More health problems. Need prayers

[Californiablonde]

Unfortunately I have an HMO and yes, I need my primary doctor's referral to see a specialist. She gave me a referral to the cardiologist with no problems but for some reason does not want me to see a gastroenterologist. I really think I need an endoscopy, as difficult child had, to rule out any abnormalities. I could be sitting on top of a big huge stomach ulcer right now and not even know it. The pain is THAT bad. But no referral to the gastroenterologist just yet. Oh, and FYI the cardiologist is not done with me yet. I have another appointment next month for further testing. So I am not out of the woods yet as far as my heart is concerned.

 

[JKF]

Once - years ago (before husband and I were married but we were living together) - he was working the night shift and I was home. I had a wicked toothache that night and was looking up my symptoms on web md. Somehow I came to the conclusion that I had an abscess. I went into the bathroom to examine my mouth in the mirror and realized my veins were bright blue. I freaked out and back to Web MD I went. I then convinced myself I had blood poisoning due to the abscess and I needed to get to the hospital ASAP. I called husband at work in a sheer panic and he rushed home to take me to the hospital. We got to the ER and it turned out that I had tooth pain due to sinus pressure and my veins were blue because I'm a fair skinned white girl and they're supposed to look like that. Hubby was NOT amused. I was banned from Web MD for quite some time following that incident! LOL

Anyway - I really hope you feel better soon CB. I know it's hard but try not to stress. That makes things so much worse. I'm thinking about you and sending you healing vibes. Hang in there!

 

[BusynMember]

Lil, I did the same before my surgery and almost backed out, not due to the surgery, but due to what I'd read about anesthesia. I finally took the bull by the horns and called my surgeon's NP and asked her outright about anesthesia. From what I'd read, some hospitals let any doctor do it, some (rarely) have an anesthesia doctor there for the entire surgery, and most have an anesthesiologist administer the anesthesia then a nurse with special training in anesthesia is with the patient all the time. Both the second and third are good. My hospital does the third and everything went great. I actually talked to somebody who said he'd HAD surgery there and that they are the best, which further helped encourage me.

You can always ask your doctor any question you want clarified. I went into surgery with no fear I wouldn't come out of surgery

 

[Lil]

Actually, the anesthesia is the one thing that worries me. I know there is an anesthesiologist that is the guy in charge at the hospital I'll go to...they make you meet with them in advance. But, I've had surgery twice, once when I was in my 20's and once about 5 years ago, and both times they had trouble waking me up after. My brother is the same way. He had outpatient rotator cuff surgery and after four hours of trying to get him to wake up and stay awake, they got him in a bed instead of sending him home. Anesthesia scares me.

 

[svengandhi]

CB -

I see that you need a referral. Maybe your PCP is waiting until the cardio finishes his work up before sending you to another specialty? Have you told the cardio doctor about your stomach pains? Maybe that doctor can refer you to a gastro? Are you old enough for a colonoscopy yet?

 

[svengandhi]

Lil -

I had hernia surgery when I had my lapband put in. I didn't even know I had a hernia, the doctor told me after he fixed it. Unfortunately, I had to have my lap band emptied and I've gained back most of the weight, but I'm going to start filling again in a couple of weeks and hope to lose again. Once the hernia was fixed, my GERD and acid reflux cleared up and even though I've gained weight back, my sleep apnea hasn't returned to the same level I had it before. The recovery from the hernia was really nothing. I didn't notice anything other than the lapband recovery.

I have had several surgeries over the past few years to try and improve myself. I had a bladder lift three years ago and wish I'd done it ten years before. I also had my hemmorhoids rubber-banded and that helped a lot with my stomach issues. Then of course, there was the lapband. I'm saving up to have a breast reduction because I don't meet the criterion for having it covered by insurance.

 

[Jabberwockey]

She isnt exaggerating about the anesthesia issue. She has a very hard time waking up from it.

 

[svengandhi]

I didn't think she was. When I had IV sedation for foot surgery, I started hallucinating when I was coming out of it and screaming that they couldn't let me go home with my husband because he was planning to kill me. I finally calmed down enough to tell them it was okay. When I went for the follow up surgery three weeks later, the nurses freaked out when H walked in.

Anesthesia is a real risk but it is safer than in years past. H's uncle died in the early 70's from an anesthesia problem, though I think it was probably medical malpractice. I think the key is having the appropriate type of anesthesia for the procedure and having a qualified person administering it.

 

[Lil]

Oh I know it's safer now...it just frightens me because they always have such a hard time getting me to wake up. I even warned them last time, and it still happened. At least this time I'll be at the same hospital, so we'll see. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I've had anesthesia 3 times. 25 or so years ago for an ovarian cyst surgery, which was apparently quite a scare for them when my heart decided to beat funny. I have pvc's (pre-ventricular contractions) and the arrhythmia had never been noticed before. Started doing it on the table and they had the heads of 3 departments (obgyn, cardiology and anesthesiology) freaking out. So anyway, then I had an ablation and tubal ligation about 5 years ago and after that a surgical breast biopsy. Every single time, I've had problems waking up.

I started hallucinating when I was coming out of it and screaming that they couldn't let me go home with my husband because he was planning to kill me. I finally calmed down enough to tell them it was okay. When I went for the follow up surgery three weeks later, the nurses freaked out when H walked in.

LOL!!! Oh my. I can't imagine. Unfortunately, I run my mouth big time after they give me the first shot...the one that just relaxes you. Last time I told the anesthesiologist if they killed me I'd come back as a ghost lawyer and sue them. I really hope I don't get the same guy this time...or at least that he doesn't remember me.

