I HATE our medical system

[Drakkon]

So for the last 3 months I have been dealing with 2 diff doctors, multiple tests, multiple scans. It all started with some stomach problems along with headaches i got one week last july, they were fairly bad so i went to the doc and she prescribed some anti nausea pills which helped none-what-so-ever. So i got blood tests, said nothing what so ever, went and got a CT scan of abdomen. AT this point its been 1.5 months (mid sep) and still no DX for headaches but they think they know what the stomach prob is, gallstones.
i go to another doc for headaches (cause the other one said "if its that bad just go to the ER, at the ER they just laughed and said take some aspirin), he does more blood tests, more medications to put me on, and finally a head CT in another week or so. They also "refer" me to a surgeon for the gallstones. I check with this surgeon today, and he, nor anyone of 15 surgeons in town, have ANY appointments availible for another 2 weeks.
So here I am stuck with a horrible pain in my stomach, unable to eat much of anything wihtout it getting worse, a headache that has been consistantly there for about 3 months now from rise till sleep, and an elevated blood pressure from all the stress I've been under. I'm on toporol, bentyl, and vicodin for the bp, stomach pain, and overall pain I'm going through with a visit to doc on fri, head ct in 1.5 weeks and surg visit in 2 weeks. I'm only 22 yet it feels like I'm 50 but I'm being treated like an 90 yr old thats going to die anyways it feels like. I'm sure its been worse for others out there but this just seems crazy to me that i can go for 3 months, and not quietly mind you, and still feel this bad and getting progressivly worse.

notes:
been feelin like crap for 3 months
been put on about 6 diff meds
been through 6 or so blood tests
will have gone through 2 CT scans
have gallstones and high bp
have a headache that just wont go away
no sign in the near future of getting much better

 

[minendo]

May Christ be with you.

Your friend in Christ,

minendo

 

[lordtyranus]

If you are only 22 you probably should take care of yourself better

 

[kami333]

Be thankful that you can at least afford to go to the hospital.

 

[sciencewhiz]

In Canada, you'd just be seeing a doctor for the first time. In most other countries, you'd never see a doctor.

 

[ggavinmoss]

Are you dehydrated?

-geoff

 

[calvinbiss]

you have alot of free time on your hands

Sorry Drakkon, hope its nothing serious...

 

[maziwanka]

jeez. maybe you could check some surgeons in towns close to yours.

hope things work out soon for you...

 

[tweakmm]

You do realise that assuming you have the funds, the US is about the best that it gets in regards to medical care right?

 

[azazyel]

Have you tried smoking some dope?

 

[trmiv]

I feel for you man, that sucks. Hope it works out soon. My dad is going through problems with doctors too. He has some condition where his red blood cells are being killed off, and his blood count has gotten really low. They thought it was some enzyme doing it, so they gave him heavy doses of prednisone to kill it off, along with a lot of blood transfusions. Well apparently that didn't work, and his blood count has dropped again, causing him to have two mild heart attacks in two days. What's worse is, the heavy doses of prednisone damaged his liver! So now they have him in the hospital for the third time for this blood problem. They STILL can't figure out what is causing it, and they have done every test under the sun. Sometimes it seems doctors just take wild stabs and hope something is right.

 

[StageLeft]

Unfortunately medical science is not perfect. You can say you hate the medical system here, but trust me you'd not have received that level of attention in the so-called superior medical atmosphere in canada. CT scan there? Not unless your skull is split in two, and then you'll have a long wait for it.

 

[Drakkon]

I'm not saying its the worst in the world. The US is by far one of the best, i know that, it just seems like it oculd definately stand some room for improvement.
I dont exactly have the money or the time, but i have a very understanding boss that lets me work from home and luckly an insurance plan that is helping out and so far havent had to jump through too many hurdles.

I've tried everything from treating dehydration to diet to too much salt, too many carbs, to few carbs, to little poly/mono fat, milk (they thought i might be lactose intollerant at one point), my systems seem to get thrown one way or another, one day I'll be hydrated the next day not, one day I'll be dizzy/nauseus the next day not so much. The constant seems to be the pain from what i can only assume is the gallstones and the constant feeling of some pain in my temples that at times escalates to a migrane.

thanks for the support peoples i felt silly typing this all up but its nice to at least sit here and get out the frustration

 

[azazyel]

alergic to wheat maybe? Also, I was serious in my first post, it might help out with your stomach and headache.

 

[The Sauce]

Hope you feel better. Maybe it's anxiety related.

 

[badmouse]

Whoa, did you happen to read this Sunday's New York Times Magazine section, where they have the column about trying to diagnose something? The symptoms were a lot like yours - it turned out to be a faulty gall bladder, BTW.

Here's wishing you all the best.

 

[fredtam]

Just thank God that it isn't a government run hospital. Oh and it does sound like your Gall Bladder. The wife had to have hers removed. Similar symptoms.

 

[MartyMcFly3]

Feel better man.

Your partner in time,
MartyMcfly3

 

[RbSX]

Originally posted by: sciencewhiz
In Canada, you'd just be seeing a doctor for the first time. In most other countries, you'd never see a doctor.

Actually, I'm in Canada and I'd be able to see a doctor tommorow.

 

[SuperTool]

Originally posted by: RyanSengara

Originally posted by: sciencewhiz
In Canada, you'd just be seeing a doctor for the first time. In most other countries, you'd never see a doctor.

Actually, I'm in Canada and I'd be able to see a doctor tommorow.

That's not what Rush said

 

[C'DaleRider]

Sorry about the hassles you're having getting treated. It sucks, I know........

About the gallstones......avoid all traces of fat that you can in the food you eat. The gallbladder is "activated" when you eat fat.....it "squirts" bile into your duodenum/small intestine to break down the fat for digestion.

My wife had her gallbladder removed three months ago.................we lived on broiled skinless chicken, rice, fat-free noodles, and fat-free anything else we could find. Milk doesn't help either......

Cutting out as much fat intake until you've had your surgery will definitely cut down on yoru abdominal pain a lot. And be careful, even a gram of fat in your food will give you pain a half-hour later.

 

[AlienCraft]

I had a similar situation. It turned out to be a collapsed colon and a bladder infection. A partial colonectomy and an antibiotic regimen and I was as good as new.
Took 3 months for them to figure it out.
Symptoms started in Nov., was operated on April 15th 2000.

 

[JavaMomma]

Originally posted by: sciencewhiz
In Canada, you'd just be seeing a doctor for the first time. In most other countries, you'd never see a doctor.

You must not live in Canada.

It takes anywhere from 10-30minutes to see a doctor without an appointment at most walk in clinics (normal doctor). I have an appointment too see a specialist tommorow, it took 5 weeks for the appointment (not life threating).

But I am guessing you are being sarcastic...

I think the US medical system is good quality, but canada's is not as bad as you make it sound.

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: JavaMomma

Originally posted by: sciencewhiz
In Canada, you'd just be seeing a doctor for the first time. In most other countries, you'd never see a doctor.

You must not live in Canada.

It takes anywhere from 10-30minutes to see a doctor without an appointment at most walk in clinics (normal doctor). I have an appointment too see a specialist tommorow, it took 5 weeks for the appointment (not life threating).

But I am guessing you are being sarcastic...

I think the US medical system is good quality, but canada's is not as bad as you make it sound.

If the US Congress had to deal with the same Medical System as the rest of the Citizens, the system would be fixed in a week.
But they have a single payer system, so they don't give a rat's a$$ about those that pay the way for them.
Same goes for Social Security.

 

[Stifko]

Originally posted by: azazyel
Have you tried smoking some dope?

Its good for stomach ailments, y'know.