Today has reminded me why I'm suspicious of medical personnel. Some of them (not all!) are just so damn smug. I really get peeved when people who are supposed to be helping me instead assume that they know oodles more about my body than I do.
Take, for example, pain. Just because a person doesn't react they way you think they should doesn't mean they're not in pain. During an exam today, I was asked to rate the pain I was experiencing while the surgical resident was poking under my ribcage on the right side on a numerical scale. I gave it an 8. He told me that it couldn't be an 8 because I'd be whimpering, maybe crying, and would be trying to get away from him. I told him it was an 8 and if he didn't stop, I'd make him.
Pain is relative. Anyone who's ever been in pain knows this. I've been able to take a punch since I was a little girl, because my adoptive father delivered them regularly and I was a little kid who refused to let grown-ups see me cry. I've broken several bones and had to get myself to a place where I could call/ask for help. Once , I walked all the way to the hospital myself with my arm broken in three places and walking my bike because I refused to leave it. I've delivered two babies without drugs of any kind. I delivered the head of one of those babies on my hands and knees, then had to STOP pushing and turn over (yes, with her little head already out) so the midwife could have better access to the umbilical cord that was wrapped around her body and neck. I've had more dirtbike crashes than I can count, more surgeries than any person should have. And I've had the mother of all pain, meningitis, AND I drove myself to the Emergency Room after FOUR DAYS of it because I finally figured out I was really sick.
So, no, Dr. Resident, poking my sick gall bladder through my abdominal wall isn't going to elicit the reaction you expect. But that doesn't mean I don't feel it as an 8 on a pain scale of 1 to 10.
That guy still doesn't know how close he was to finding himself on the floor.
Another example: Prophylactic antibiotics. WTF? Let's try to ward off infection by compromising my already healthy immune system! Yes! That makes perfect sense!
Another example: Pregnancy test. Administered even though I told them there is NO WAY I could possibly be pregnant right now. Administered even though I told them 1) I'm on day 2 of my period, and 2) I haven't had sex in over 30 days because I FEEL LIKE SHIT ALL THE FUCKING TIME. Again, WTF?
Another example: Why ask me if I have questions if you aren't going to answer them??? These guys took 15 minutes explaining the procedure to me - AFTER I read the pamphlet they gave me, presumably to explain the fucking procedure - but couldn't tell me if I'd be able to teach my three D-Tac classes in March. Even after I explained that teaching these classes would mean three full days of getting the crap beat out of me by new officers without a lot of finesse - including full abdominal punches and kicks - they still waffled with "Well, it'll be up to you." Up to ME? Haven't you just spent the last hour or so trying to convince me how freaking superior you are and how much more you know about me than I do? Now it's up to me??
Anyway, enough bitching.
Boob Update: In the boob world, microcrystallization is a bad thing. Microcrystallization is the one sure-thing sign of breast cancer that can't be detected by BSE, and is the whole reason for the hype about regular mammography. I had another mammo today so they could use a different type of scan (magnified) to look at the microcrystallization that last week's mammo picked up. Generally speaking, five or more jagged-edged microcrystals grouped closely together means ready, set, lose your breast. Lucky for me, I have nine smooth microcrystals in my left breast (that damn left breast! Such a trouble maker!!) that, right now, are no cause for alarm. Hooray!
One side note to the Boob Update: The difference between digital mammography and regular mammography is HUGE! Digital mammography rquires the breast to be compressed much less than typical mammography. I DEFINITELY recommend going digital if you can. Sheesh!!!!
Gall Bladder Update: After suffering the incredible smugness of Dr. Resident, it was decided that the gall bladder's got to go. Dr. Resident's boss, Dr. Department Head, is actually a decent guy and a national leader in minimally-invasive surgery and advised that he should be able to get that puppy out laparoscopically with no sweat. Surgery is scheduled for the 15th (unless they can't get the extra room that day, then it'll be the following week) and my pre-op is the 8th. I've already done all the chest x-rays and lab work, so the pre-op will just be meeting with the Anesthesiologist so I can tell him or her to PLEASE not give me anything prior to the anesthesia, as I have a really difficult time waking up from general.
Gall Bladder Update Bonus: 2 weeks off work!!! Whoo-hoo!! But two weeks of light duty after that (still, it's up to me if I want to teach my D-Tac classes). Oh, ha ha ha.
