If I had to predict the outcome of today’s three appointments, I would have been spot on. Except for a few minor details. PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR Removal of sutures Skin biopsy results: indicates a need to watch for and possibly biopsy other moles B-12 injection HOSPITAL FOR ARTERIAL DOPPLER Technician said: Blood flow looks good [...]
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First up, Retinal Specialist. Yes, I have tortuosity of the retinal vessels. I have no leakage from the blood vessels or veins. Therefore, I have congenital retinal tortuosity. The End. The rest of my eye troubles are “probably related to my thyroid”. Any reason it is limited to the left side? “The thyroid can cause [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: arterial doppler, congenital retinal venous tortuosity, doctor patient relationship, leg claudication, limited foot dorsiflexion | 3 Comments »
The title of this post comes straight from the funny bone of my father. During my youth, if I got dramatic or overly concerned about something, he would say this. It always brought me to giggles and took the perceived crisis out of things I could readily cope with. It came to mind today because [...]
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I believe I am having a flare, flare up, whatever the proper term is. I find it difficult to use the word flare because of my strong association with the flair from Office Space. Also, I’m not sure what systemic problem I have or if I truly have one at all so I have some [...]
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As I reflect on this week, there is a theme. The only person you can count on is yourself. Why? Because you’re the one most invested in your situation, your reality. No physician is going to remember every detail about your history or workups. No teacher is going remember every detail, even pertinent ones, about [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: coordination of care, doctor patient relationship, undiagnosed chronic illness | 2 Comments »
I need a therapeutic release of my feelings but I’m finding it challenging to identify what I’m feeling. Perhaps it’s because it’s just that I am growing fatigued with the status quo. I had the follow-up appointment to my fluorescein angiogram. My retinal vessels are dilated and tortuous. There is no leakage. My ophthalmologist finds [...]
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Invisible: adj. not prominent or readily noticeable I would argue that most diseases are invisible. Even when using a cane and brace while walking with a heavy limp, my pain and I were not taken seriously. Most people expressed that they hoped I got better soon, but no one really wanted to talk about what [...]
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I am posting 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know in support of Invisible Illness Awareness Week. To make things easier, I primarily selected one illness to answer these questions. 1. The illness I live with is: Otosclerosis – a progressive hearing loss (and I am not a candidate for surgery) among [...]
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What do they have in common? All can be part of a carnival. I’m honored and humbled to be a part of the Patients For a Moment Blog Carnival. Patients for a Moment is a blog carnival for/by/about patients founded by Duncan Cross. A blog carnival is an awesome opportunity to get to know bloggers [...]
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Dear Dr. F, I had the pleasure of seeing Dr. P in a neurologic evaluation on 07/24/09 in regard to my difficulty walking. As you know, I was referred to Dr. P by my ophthalmologist, Dr. M, who expressed concerns about my gait pattern. As you know, some of the local medical community thinks highly [...]
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: chronic illness, doctor patient relationship, neurologists | 5 Comments »
