I should probably back up and explain how we got to today's trip first though.
It started a couple months ago with the ringing in my left ear and the hearing loss and the dizziness. I wrote about it here when it really started to freak me out and when I was finally planning on going to get checked out.
But then something happened. I had a migraine and, as I always do, took a dose of Benadryl to help the migraine (it works just about every time for me) and I saw immediate improvement for several days. I was better! I didn't need to go to the doctor.
That carried me right in to the last few weeks when I had doctor's appointments for various kids, hearing tests, therapy and meetings; planning and scheduling and evaluating took up just about every day in my calendar.
The ringing and pressure and vertigo crept back in gradually, not every day at first and then with increasing frequency. This week horrible, horrible headaches started to become a daily occurrence and the allergy medicine didn't touch them at all. So I started writing down the symptoms. I quickly saw that it was happening much more frequently than I'd realized with pain, ringing and hearing loss and horrible, horrible pressure, becoming a daily event.
I also had to admit that I really, really, really didn't want to see my doctor. For those of you who haven't been here long, she pushes the pill like she works for the pharmaceutical companies. Why does that bother me? some might ask. Because she does it at the expense of my health. When I've gone to her in the past for just about any ailment from a migraine that won't go away to ear problems like I'm having now, the only thing she wants to talk about is the pill. Nothing else is ever addressed, as she waves off every other complaint and concern I have. It's incredibly frustrating. I think there was one appointment where I managed to avoid an in depth discussion about it.
And I just didn't feel like I would get good care from her with her fixation on my ovaries and her treatment of other issues in the past.
I called the office yesterday and gave my information and asked if I could see someone other than my normal care provider. The receptionists hysterical laughter made me think that maybe, just maybe, this wasn't the first time this had happened. They could get me in next month. Or I could call back and see if there was an opening today.
So I called back. And they could only get me in to see her.
"No thanks," I said. I think I'll just stop hearing.
Then the headache started back up. And I burst into tears because Paul will start working on Monday and will be gone all day every day between the three jobs and tomorrow I have four therapy appointments to go to and today was my last chance.
I told Paul I needed to go to urgent care and he agreed (and was obviously thankful that I was going somewhere). And so I went, so used to my own doctor brushing off my concerns that I half expected to hear that nothing was wrong and all of this was in my head.
Instead the doctor came in quickly (at my usual office I have to wait for hours). He was friendly. He looked in my nose and could immediately tell something was wrong. He looked in my ears and said he could see fluid and that I have a middle ear infection and they'll be starting me on antibiotics and steroids today. I am hugely relieved. Paul's out getting the prescriptions. And I have a number for an ENT to call if the problem goes on for more than five days.
And after realizing how much I didn't want to go to the other place, I think I'll be calling my insurance and seeing about switching primary care physicians, so that I don't find myself making excuse after excuse just because I don't want to go in and hear about how "your priest should stay out of your bedroom" (actual advice given during our first appointment).
I'm so relieved and so thankful that it looks like it's something that will clear up quickly and easily.
You have a lot of medical professionals in your life. Between your (extremely rude by the sounds of it) primary care physician and whoever decided Mae was overweight and made that a secondary diagnosis I'd go nuts. I am happy you are getting help and that it should be easy enough to overcome.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about that today and how in general we've been so blessed and I need to write a post about how 90% of the people we encounter as so amazing and great and helpful!
DeleteSo glad you were able to take care of yourself and I hope it gets better!
ReplyDeleteI'm thrilled for you guys that Paul has a shot at a better job actually in the law field.
Do you have anything who could help you out on a regular basis during the next few months? It sounds like they're going to be a bit challenging!
I'll say some prayers for you guys. Keep up the awesome work loving each other so well!
Thank you for the prayers! I don't have any great leads here, but in a few months we are going to go back and spend a couple months in California, so I kind of have my focus fixed on getting to that point because then I'll have tons of help!
DeleteI quite agree about finding another primary care doc. Even if this one honestly does mean for the best, and would feel it unethical not to raise the subject of contraception, she's done what's required of her on that score--multiple times, from what you say. Heck, from a strictly legal perspective, if you got pregnant again and (God forbid) something went really, horribly wrong and Paul sued her (yes, I know he wouldn't, but I'm going from a legal cover-your-butt perspective here) she could easily show, at this point, documentation saying that she'd offered you contraception and tried to get you to take it. She needs to knock it off and respect your beliefs on this matter, and if she can't, then there must be another doctor in the area who, even if not Catholic, can respect you and your beliefs.
ReplyDeletePut it this way: I'm pretty sure that my OBGYN, though actively pro-life, does prescribe birth control, or at least some types of it. When we needed to avoid for a while for medical reasons, all he said was, "Okay, I need you to not get pregnant for X amount of time. How do you plan on avoiding getting pregnant?" Me: "We use the Marquette method of NFP, and it works well for us." Him: "Marquette? I'm not familiar with that one." *I explain.* Him: "Okay, that should work well. Make sure you come in for your pap next year; have a good one!"
I get the impression that his thought process is "NFP, practiced correctly, is demonstrably effective but requires rather more work and a LOT more abstinence than contraception, so why not just use the pill, but hey, she's the one doing the testing/charting, so whatever."
Works for me. He doesn't have to agree 100% with my thought processes on this, just respect them.
I was thinking about it today and I do think she has good intentions and just goes way overboard in her attempts to "educate" me. And the weird thing is that this isn't my OB, just the person I see for physicals and if I get sick. My OB has always been really great about NFP and totally respectful about it (although he's not an NFP OB).
DeleteWhen you switch doctors, please consider writing a letter to your former doctor's practice as well as the state medical board. Your former doctor is crossing some huge lines by denigrating your religious practice (not to mention that you're too stupid to think for yourself and just do whatever your priest tells you without understanding why).
ReplyDeleteMy OB/GYN is secular (he has advertisements for contraception all over his waiting room) and he has never ONCE pushed contraception on me, nor has any of his staff. On the contrary, they have all been very supportive of my use of NFP. It's very refreshing.
I'm definitely thinking about it. MY OB is secular too and he's always been really respectful and on board with NFP... it's just my general practitioner that's not so much (although I totally should throw the "just" out of that statement!). I think I'm way more picky with OBs because I tend to see them so much more.
DeleteI am so glad and relieved that you finally got a diagnosis! My daughter said that your initial suspicions that the loud screaming could have damaged your ear may be well founded, as that damage could have made you more susceptible to fluid buildup, etc.
ReplyDeleteI also believe you should write letters to your soon-to-be-former primary care physician and the state board. There are also plenty of online physician-rating sites (healthgrades.com, etc.) and I would pay a visit to a couple of them.
I hope your dizziness and headaches clear up quickly.
Marie
I'm so glad you wrote in because I forgot to ask the doctor today if it could be the result of an injury and I was wondering about it as soon as I got to the car and thought about it. It just seems to be too much of a coincidence for it to have started the exact day that the screaming got so loud.
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