Thursday, April 30, 2009

My day with the medical profession

I had my regularly scheduled OB visit this morning at 10:20. Since I was pretty sure I was having a girlie infection problem I didn't want to bring the jedi and subject them to the horrors of Mommy getting poked. We left the house at 9:30, I dropped them off at Vader's office at 10, made it to the OB at 10:20. I didn't wait very long and I wasn't seen very long either. The doc (one of two that I see) didn't even look at the rash on my lower back/upper butt but merely said that PUPPS is on the trunk not the rear. But didn't look at it to tell me what it is then. Argh. And when I mentioned the girlie infection he said I could get the OTC stuff. No poking. No test. So I could have had the kids with me (although it was so much nicer without them) but more importantly I could have had some damn relief days ago! It's my own fault for not calling and checking but I figured they would have to test me since I'm you know, 8 months pregnant and all. Oh well, at least it was a scheduled checkup and not an appt. I made just for that. 


I picked up the kids, got them home by 12, made lunch, tried to clean up after lunch, Vader got home at 1:10, he made his lunch and the kids decided they were hungry. Again. They ate again. We packed up the car. Again. And left at 2 for the Princess's ultrasound at the hospital. It was scheduled for May 14, but I got a notice in the mail saying it had to be cancelled and was rescheduled for today. I had a momentary panic before we left that we were supposed to go to the surgeon's office and not the hospital so I looked for the note, which of course I could not find. We made it to the parking garage of the hospital by 2:30, drove around FOREVER to find a spot, and finally made it inside. They had no record of us. After speaking with the nice Russian-accented ladies at reception AD NAUSEUM, they managed to get the surgeon to fax over a script for the ultrasound. 

It was scheduled at 2:30 but was closer to 3-3:30 by the time we got in there. The Princess was unbelievably well-behaved the entire time. As was SkyWalker. After the ultrasound we headed to the surgeon's office for our consult and what I hoped would be some much needed closure to this whole thing. We got there around 4:30 since we had been so delayed at the hospital. They had no record of us having an appt. Wonderful. It was time for them to go home so they were all cranky. The surgeon wasn't even there. And furthermore when they found us in the computer system she said it had been rescheduled to June 25. JUNE 25. As in, one day before my due date. No. I don't think so. I may be mostly stupid at this point but there is NO WAY IN HELL I would see the date June 25 and say "Okay." ARGH. So they just royally screwed up. The other doctor was there and did the best she could. BUT, radiology had some "questions" about the ultrasound results that only the operating surgeon could answer before anyone could give US any answers. So we went home very much lacking in the closure department. We left there at 5, picked up subs for dinner since I was in no mood to cook. 

We got home at 5:45 and there was a message from Bee on my machine. Sadly, no one had told HER that I was not coming in to work (luckily I had anticipated long waits so I took the night off when I got the new ultrasound date). Even more sad was that it was her son's birthday and she had wanted to go home early. Which she could have done if I had been there. I ate my dinner and kept thinking that maybe I could get down there to let her go home early but it was well after 6 by the time we were done and I needed to the Princess to bed early since she had no nap because of all the doctor visits. I still feel guilty but by the time I would have gotten to the library it just would not have been worth the gas money. And I would really like to lay down before 10:30 tonight. 

Just a short while ago the surgeon called and said that he looked at the ultrasound and that while it's not as good as he had hoped, he is not concerned about anything. It's very consistent with just having had the surgery. Her right ureter is "fat" and it's going to take some time to build up the muscle it needs to do its job. So she is still on the antibiotics (bactrum) and we'll do another ultrasound in 2-3 months. I'm starting to think we will never get the closure we need on this. It wasn't bad news and he said it was not cause for concern at all, but I really just wanted someone to say "She's all good". Although the last time someone said that and took her off meds she got a UTI and wound up with reflux so maybe they are just really covering their asses this time... If they schedule her next ultrasound for June 25 now I will shoot someone. 

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2 comments:

Felice said...

Ugh. That all just sounds so sucky. I'm sorry! I hope her next u/s results in the "all good" report! And, yeah, June 25 is a NO!

Bee said...

Dude... I can't believe your doctor! I, generally, try to believe what doctors tell me, but I think your doc is dead wrong on the PUPPPs... On About.com the article about PUPPPs says "the rash can spread over the thighs, buttocks, breasts, and arms." I didn't have a single bit of it on my belly, but my midwife diagnosed it as PUPPPs, and the rash lived up to all the horror one would expect... My advice? Ice packs, cold/wet washcloths, sitting in an inch of cold water in the bath, and using cortisone cream... Cutting off your nails so as not to scratch yourself in your sleep helps a little, but I ended up [subconsciously] scratching harder and bruising... And, don't feel bad about not coming in to the library on Boogie's birthday... Even if I didn't end up leaving early, it would not have been your fault that I didn't plan ahead to take the time off... Hope today was a good day with the jedi...