Restored
Thursday, August 31st, 2006Finally, a doctor that listened. Today, was doctor’s appointment 8million for the year. A followup for the costachondritis which ended up being so much more.
As, I said in my last entry, the doctor I see at MCV work in a clinic setting, you see a resident, mainly. Well, today, I had a med student, 2 residents, and an attending talking to me and working with me. The med student today? Wonderful. And, she should be looking toward becoming a primary care physician. She will make a wonderful, caring doctor.
Now, the first resident, was overbooked, so I didn’t see her for long. But, she seemed nice enough. The second one, was great. And the attending? Who did most things with me today? Kicked ass.
She listened to what I said. She didn’t cut me off, at any time. Now, that is just not normal. She talked me through everything she wanted to work with me on.
And, she believed me about my pain levels. If you aren’t a chronic pain sufferer, you have no clue how much that means. So many doctors just write you off and let you suffer.
She didn’t. She listened, she wrote out a care plan for me. By herself, not just pressing buttons and sending out prewritten sheets of information. She talked me through it.
For the first time in almost 8 years, I have hope. I know it’s going to be a long drawn out process. I’m looking at several major surgeries over the next few years but, there is hope. Hope that I will be under less pain. Hope that the pain I do have will be treated.
Hope, that I’ll get some of my life back.
She even went so far as not lecturing me on “being more careful” when we discussed my fall. Due to my left leg issues, when I do walk (as I do in the house, outside is wheelchair, inside I can walk some) there are times that I can’t feel my leg and I fall.
Now, normally, I don’t injure myself when I fall but, two days ago I took a bad tumble and pulled something horrendously in my lower right back. She examined it, discussed heat/ice/etc about it, and prescribed pain meds.
My one other thing with today’s appointment was getting onto Wellbutrin so I could quit smoking. She prescribed that with no problem, gave me some information, and really encouraged me to quit.
I’ll pick that prescription up next week, and my quit date is the 21st.
Once, I’m off the Wellbutrin, we’ll work on getting me back on meds for the nerve pain issues, instead of that being just brushed off, as the orthopedic doctors did.
She listened to me, she’s willing to help, and she was genuinely nice. After all I’ve been through with doctors in the past few years, I’m just in shock.