November 18, 2011

  • Doctors...A Necessary Thing But Not Always Fun

     

    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    The Beast has to go in for his 3-month inspection of his bladder (from the inside).  Not his most looked forward to type of appointment but he won't be missing any now that he knows this is a vicious type of recurring cancer.  All the doctor had to say was *so far, so good*.  That can change by the next appointment as we have learned the hard way.  When he asked about the results of the CT scan the doctor laughed and told him he had kidney stones.  StoneS.  Not singular, plural.  But the good news is that they are small and he should be able to pass them without a problem.  I hope so.  He does so love that demerol when he ends up in emergency.  He just floats once he gets that in an IV.  He could care less if a building fell on him once he's got some of that.  He's tried many a time to get the doctors to give him some of that stuff to take home.  They just laugh because that's pretty much how most patients feel. 

    I finally got in to see the podiatrist and, let me tell you, he was not tender.  After having me soak the foot with the open wounds, I swear he used a wire brush on me.  He didn't really get much in the way of dead skin off it because I have pretty much kept that much done, knowing that can be the source of real trouble if left on.  But my poor toes throbbed for hours afterward.  He gave me a different salve to use on them and showed me a better way to wrap my baby toe with gauze so that it doesn't end up looking like I have a thumb there.  It's so simple, it made me feel rather dumb that I hadn't thought of it myself.  Oh well.  I go back to see him in two weeks unless I have any seepage from them.  Then I have to call and he says he wants to see me right away so he can send it to the lab to be checked out and make sure nothing else is going on.  When I told him how deep the wound was (you could see the muscle), he said he didn't wonder it took so long to heal.  Especially since my regular doctor really didn't give me the right salve for it and he probably should have kept me on an antibiotic for 10 days and not 5.

    Although none of the other doctors has come out and said so, I get the distinct impression that they think he falls short of being ready to care for us *older* patients that don't heal as fast or as well as younger ones.  It's my own personal impression, too, and even the Beast thinks I should find another doctor, although he's happy with him.  But his problems have all been *men* problems and they share that much.  I think he, the doctor, isn't experienced with older, diabetic patients.  Like I've mentioned before, it's almost like he's a bit afraid of even touching my toes for a closer inspection of them when I first came into his office after I injured myself.  He also had to have his recommendations dragged out of him or he wouldn't have said anything at all to me.  I kid you not.  He's a nice young man but it doesn't make him a good doctor.  At least, not for me.

    I spent a good part of the day with my feet up trying to make them stop throbbing.  They finally have but I have to redress them later and I'm kind of worried if that will set them off again.  I hope not.  I've been playing some games on Pogo to try to distract myself but it's not working like it usually does.  I feel kind of *antsy*.  Plus it's been cold here and I am such a wimp that way.  I turned my heater up in my computer room to take a little more than the chill out of the air.  I'm just now starting to thaw out. 

    Love you all.  Hope you are having better weather (or worse if that's what you enjoy).  Drive carefully.  Life is too short to take chances.