Thursday, June 21, 2012

What's Up Doc's?

I go in for my yearly Well Women exam, Doctor number 1, and I happen in conversation to mention while I'm there.. Ya know Doc, I walk and run four miles. I try to eat right. I hardly ever eat fried or greasy foods. I take swimming aerobics. I take care of my self. Then why am I having these symptoms

  • Shortness of Breath
  • Not feeling like I am getting all my Oxygen in my lungs
  • Having to make my self yawn to push air in or take deep breaths several times
  • Feels like my throat is being shut off and have to swallow to get air

I'm not coughing, wheezing, sneezing. Not in pain. Don't take any medications other than daily vitamins and replace my estrogen  patch when I should. I just cant seem to get all my air intake. Some days are worse than others.
This isn't her field of medicine so she sends me to an Internal Doctor, Doctor number 2. I give her the symptoms. She listens to my heart, feels for enlarged glands in my throat, ask me about past medical and diseases in my family's history. Going down the list I tell her about my mother and her twin who both passed away with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. She orders a chest ray and blood work. There all normal. She wants me to have a  Spirometers Breathing test, but this is not her field of medicine, so she sends me to A Pulmonary Specialist, Doctor number 3. I go through the list of symptoms with him. He listens to my heart, feels for enlarged glands or knots in my throat. His nurse gives me the breathing test and checks my oxygen level. The doctor comes back in the room, shows me a flow chart and tells me mine is abnormal. He wants to order a CT scan of the chest and a CT scan of the neck. After a few days of waiting on my insurance to approve the CT's, I am referred to Doctor number 4 who only gets a CT of the chest with IV contrast and more blood work. You will have to go back to the doctor that ordered tests to get results. So I go back to see Doctor number 2. She goes over test results that have been sent back to her.

  • Chest X-ray-normal
  • Blood work - all normal
  • Spirometer- Fixed obstruction pattern 
  • CT scan- mild hyperinflation in lungs, No disease noted, Thyroid normal, Heart looks normal, small amount of sludge in Gallbladder, Vessels are normal.

She feels like they need to have a look down my throat for blockage, but this is not her field, so she sends me to  Doctor number 5, an ENT Specialist. I go through the list of symptoms with her and she wants to do a Endoscope threw my nose and down my throat to look with a camera for any tissue growth. After the test is done, she tells me she sees redness which  is caused by acid reflex.  There are no signs of any growths, try this prescribed medicine for one month and come back to see me.
Whets up Doc's? No one is listening to me! Hello...I cant breath!  I'm not getting full oxygen! Do I need to pass out, turn blue, or even die before you stop passing me around and guessing on why I am not getting a full breath of air ?  In the 80's I went all the way through Nursing school and we were always told to listen to the patient, treat the symptoms.  What's up Doc's?

9 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 21, 2012

    So sorry to hear that they are not listening.

    tspindor

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  2. How frustrating! I imagine that is why so many people are researching these matters for themselves. They want answers, not just a higher medical bill!

    To the point: I hope you get the answers you need in a timely manner, and that the issue is resolved satisfactorily--soon! It seems so disturbing to not feel like you can get a full breath of air! :(

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  3. This makes me so mad! Why do we even have a primary care doctor if they can't order tests on their own! My doctor does order most, but it is the insurance companies that are to blame. They are the ones that need to authorize you to go to the next doctor who then orders the test. Next time pass out in her office and maybe they will send you to the hospital and then all the tests will be done in one place.

    When I had the gallbladder problem, they kept sending me home saying I had indigestion, finally one night I was in so much pain, Tony took me to the emergency room where I was immediately diagnosed with gallstones! I told the ER doctor how many times I had complained to my doctor and he just shook his head and said "I am so sorry that you have had to suffer".

    I sure hope you can get some help soon, Betty. Keep pushing them or head to the ER!!

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  4. Unbelievable. It seems we almost need to diagnose ourselves these days. I had been tired of YEARS. Not just sleepy but debilitating tired. It was getting to the point that I did not know how I was going to live any more. I saw doctors, had tests, blookd work blah, blah, blah. It wasn't until I looked into Sleep Apnea and more or less diagnosed myself. I asked to go to a sleep clinic where I was finally diagnosed. I had been tired since I was 19 or 20. It took 20 years to get a diagnosis.
    I really hope you find out what is wrong. xo

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  5. Weeks and lots of money later and still no answers to the first question! How annoying!! Have you considered homeopathy? They are trained to look at the "whole" picture/person and not just one specialty?

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  6. I am exhausted from all the dr's you had to see! Now I know why they went to medical school (to guess, not to diagnose). I went through he same thing with my dr.s about my breathing problem. I too was told my thyroid, lungs, etc., etc.,. etc. were all okay. I just stopped seeing them for these issues & now I just "deal with it". Guess what? I received a check for $25.00 for not running up my medical for the year. LOLOLOLO. What a joke!

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  7. I so can relate to what you are going through! Been there done that! I would say have a second opinion with a pulmonologist!

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  8. Betty, you advocate for yourself. It is okay to get mad at the guy and tell him he is not listening to you. Furthermore, whatever happened to the pulmonary specialist #3. He is the one who ordered the CT and found the abnormal results. He should be following up on your symptoms. Betty, go kick some booty!

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  9. Jana, you couldn’t have said it better! I totally agree Betty needs to "kick some booty!" These doctors are passing the buck. So sad.

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