time I got back to my office, it was now after 5 p.m., and too late to schedule that MRI. And given I was going to be traveling, the earliest I could get that MRI scheduled was ELEVEN DAYS LATER, the day after Labor Day (9/6).

It also should be noted, while I was away, I called the doctor's office to see if she could fax over an Rx for an MRI of my right hip and left elbow, so I could arrange the MRI appointments, and I was informed by the secretary the doctor is away, and I should call back on 9/7. Which I did, and nothing happened. No call, no nothing.

Fortunately, I had the forethought to CC my chiropractor on the MRI. I saw my chiro on 9/8, at which time, he gave me my MRI report (tight crop here):

However, the doctor who wrote the Rx for the MRI has been MIA. No call, no nothing. No give a shit or courtesy dispensed. 

It was at this point, in possession of my MRI report on 9/8, that I found a new doctor, granted she's not in town, so it's inconvenient for me to get to this office, but it's within a 30 minute ride of my home or office. It's DO-ABLE.  Appointment scheduled, and thanks to me typing about this NOW, I realize, I need to download the new patient forms and get those filled out in anticipation of my initial consultation on 10/13. And yes, 10/13 is still roughly two weeks MORE I have to wait it out and power through; however, it's the definition of insanity to continue to do the same thing and expect a different outcome--In this case, I won't give this doctor one more moment to rob me of any MORE time. I've given her ample opportunity to care for me--and it's obvious, she doesn't care---regardless of how charming she is.

My point here is, if my chiropractor was in possession of the MRI report on 9/8, so too, was my physiatrist.  So when does the physiatrist FINALLY get around to giving a call? LAST FRIDAY, 9/23--SEVENTEEN DAYS AFTER the report has been sitting on her desk.  She leaves these vague messages, too: "Sorry I keep missing your calls." So obviously, the twat of a secretary never let her know WHY I was calling. No comment made about future MRI, no commentary on the report. NOTHING OF VALUE IS LEFT IN THOSE VOICEMAILS. I neither have the time, energy, nor give-a-fuck to keep playing this game with her.

When her call came through on my cell phone at 9:20 on 9/23, I disregarded the call, and it was dumped immediately in voicemail. I deleted her voicemail without listening. I then removed all her calls from my recents, and then I blocked her from calling me on my cell. She has now attained Fredo Corleone status in my eyes.

So now she's been calling me on my desk phone at work.   And when I say the doctor has been calling--this week she has been calling me TWICE A DAY EVERY DAY, leaving the same stupid vague message. 

At current writing, we are now THIRTY-THREE DAYS after that rescheduled RESCHEDULED appointment, and I am no closer to getting my needs and pain addressed. And I know I am filled and fueled with spite and rage, and can power through until 10/13, knowing full well, I cannot roll over on my right side. This is fucking up my already fucked up sleeping habits.  But whatever, it's another one of my "imagined" issues (said for the benefit of sociopaths everywhere who think I'm a hypochondriac). 

I better click PUBLISH and get this out into the internet before the doctor starts cycling through calling me again.