 

[Tanya M]

HI CB, just checking in on you. I do hope you are able to try and remain calm while you are waiting for appointments and referrals.
Try to take some time to just sit and do some deep breathing, slow breaths in and out.
I am a cancer survivor so I know how easy it can be to become a little obsessed when our bodies have something strange going on. I do know that the anxiety is not good for us and sometimes things like WebMD can add to the anxiety.
I think it's very important to listen to ones body as it can tell you when something isn't right but that does not always mean that it's something terrible.
Try and have a calm spirit as you wait for your appointments and referrals. Perhaps your Cardiologist can refer you to a Gastro.
Hang in there and ((HUGS)) to you..........

 

[GoingNorth]

Lil, I always tell them that "I go down hard and I come up fighting". I must be anesthetized via IV anesthesia before starting inhalant anesthesia, otherwise there's a good chance I'll do a credible job of taking the OR apart before I finally go under.

It's gotten better since the invention of Propofol, which knocks me out deep enough that they can get a tube down and administer gas that way, as opposed to trying to get close enough to me to get a mask on me and deal with the ensuing chaos.

It's an aberrant reaction to the drugs as I have no memory of these incidents, but I've sure heard about them after the fact.

 

[Californiablonde]

I still haven't heard back on my blood work and I am trying not to be too nervous. I guess if it was really bad they would have contacted me by now. I go in on Wednesday to give my stool sample to the lab ( I am so totally NOT looking forward to having to do that!) so if my doctor hasn't called me by then I will go around the corner and ask about my blood work in person. Meanwhile I have another nasty headache coupled with on and off again numbness in my hands and feet. I am really trying not to think brain cancer (My grandfather passed away from it) and I am staying off those darned medical sites!

 

[BusynMember]

CB, call them. I'm quite sure you will hear, "OH, yeah. It's all negative." If it is serious, they contact you. You think they want to get sued???

 

[GoingNorth]

CB. The first sx of brain calncer is almost always seizures or stroke symptoms. Numbness in the hands and feet is usually nothing serious (low blood sugar, etc)

PLEASE get into therapy for the hypochondria asap. No one hear doubts that your symptoms are real, but it's your mind making you sick. The root cause of hypochondria is anxiety, and you KNOW that you suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as it is.

 

[Confused]

I understand about you worrying but look at it this way, your actually going in and getting tested! So far things are ok for you! You will be ok, Im scared about me as I need to go in and have been sick with colds, teeth, reflux, etc, Im going in soon! Just breathe, keep your nutrition up and some exercise. Hugs

 

[GoingNorth]

CB. Also, believe me, they DO call if there's something "off" in blood tests.

I've had the joy of having a few blood tests come up bad in the past few years and have gotten calls from docs as late as 8:30 in the evening.

When I got the news that the Hashimoto's Thyroiditis had finally done my thyroid in (antibody and hormone tests were off the scale) my doctor had already made the appointment for me with an endocrinologist when she called)
When my A1C showed that I was diabetic, I had a phone call the same day and appointment two days later.

When x-rays showed that the painful, very swollen ankle I'd been walking around on for two weeks (stupid me) was broken, I had an appointment with an ortho the next day. My doctor's office made the appointment.

If the tests are normal, it is common practice for many clinics/groups, to notify you by mail instead of calling, so no news is good news.

The numbness in your hands and feet could be so many things, most of them easily treatable, that I wouldn't even worry at this point. Wait and see what the tests show, talk to your doctor about them, and deal with things, and please see a therapist.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I still haven't heard back on my blood work

If it's something important, they call fast. Kid1 had blood work done yesterday - and specialist called TODAY, as there was a problem based on the results. They wouldn't have called at all otherwise, we'd just have gotten the results at the next appointment a few weeks from now.

 

[BusynMember]

I agree with getting a psychologist to help with the hypochondria. You and I have similar mental health issues and I also was a hypochondriac. I hated it and I wish they'd had help for it back then. THe worst part of it was that I didn't believe the test results sometimes...honestly, that's how phobic I was. Sometimes I went to three doctors for the same issues. Also, once I was satisfied that I didn't have X disease, a few weeks later I'd get obsessed that I had Y disease and it didn't end until I found this medication combination (which honestly worked magic for me, but I am assuming it is rare that medications work this well for most).

My first husband was not very sympathetic to my "illnesses" so I often called the paramedics as I tended to freak out in the middle of the night and he wasn't going to drive me to ER so late. I really don't blame him. The paramedics and nurses in ER got to know me and we would ask about each other's families. (This is only a slight exaggeration).

Don't keep suffering. Get help for this. My mom died of brain cancer. I am not going to tell you her symptoms, but you definitely do not have brain cancer.

Hugs!!!!

 

[Californiablonde]

I agree I need help for the hypochondria. I have been battling it since I was 15. For 21 years Zoloft was my wonder drug. I didn't think about my health at all for years. Then suddenly it quit on me. I have tried every other SSRI out there and nothing helps the way the Zoloft did. I know I need to get a new therapist but I've been procrastinating. I am seeing a new psychiatrist for medication refills on Thursday so perhaps he can be of help too. Meanwhile I am supposed to take time off work tomorrow and give my stool sample but I'm damned constipated again! Not even Metamucil is helping anymore. I need to get that darned sample in but I haven't gone in two days. I am taking a double dose of Metamucil today and I just hope and pray I can go to the bathroom by tomorrow!

 

[BusynMember]

CG, they have a blood test now that can tell which medications may help you the most. I hear it's effective too. I'd do it if my medication pooped out on me.