This is continued from Part 1 (Click
Here ). In Part 1 I told you how it took me a little over 3 weeks to wait 10 weeks for the actual appointment with my GI Doc.
The long wait was filled with my 'normal' symptoms. Nothing better, nothing worse. And finally the appointment day was here! I was excited as I had not seen her since October 2012, but we spoke on the phone several times and even during her maternity leave. She was new to the profession, but on top of gastroparesis, which is why we got along so great.
I was asked to come in at 8:45am for a 9am appointment, just to get the new computer system up to date with my info. That was fine, my insurance had changed as well as my address since my last true visit. It was a bad GP morning (as most mornings that I have to get out of bed before 9am). A few stops to the bathroom and I made the 30 min trip by car to see her, but I made it and on time!
The check in did take that long. I looked at my phone when I sat down and it was straight up 9am. I figured I would be called back soon and didn't get too settled. My mistake. At 9:20am I was getting a little anxious and updated my FB Status (that's how I know what time it was). A few seconds later, the nurse came to take me back. Thank goodness.
The nurse part was the same as always with questions and stats. Took just a few minutes, as not much had changed with my history. Like normal she said the Dr would be right in. I hoped so, we were already past my appointment time and I had brought a 1 page print out of topics I wanted to address.
I got down off the exam table to get my sheet of questions and pen, glancing at my phone for a time. Isn't it convenient that they never put a clock in the room?! Well we were up to 9:35a and still no Dr. About a min or 2 later, she came in. Thank goodness! I am so ready to get help and catch up with her and her new child!
Chit Chat was not going to happen. She was in a horrid mood! She founded when I said I was not feeling any better. We went over (very briefly) what I tried to eat and what my 'issues' were. I kept getting cut off when she was asking me things. I would continue to talk and she would go back to her computer. Grrr. I was not getting any where. She had a problem getting my old records up and called a tech to come in. Then asked if I had been to the Neuro Dr that she told me to (back in Oct), I did not. That didn't make her happy either. I said I was planning on it since a Disability Eye Dr told me I was having minor issues. I then told her I applied, told her I lost my job, lost the unemployment appeal in court. I never went into detail as I was loosing her focus and as soon as I said the word 'disability' she became very cold.
My other goal to go there was to see if she would be on my side should (when) I need to do the appeal for disability. A credible GI Dr of mine would help a lot. Guess that isn't going to happen.
She laid into me saying that she can not diagnose me with gastroparesis based on the 2 hr Gasteric Emptying Study that I had done. The 2 hr test was done by the 1st GI Dr and based on the results I was diagnosed with GP.
Click here for my blog on that. But this GI Dr does not believe in any results of a 2 hr GES. She made that clear the first time I saw here and I agree for the most part. Our town would not do anything longer than 2hrs and didn't even want to do it for that long. I was told at 30 min it was okay to go. But now she has the clinic that does it to agree to do just her patients with the 4 hr test. And now wants me to do it for this long and go from there (to be diagnosed or not with gastroparesis - by her).
Doing this could hurt my disability, if the GES comes back better or in the even that my delayed emptying is not that delayed at 4 hours. Then she will not diagnose me with GP and I would have to do a disability appeal based on just my symptoms, as we would not know what the heck is wrong with me at that point.
At 9:46a I was being walked out by her. I have a print out that tells me so. It also tells me to get the GES and to take Mirolax to improve my bowel movements.
I set up the GES and have thought long and hard about it. The 2 hr was bad enough for me. My butt and legs went to sleep. I can't imagine 4 hrs, plus if I don't get protein in my every 2 - 3 hours then I become very dizzy and at times have fainted. But, setting that aside, I want to know what the heck is wrong with me for sure. If it isn't GP, than it probably is Neuro. Don't worry, I will never give up the GP Fight! I still fully believe that is what I have, but I guess GES test will tell me how delayed my tummy is!
The insurance company I have, has no co-pays. What they do is, I have to pay out of pocket 100% of the Dr visit and that amount is then deducted from the deductible ($5,000 family). I looked on my prior bill (different ins co then), but walking in the office was billed at $500. That was one heck of a 11 min Dr visit!
So that too pissed me off yesterday and I found an email to send a complain to. Well, I found 2 places to send it to and I did! No, I don't expect anything to come of it. But felt better that I got it off my chest. When the bill comes you can count on another copy of my email going inside of it!
THE END