And end to the pain is in sight!!! Hooray!!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
w00t w00t!!!
Looks like some stuff to be excited about!
Sucks about the medical personal. Sucks, but not surprising. Bastards! The first thing they teach you whenever you go into any medical type job is "pain is whatever the patient says it is". Maybe they forgot that becoming the All Glorious Doctor. Bastards! :(
I'm glad they got you scheduled for surgery! That's fantastic! It's also great that they're gonna do it through a few tiny holes instead of one huge one. *nod*
On the boob front: scary stuff but I'm glad your going to be okay. I had to reread that portion a bunch of times. I didn't realize there was so much involved in diagnosing. Again, scary stuff. Microcrystals are okay as long as they're smooth, do we all have them then?
I hope they get you in quick and get your gallbladder out! It really is a huge relief when it's done. *nod*
If scars were more popular I'd post a picture of my belly so you could share my scars too. :)
Very very very happy for you, Daughter.
{{{{{A}}}}}
I'm babbling because my son is right there *point* yelling about doing his homework.
:-O
Sounds like its all going to work out about as good as one could hope.
I'm really excited about the boobs ;) as I've always been a big boobs fan.
I'll be glad when all of this is over for you and you can get back to a more normal life (whatever that is)
I needed some good news today, thanks! :)
With your upcoming surgery, you shouldn't make a rash purchases!!
*stare*
But thanks for doing it anyways!
I'd hug you for real if you were closer!
{{{{{{{{{{A.}}}}}}}}}}}
Ha! The "pain scale" always cracks me up. What's a 10 to someone else might be a 3 to me and vice-versa. So, yes, it peeves me to no end when they try to use the pain scale and then invalidate the patient's answers.
They said they can do the surgery - either way! - without wrecking my body art. I was totally freaked out about that. Yay!
Microcrystals are NOT common, and are generally NOT a good thing even when they are smooth and encapsulated. But, since they ARE smooth and encapsulated, they are, at this time, considered benign. I only have them in that trouble-making left breast. Right one still good to go. Yay, right breast!
So, I HAVE to reiterate that mammograms after age 40 are IMPERATIVE!!! It's the only way they can catch those microcrystals. They are not the most common precursor to cancerous cells, but they are certainly the most deadly because they are undetectable ANY OTHER WAY.
RT - Yay boobs! I'm a fan too, especially of my own (Frankensteinish though they may be). So today's a perfect day to encourage you, once again, to make sure your wife (and eventually your daughter) pays attention to her breast health! BSE for all my friends!! :-)
"Microcrystals are NOT common, and are generally NOT a good thing even when they are smooth and encapsulated. But, since they ARE smooth and encapsulated, they are, at this time, considered benign."
Do you have a higher chance of the cancer returning because you have these microcrystals? Higher then if you didn't have them at all? Will they eventually become jagged, or can they stay there for your entire life and not make trouble?
I think the pain scale can really work if the people giving can always remember;
0 is no pain.
5 is moderate pain.
10 is the worst pain ever.
If this patient calmly tells you that their in "10", then that's what's happening. And you should proceed to treat it like it's the worst pain you could ever feel. I, too, hate medical personnel that second guess their patients. What right do they have to presume to know that person's body better then that person!!?!
Grrr.
On the breast cancer note, I'm starting my mammograms at the end of this year. The hormone replacement therapy makes your chances for breast cancer significantly higher (supposedly.) So getting tested every year seems like a good start...
Jen - I think the only thing those little crystals mean at this point is that I'm making them. Right now, apparently, I'm making an "okay" kind... but that doesn't mean that future manufacturing will follow suit. So twice yearly mammos for me!
I'm glad you're tkaing that heightened risk seriously... don't forget your BSE too! To quote a favorite movie:
"There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a shame to damage yours."
:-)
That's our favorite movie too!! Mine and James.
Sorry to pump you for all the intimate info, especially on a subject that is pretty scary! I'm more then thankful that your mammo came back good, it's all just scary.
I'm hip on BSE's definitely. I've been bugging my Mom about being more attentive to that too! Better to do it then to kick yourself for not doing something so simple. Preventive medicine is the best!
And that quote goes right back to ya, babe!
:-D
Post a Comment