Rcnevada

You never realize how boring your life is until somebody asks what you like to do for fun

Category: doctors

More tests

03/12/2025 /

Well, they’ve got new stress test that doesn’t require a treadmill. It’s all chemical. Some sort of radioactive material followed by a dye. This cocktail stimulates the heart so it reacts just like the treadmill, without the physical stress, the gasping for air, and the whining. It’s like a ct scan (cat scan), only more comfortable.

Of course, throughout this latest bunch of tests I never saw my cardiologist, only techs.

Now, after waiting for 24 hr while the Holter monitor recorded my heart activity, I get to wait for my cardiologist to read the results. And then, I get to wait for the results to be posted. -Let’s just say that waiting is not one of the things I do well.

I returned the monitor a few minutes ago and this dinky flight of stairs left me winded. There are only 18 or so steps, but I’m sure glad the railing is solid.

I think one of the problems is that the steps are not very high or deep. I assume this is to accommodate vertically challenged folks. But it makes them awkward for us normal people. I know that’s not much of an excuse but when it’s all you’ve got you run with it. — What do you mean 6’ 4” isn’t normal?

At any rate, the results of the ultrasound say that I have “Bilateral dependent basilar platelike atelectasis -no mass.”

As I understand it, this means small sections of the lungs have collapsed. So this little beastie (incentive spirometer) is what a nurse suggested. — The day I bought this it cost $30 on Amazon.

According to the instructions you inhale just hard enough to keep the yellow ball centered, repeat for a total of 10 reps, pausing every 3 or 4 breaths. Once an hour?

I’m not sure how such a gentle machine is supposed to help, but it makes me tired and makes my lungs feel like they’ve run a marathon. So I guess it’s doing something.

This is what happens when you don’t have the good sense to die young.

All that being said, I figure I’ve still got a few good years left.

So stand by for even more medical whining.

Waiting for my pulmonologist

01/08/2025 /

I’m sitting here waiting on a callback from my newest doctor.

Am I the only one who shows up when I’m told and then waits an hour to finally see the doctor for ten minutes?

Of course, it could be worse. At Sunrise Hospital I lay around on a gurney for several hours until they could find me a bed. Speaking of which, did you know that Sunrise is one of the hospitals that got grandfathered in for multiple patients in a room? I was in a room with two other old dudes. Fortunately, they were quiet. Unlike someone on the same floor who yelled loud enough every freaking night to make me shut the door. — And they call those good drugs.

I’m staring at one of those little doohickies you put on your finger to check your pulse and oxygen levels. It says I’m doing ok but I’m checking so often that I may need to replace the battery before I get my callback. –Nothing like worrying about things you can’t control to keep your mind focused.

Okay, so no call back after several attempts.

I despise doctors and, more importantly, their nurses who are too important to give a shit about anything as trivial as their patients.

I got an email telling me about their new answering service… Still ignoring me.

And this is my heart doctor. I give up.

Tachycardia

10/11/2024 /

I’m sitting here waiting for a callback from my pulmonologist. Partly because my pulse hit a little over 150 then dropped back down to 75 in about 15 minutes. Then I had a second attack an hour later. It seems that one or more of the blood clots in my lungs have moved to my heart. Oh, happy days. Now I get to worry about a stroke.

At any rate, I’m supposed to get an echocardiogram but I have no idea where to go, I’m told I need to RSVP. How do I do that if I don’t know who to RSVP to???

I like my doctor. He’s old school, complete with suit and tie, and a stethoscope poking out of his pocket. He reminds me of the doctors I had growing up – yes, I know I’m showing my age. He’s also pretty laid back making it easy to relax around him.

The paperwork says to check with their patient portal, but the patient portal just flat sucks. It looks like it was written by someone’s favorite nephew, not a professional. You need to apply for access… I think. But my request has been ignored. –Or maybe their programmer’s mommy has grounded him.

Yes, I’m being hard on the programmer, but I’ve seen this sort of thing written by high school students that was much better. They don’t even tell you what they want, they just give you a series of choices with no explanation.

God, I hate dealing with new doctors with different ways of doing things.

Yup. I’m rapidly becoming one of those crotchety old dudes.

Ah well, I guess I’ll quit bitching and wait quietly like a good boy.

Gravel in my lungs

09/29/2024 /

Okay, so I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. In other words, my CT scan showed my lungs were full of small blood clots.

The E.R. doctor said something about finding the source and removing it. But when I got a room and mentioned it to my new doctor he said something like “he’s an ER doctor.” Instead, he started me on a heparin drip, kept me there for a few days, and then sent me home with a prescription for Eliquis.

I started out thinking that it was some kind of miracle drug, but all of a sudden I couldn’t breathe again. My oxygen levels were fine, just like they were when I went to the hospital. So I went to urgent care and they X-rayed my lungs and rather than send me back for another CT scan they tried a nebulizer. That helped a bit so I got a prescription for an inhaler. This helps a bit so I guess I don’t have to go back to the hospital. This is a good thing.

One thing that stood out to me was the doctor’s comment about this being caused by being too sedentary. Which is not good since I can’t use my treadmill because I feel short of breath. — So, I can’t breathe, because I can’t exercise, or something like that. By the time the subject came up, I was dressed with one foot out the door. Needless to say, I wasn’t paying a lot of attention.

Now, I have an appointment with yet another pulmonologist on Friday.

God this is getting old.

More hospital B S

08/25/2024 /

This is chicken Caesar salad.

Of course, the Parm tastes like the stuff that came in the round green box we used to eat before we knew better.

I know it’s supposed to be cold, but I swear the chicken was so cold it was crunchy.

On a different note; this is a heavy blanket… According to the hospital at any rate.

If it was any thinner it would be tissue.

I decide when to put on the blanket (which, surprisingly, does help) by watching the thermostat in my room when it hits 71 it’s time. This “thermostat” has nothing to do with the a/c unit, but it does let you know when the room is getting cool. (you know you’re officially “bored out of your mind” when you find yourself watching the thermostat.)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. If you have visitors they need a secret code to get in. It’s your first initial, last initial, two numbers, and then your room number. I’ve met security and I’m not sure if they’re just not smart enough to deal with anything more complicated or if they’re not paid enough to care.

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