Posted by Greg on March 13, 2003, at 7:11:24
In reply to Re: Sooo...., posted by Deb R on March 11, 2003, at 8:32:01
Thanks for all the support, I appreciate it a lot.
When I got home yesterday I had a message to make an appt to go into see the doc to get my results. Now, why do I have to pay another co-pay to get something they can give me over the phone? Oh well, I called and got in an hour later. As a side bar, I overheard a nurse giving one of the patients their test results over the phone while I was sitting in the waiting room, hmmm.
I got called back and waited for about 10 minutes and the doc came in and asked me how I was feeling, I told him about the same. He said that not only were all my test results normal but the readings were so good, that he would think he was dealing with someone who was in exceptionally good health. It was the first laugh I'd had in awhile. We spent the next 20 minutes or so going over other possibilities. We talked about diet, exercise, stress, sleeping habits, the pain I have in my knee and back. The guy even gave me an oral exam and checked out my teeth...
What we came up with is, there has been a real bad virus going around and it's been knocking people out for 3 or 4 weeks at a time. He says that not everyone has all the symptoms. Some are just having fatigue and aches and pains. So he's starting me on a new med called Tamiflu for 5 days just in case that's what I'm dealing with. He also found an infection in my gums in my right lower jaw. So after the 5 days, if the symptoms haven't cleared, I go on penicillin (sp?) for 2 weeks. After that, if I'm still not better, he wants me to consider having a test done, I can't remember the name, but it basically tests how the stomach is processing food. Apparently, when some people get older their digestive system stops processing food properly and bacteria and mold can actually develop in the stomach. This can cause exhaustion and fatigue. The drawback is that no insurance will cover the test and it costs $200 out of pocket. There's no way I can afford to have this done right now. I did get a Vitamin B-12 shot, and while it wasn't the miracle I was hoping for, I must admit that I'm feeling a tad bit better today. The nurse who gave me the shot (it's so embarrassing to bare your butt to a beautiful nurse, but I digress) said she thought my decision to ask for one was a great idea and that I should schedule one every month. She said they can be very beneficial to people who take meds regularly, especially ones that are at all sedating.
So, I guess the bottom line is while I was hoping to find out that something was wrong, I am encouraged to have a doctor who is showing no signs of quitting on this. He seems very intent on finding the cause and trying to make me feel better. And I guess if he's willing to put forth this kind of effort then I should stick it out and do my part too.
It's hard guys. Despite all the negatives that have happened to me over the last year and a half, I've still felt like my meds were working and I was reasonably stable. Now I just feel like I'm all over the place. I forgot what it feels like. What a f***ing wake-up call.
Thanks for listening.
Much love,
Greg
poster:Greg
thread:207404
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/2000/20030125/msgs/208690.html