So Far This Has Not Been a Great Day

My daughter woke up this morning and said her ear hurt. She has been having a cough for a little over a week, so I thought it was just from that. I decided to let her stay home from school. And to call her Doctor so they could check her out.

While I was waiting to hear from her Doctor, I got a call from my sister. My sister told me my mother is in the hospital. My mother went to the hospital yesterday because she was having chest pains.

So I tried to call my mom in the hospital but the line was busy. Then I got an appointment for my daughter at 10:45 this morning. Went to the Doctors. The Doctor listened to my daughter's breathing. Then she looked in her ear. She said she has a slight pneumonia! And her ear was swollen and red from that! I couldn't believe it! She will have to take antibiotics and it should clear up. And we have to go back in 10 days. I'm just glad that I actually did call the Dr.!

Then I got back and finally got through to my mother. She has had some tests, they are not sure what it is yet. They are keeping her waiting. You know how hospitals are. Don't know much yet. She hopes to go home today. Not sure if that is going to happen. I hope she's ok.

So that is my day so far.

Abnormal Bile Pigment

For those of you who have been following my previous posts on some of my health issues, I thought I would give you a quick update. As stated in some previous posts my blood tests showed "slightly elevated liver enzymes."

Well I was to wait 6-8 weeks to a get a new set of blood tests. I went back this past Thursday (finally) for the repeat tests. I did not expect to hear back from them for at least a week. If it was to be like the other ways the Doctor's office has dealt with things, then I was expecting just to receive a letter in the mail.

But the nurse called me Friday night, around 5:30. This is where I get mad again at this Doctor's office! I was unable to answer the phone at the time, and shortly after checked my messages. The message said, this is so-and-so from the Dr.'s, please call back Monday morning after 8:30 AM!

Gee thanks for calling me so late on a Friday and then leave me hanging and I can't even find out what it is about until Monday morning! I was so #$@! MAD!!! Let's just say I didn't exactly have a great weekend! I basically worried all weekend on what they were going to tell me. How nice of them, couldn't they have either called me a little earlier in the day, so I'd have a chance to get back to them. Or leave a more specific message, so I would know what it was about. Or better yet don't even call me then until Monday morning!

So anyway, I called them back Monday morning. And the nurse told me my blood test showed I have "Abnormal bile pigment." Have no idea what that means, and she wasn't exactly forthcoming with the info to me. So I have to go back in another couple of weeks for another blood test. Then I will actually meet with the Doctor, at the beginning of August.

Maybe then I will get an answer to what is going on. Geez, it's like a mystery that either the Doctor knows the answer to, but for some reason they won't tell me. Or a mystery that I end up having to figure out for myself! It's like I'm not a Doctor but I play one on TV. I have been doing my own research as to what this all means. And I still think this is going to all lead to my gallbladder. When I looked up "Abnormal bile pigment," that is one of the things that came up. And that is what previously my research has pointed too.

Why can't this stupid Doctor just come out and tell me this, I guess that would be to easy. They want to make you sit around and worry. Well that's it for now. I guess I can't worry about it constantly or I'll go crazy. And like my husband keeps telling me, if it was some life or death thing they are not going to make you wait all this time in between all these tests. Gee that's comforting, kinda.

More Medical News

Well, more medical news about me, anyway. I got a letter in the mail Saturday. Let's just say it said that I have a bacterial infection. No big deal. They gave me a prescription for some medication to help clear it up (in the mail!)

Now to me this is the weird part. I mean I have an infection - don't you think someone from this Doctor's office could have called me about this? I went to the Pharmacy to fill the prescription. The Pharmacist called my name and asked me if I knew anything about this medication and if my Doctor explained it to me. I said no, I got this in the mail. I didn't even talk to the Dr. I just got a letter. I could tell even the Pharmacist thought that was weird! He said ok, well you are going to take 4 pills all at once and you can't drink alcohol for 3 days after you take these. He said not even mouth wash or anything with alcohol in it. If you do, he said you could get violently ill. That is weird too.

So when I got home I took the pills. And let me tell you they were the most disgusting things I have ever taken. I've always had a hard time swallowing pills anyway, but these were the worst! Usually there is a coating and you can't taste anything - these obviously didn't have any kind of coating. They tasted so bitter and nasty I thought I was going to throw up just taking them. It was all I could do to get all 4 of them down!

So next, in light of my recent blood tests I've been reading up on things. And I read that different medications could cause false readings on them. So since I have to go get them redone in about 2 weeks I was curious if this medication would cause that. So I actually read the little info letter thing they give you with the medication. Somewhere in this letter it did say these pills could cause false reading on certain blood tests, and it specifically said liver enzyme tests. That's what I'm having redone.

Now I don't know how long this medication stays in your system. And how long it will effect the tests. Do you think I'm calling the Dr. to find out? Heck no! I'm going back up to this Pharmacy to ask the nice Pharmacist there to answer my questions. I'm pretty certain he will be more then happy to answer my questions. Unlike the Dr's office who will obviously barely give me the time of day!

Another thing I'm thinking is did this bacterial infection give me these false readings to begin with? I obviously had this infection at the time I got these blood tests. So now I'm hoping that was what caused my "liver enzymes to be slightly elevated."

