Medical Professionals vs Jerks With Degrees

Hi… hello… long time no blog! It’s that time of the year when my daughters are in school and there is homework to do, weekend activities, and so forth. I have missed you all dearly and hope you forgive my absence. Let me explain what’s the latest and the greatest on the whole medical aspect of my life.

I have been having weekly iron infusions since January. My rheumatologist had referred me November 2010 to have a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy done to find out if I am bleeding internally. My hemoglobin and hematocrit were dropping and oral iron supplements were not helping. The tests showed a hiatal hernia, gastritis, esophagitis, and large internal hemmorrhoids. Those diagnoses, however were not the reason for my body not being able to retain my iron levels. My iron was dropping lower and lower and I was referred to a hematologist for iron infusions. Since my iron infusions, my hemoglobin and hematocrit are able to remain close to normal, however my ferritin level keeps dropping. I have come to learn that it is actual quite normal for your ferritin level to be low with having a decent enough hemoglobin and hematocrit level, as they are slower to react after your ferritin level drops.

My menstrual cycle has always been off since day one. I have never had a normal period. I get my period about twice a month, it is heavy flow, large clots, and very painful. I have had tests done and I do not have endometriosis, no cysts, and only very small fibroid changes (meaning that I’m slightly bumpy inside due to getting older… 29 years old). Next step was to try and maintain all of my iron levels, get me off weekly iron infusions, and make life more comfortable was to have an endometrial ablation.

The first gynecologist I saw refused to do anything but give me an IUD. Now, you may be reading this and saying, why not take the IUD? I’ll tell you why. First of all the Mirena IUD that the gynecologist was pushing lasts 5 years maximum, there is a possibility that my body will reject the IUD and my insurance does not cover the cost to take the IUD out (If my body doesn’t even accept my kidneys as part of my body, why would it want a foreign object?), and lastly, its an additional hormone that I do not need if I skip that route and go straight to an endometrial ablation. After going back and forth with this doctor, who we will call Dr. Fukoff, I dropped him like a hot potato.

Before making an appointment with my former gynecologist, I asked my father if he would be able to drive me to my office visits with her because I do not drive due to having narcolepsy. (Please note: Some people who have narcolepsy are able to drive, however I am not one of those people, and I rely on others for rides.) Of course, I knew my father would say that he would drive me to the appointments, even though the office is 4 times further away than the previous gynecologist office. After speaking with my father, I made an appointment with the gynecologist who knows my background medical history, is caring and addresses all of my concerns at a professional, yet personable level. This gynecologist, Dr. I. Understand, said, “Let’s set you up for an endometrial ablation!” She went over everything that would happen during the ablation, told me that the exact name for the ablation that would be performed on me was the Novasure Ablation, and addressed each and every one of my concerns. We set up an appointment, and I was happy as a pig in mud!

So, October 24, 2011 came, it was take my insides out day. YAY! I was stoked! I was excited! But…. I was tired. I couldn’t eat or drink anything from midnight last night until after the procedure. My usual wake me up is coffee and food. I had a complete jerk, Dr. AnASStestiologist, push my buttons a little too far before the procedure. Sit down, grab some popcorn or whatever you’re hungry for, and listen to this story of the first doctor to ever induce an instant narcolepsy attack.

Here we go……

For the first time ever I was so mad that I fell asleep instantly several times during a conversation… literally blacked out. I had an anesthesiologist today, Dr. AnASSestiologist, for my endometrial ablation. He didn’t know what to say about my answers so he just said that what I said was wrong and I literally blacked out, fell asleep… I woke back up 30 seconds later and the guy is on the other side of my bed. I turn my head and I’m thinking to myself, what the heck is this? A magic show? One minute Dr. AnASSestiologist is on the left side of the bed, I open my eyes and he is on the right side of the bed asking me if I am positive that I took the medications that are on my medication list or if I took any other medicationss that are not listed. I’m guessing that he was assuming that I was taking some sort of mind altering medications that I’m not prescribed. I take enough medications as it is, why would I add more?

I told him after I woke up enough to answer while he’s snapping his fingers at me, “No, I took what I told you is on my list and my file should clearly say NOT to prescribe me narcotics also, as they do not work for any sort of pain. I have narcolepsy. I fell asleep. I couldn’t eat or drink after midnight and its 11 something in the morning now.” I got a snide remark and I was so mad at his remark that passed out again.

When I woke back up 30 or so seconds again he said to me, “Well, your bloodwork came back great for surgery. Your hemoglobin is 11.8.” I asked Dr. AnASSestiologist if my ferritin came back okay and he said that it doesn’t matter what my ferritin level is. I said, “Apparently it does matter what my ferritin level is, you know, the FE level… ferritin… because I’ve been getting weekly iron infusions since January of this year, my colonoscopy and endoscopy show no sign of bleeding, and I have a heavy menstrual cycle. That’s why I’m getting an ablation.” He said, “The ferritin level doesn’t mean anything other than showing the possibility of anemia.” Seriously dude, you’re pushing my buttons… I fell asleep again!

This time, I’m assuming it took longer to wake me up because when I did, Dr. AnASSestiologist said yet again… “Are you sure you didn’t take anything that is not on your medication list this morning?” I said to him, “No I didn’t. And by the way, can you please turn this light above me off because I’m sensitive to the UV lighting in this fluorescent lighting.” He said, “This lighting? There’s no UV rays in fluorescent lighting.” I said to him, “If you say so.” I fell asleep again and when I woke up I pretended to still be sleeping and refused to see the guy anymore.

The nurses, my gynocologist, and everyone else in the hospital were very nice and wheeled me around without me even asking them to from check in time to check out time. They turned the lights out when I asked. They said to me… wow, you have a lot of illnesses for a young lady and you have such a nice personality. I know that it wasn’t me being difficult, but the jerk making $300k plus per year who just didn’t want to be wrong.

After surgery, I woke up. They knew I was alive, then I fell asleep again for hours. The whole procedure went well, however I had stayed longer than expected because everything kicked my butt with all my illnesses. One nurse said to me, “Oh honey, you have a very dark red rash on your arms! Is that normal or not?” I said, “Yes, that is normal but the anesthesiologist didn’t think I was right when I told him that there are UV rays in fluorescent lighting and wouldn’t turn the lights off during the time he was talking to me and being rude. Not only does it cause my rash to become worse it causes sleep attacks for me with my narcolepsy. My neurologist suspects this is a form how cataplexy plays out in me. He saw a lot of me falling asleep while he was asking me questions!” She said, “Wow, I could have told him that there were UV rays in fluorescent lighting, but he wouldn’t listen. He’s that type of person.”

Anyway, my endometrial ablation went well and hopefully my hematocrit and hemoglobin levels can continue to stay up and improve and who the heck knows what my ferratin levels are… what the true reason for my endometrial ablation is for, on top of the fact that I have severe clotting, mennorhagia, extreme pain before, during and after my period.

Here’s to hoping for better health!  Be well and God bless.