A Brief Update on my Health, or Physician, Get Over Thyself

[vianegativa]

Whew. It's been a hellacious four or five days, hence my drop from signal to nothing in my journal. I'm having another bad cycle with the sleep apnea/insomnia/migraines and this weekend has been the Days of Utmost Panic. Luckily, I'm feeling more together and looking forward to my second sleep study Sunday where I get my damn CPAP. Even if the surgeries the doc discussed come through, it'll be a useful stopgap.

No word from the neurologist yet, but I just got my CT scans the day before yesterday; I suspect they'll find nothing out of sorts in the scans. Their answer for the migraines has been "DEMEROL, DEMEROL, DEMEROL", and my reply has been, "terribly sorry, I'd like to keep from being stoned out of my mind at work."

Can you tell my trust for doctors is waning? Particularly psychologists & neurologists? I'm also seeing a psychologist for stress, whom upon finding out I get stoned once every 3 or 4 months, wanted to tackle my "drug abuse issues" and suggessted "clean living". I was tempted to bring a bong to the next session to really give him an issue to tackle.

Riiight. I think I'll be looking for a new psychologist, shortly. Oversall, though, I imagine I'll not need this cadre of doctors as soon as my apnea problems start to see treatment. Apparently, getting no oxygen to your slumbering brain has a few interesting side effects, and I'm thinking my issues will evaporate once I can sleep normally.

Psychologists condescend and psychiatrists medicate with reckless abandon; this has been my very personal experience with the mental health profession. Best of all, no treatment has ever given me the tools to deal with issues in my own life. I've been the one to pull myself up by my boot straps. So, pray tell, what purpose do such doctors serve for the common man not saddled with schizophrennia?

The medical profession has been so haphazard and befuddled by my conditions I feel I may as well turn to a witch doctor; at least there I may get a poultice instead of endless tests & speculations.

Is everyone fully aware of the irony of faith in medical science?

Comments

[polardemonwolf.livejournal.com]

Does this psychologist know about your eye issues?

[vianegativa.livejournal.com]

Yes. Of course, that matters very little since I have meds for that.

[rooooo.livejournal.com]

I completely lost faith in medical science years ago. And now that I live in a city, where doctors do not have time to even concentrate, it's even worse. Clinics are like meat factories.

Not to beat a dead horse, but what about alternative therapies and natural meds or a kinesiologist in the Chicago area? I had my best treatment for a few different things from a kinesiologist/chiropractor in Michigan...he's since retired. It's at the VERY least a relatively inexpensive approach to a completely different point of view about treatment for all sorts of conditions...and they won't scold you for bong usage.

[mikiedoggie.livejournal.com]

Speaking as someone that worked in the medical profession for six years, I think medical science has a lot to offer. I think the big problem is there are a lot of BAD doctors out there. Aside from the science, there's a certain amount of art to practicing medicine properly. And I agree with you that so many clinics just process doctor visits as fast as possible.

I have been pretty lucky. My current doctor isn't great (I self diagnosed my apnea and my ADHD, no thanks to him) but I also feel as medically well trained patient, part of my job is to help guide him on how to treat me. Some doctors balk at that concept. And to be fair, most patients just don't have the same practical health background I have.

Its very frustrating. I have used alternative therapies as well and some of them have worked remarkably well. My old chiropractor used acupuncture, and I *loved* the results it had for my back. While the science behind a lot of a alternative medicine is "hazy" there is no doubt in my mind that many times it can be effective.

[goofybearz.livejournal.com]

When I worked in that nursing home for a few years, I saw things that... Well, it's kind of like "The more you know, the less you want to know". I finally felt I needed to leave that profession, because I felt I was becoming numb to the Human Condition.

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Ya know, it sucks that you're having this pain and I'm sure it's pissing you off to no end. But do you have any idea how typical it is for a patient having migraines to lose all faith in the system of medical science because they're not cured now now now?

Migraines are weird because they're usually symptomatic of a seemingly unrelated cause. Tumours, apnea even allergies or PTSD. So believe it or not even if your doctors are quacks they are still running a huge gamut trying to determine the underlying condition.

Anyhow, I hope you get better and by the sounds of it you'll get a CPAP and become a Real Bear. But I just wanted to voice my objection to your lack of faith in medical science. Relative to the alternatives we're all fucking lucky we even have this much to rely on.

[vianegativa.livejournal.com]

I agree that medicalo science as a whole is a boon rather than curse, it's just that some of my diagnoses have been so haphazard it's ridiculous. I have the patience required to obtain a cure within a reasonable amount of time, but do I really need three different docs skylarking on what may be wrong... and then trying to treat symptoms rather than diagnose a disease. My trip to the neurologist alone had me with a mild anuerysm amongst other possible maladies.

I KNEW it was sleep apnea; my general practioner knew it as well, as did my Head, nose & throat specialist. Meanwhile, a consulting psychiatrist attributed my mood swings & depression to the possible adult onset of schizophrenia and wanted me on pills NOW NOW NOW. Thankfully I refused that until after all other treatments, much to her chagrin.

Every doctor is so set on their diagnosis they've ignored common sense, it seems. Yet I'm supposed to bow to their collective knowledge & take it on faith it will all work out? No.

Doctors are contract employees, and like any employee can be good or bad. I'm simply sick of being "patient in the middle."

[vianegativa.livejournal.com]

I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and insomnia. Not a great combo for mental health purposes.

[standardtom.livejournal.com]

Because of Derek's experience over the years with migraines, insomnia, and quacks, and my own experience with sleep apnea and quacks... I've got some experience dealing with this stuff, so we should talk about this sometime.