It's like: I had an infection, blood test were abnormal, Dr. gives me medication, which could cause blood tests to be abnormal. See the vicious circle this could create? Do you think the Dr. is even thinking any of this? Heck no! It's like I have to be the one to figure all this out! That is what really bugs me!

Excuse me while I..... Vent!

Sorry for not posting any news sooner, but didn't find out the results of my x-rays until late Friday afternoon. Then I was to tired to post anything until now. Let's just say this week has been emotionally draining.

First off let me just say the nurse told me the x-rays were "normal." That being said let me just tell you why I was still upset. I spent the better half of a week, thinking everything under the sun was wrong with me. Everything from heart problems, a blood clot, I was going to need surgery. All these things ran through my mind. It's amazing how your mind works.

Then I waited, and waited, and waited some more for someone to call me from this Doctors office. I figured I would give them time and they just didn't have the results yet. Finally Friday I couldn't take it anymore, I called them. Only to be met with the receptionist who said the nurse would call me back. About 20 minutes later she calls me back and asked me a bunch of questions, it was basically like she had no idea what I was talking about! She said she would have to check with the Doctor. She finally called me back about an hour and a half later, said the x-rays were "normal" and that was it!

What I'm upset about is here I am all week worried out of my mind, no one even could be bothered to call me about it, I had to call them, when I did they had no idea what I'm talking about. When they finally answer me it's a 30 second phone conversation saying there "normal!"
I was so mad!

I know this is good news and the x-rays didn't show anything. But I still have pain. They barely answered my questions about what this "collection of blood" thing is. They basically don't care! I feel if I hadn't called them, would they have even bothered to call me back?

I got more answers from another Mother from my daughter's school, who happens to be a nurse.
The night before I talked to the Doctor's office (you don't ever actually talk to the Dr!) I was telling her what happened and she said I probably pulled all the muscles and the tendons in that area, and a collection of blood is a "hematoma." And that will eventually go away and will just disperse itself back into your system. But it can take a long time to heal.

Another reason that this whole thing got me so worried was my Mother, has severe Osteoporosis
and it has made me worried that I may have that too.

So all this being said I guess the x-rays were" normal," and I still hate Doctors! Thanks for letting me vent.

Related Posts:

Your Health Is More Important Than Money

Just a Quick Update

Just a Quick Update

Don't really know anything yet. But I went to get some x-rays today. They x-ray technician told me the Doctor will get them in about 1 to 2 days. So I have to wait until then and then the Doctor should call me. I figured if they don't call me by say Thursday I'll call them.

One other thing the x-ray technician said, was this type of x-ray is few and far between. She doesn't get to many people in there for "sternum x-rays." She barely knew how set it up for this kind of x-ray and needed another person to help, that's how little they do this kind of x-ray. She said usually people with this injury get it in a car accident! Yea me for me being a clumsy idiot. If I could take back one moment in time, it would be me tripping over the stupid couch/cat! Oh well you can't change the past I guess.

Thanks everyone for your nice comments:

Robin
Randy
My Vision
john b
catnip
The Healthy Mom
Mark
joshuaongys
Spice

Your Health Is More Important Than Money

I went to the Doctor's, Friday. It was the first time I've had a physical in a long time. I have been to the Gynecologist for my annual check ups, but I've never been good at going to a regular Physician for checkups. (I've never really been unhealthy for one thing.)


Two things changed that. Number one, in March I turned the dreaded "40!" I was to make it my resolution to go for a checkup definitely when I turned 40. To get all those important tests you start to need when you turn 40.

The second thing was, back in December I fell. Let's just say it was between me, the couch, and one of my cats. I tripped and fell flat on my chest, right on my living room floor, which is hardwood. I knew as soon as I did it, I hurt myself.

The next day, I was in a lot of pain. What possessed me not to go the doctors, was I guess, Number 1, I didn't have a Primary Care Physician. And Number 2, my husband had just gotten new insurance and it would be $100.00 to go to the emergency room. That just seemed like to much money to me to go get an x-ray. So I put it off.

I dealt with the pain, and it seemed to get better. I thought it had all but gone away. For a few months I swear it did. Then about the End of March the beginning of April it started to hurt again. And I felt a like a weird bump where I guess it's my sternum is. Well I finally couldn't deal anymore and finally got an appointment with an Internist.

Friday I went. I told her the problem. At first I swear she thought I was exaggerating or it was no big deal. She said she'd check it. She asked me some more questions about my medical history etc. Then she checked it. The second she touched it I swear her expression changed. She was shocked. I guess probably because she thinks I'm a damn idiot for not getting it checked sooner. And because she's pretty sure I fractured my sternum. She said either that or it's a collection of blood that has gathered there. I'm not sure what that means, and being the damn idiot that I am, I didn't ask.

So Monday morning I have to go in for an x-ray. I guess I'll find out then. I guess it can't be too serious because she said it could wait until Monday and said on the slip I have to give the x-ray people "Priority Normal." I'm just kind of anxious about it, and just want this pain to go away.

So anyway, not to be a downer. But the point of the story is I've learned my lesson, no matter how much it costs, If I do anything like this again I'm going to the Emergency Room (or the Doctor's now that I finally have a "Primary Care Physician" to go to.) I hope others can learn from my mistakes too. You're health really is more important than money.