Medical Frustrations

HERE IS A RECAP OF WHAT I CALL MY "MEDICAL FRUSTRATIONS"

(This is not a comprehensive list, but it gives you a snapshot into what I've been going through for the past 2 years.)

July 2010 - Heart palpitations, Dr. #1 says nothing is wrong

October 2010 - Faint, Dr. #2 says nothing is wrong

March 2011 - Faint again, Dr. #3 says nothing is wrong

March 2011 again - Still feeling really icky - Dr. #3 (again) says I have tachycardia but there's nothing she can do about it

August 2011 - Faint, heart palpitations, hot flashes, etc., Dr. #4 (endocrinologist) accuses me of "self-diagnosing" and tells me nothing is wrong with me

September 2011 - Faint, heart palpitations, hot flashes, nausea, etc., decide to postpone school and move home, Dr. #5 (naturalist) says it's probably adrenal stress and prescribes natural supplements which don't help

October 2011 - Faint, heart palpitations, hot flashes, nausea, extreme fatigue, etc., Dr. #6 refers me to endocrinologist

December 2011 - Still having all the same symptoms as before, finally see Dr. #7 (endocrinologist), she says I have anxiety and nothing else and recommends I "treat that." (Obviously she is dumb)


January - February 2012 - same symptoms

March 2012 - Dr. #8  finally agrees with me that something is definitely not right, orders a lot of blood tests.

April 2012- blood test results from Dr. #8 indicate some estrogen issues and low blood platelets, Dr. treats estrogen issues, orders more lab work to retest blood platelets

May - 2012 - blood platelets are lower than before, Dr. #8 refers me to a hematologist

June 2012 - Dr. #9 (hematologist) orders more blood work

July 2012 - Dr. #9 gets blood work back and says it's not a blood issue but actually an autoimmune issue and I need to see a Rheumatologist (which will be Dr. #10)


So there you have it - 10 doctors in 2 years, and still no answer.  Though I feel as though I'm getting closer.

HERE IS WHERE I RANT ABOUT DR. #9:

What makes me MAD is that Dr. #9 had my lab results for a MONTH but made me wait to come see him. Then when I finally had an appointment and see him, he told me he can't do anything more and I need to see a Rheumatologist.  Why couldn't he have called and told me this A MONTH AGO?!!?!?!  That is a whole month wasted.

Now I'm supposed to leave for Florida in two days and then as soon as I get back I'm supposed to move back to San Jose and start school.  If the doctor would have called me as soon as he got the blood results back I could have had the whole month of July to see a Rheumatologist.  Now I might have to wait another month or more.  This makes me SO MAD!

HERE IS WHERE I STRESS OUT ABOUT THE FUTURE:

My main issue right now is extreme fatigue.  It's really hard to explain to other people how it affects me.  My parents and boyfriend see it first hand so they know that it's real.  This is not that I get a little tired.  Some days I completely can't function.  I am fine in the mornings for a few hours, but usually after lunch I just crash.  Some days are better than others and I have no way of predicting it.  Some days I can go until 4pm without getting tired.  Sometimes I wake up and can just tell that it's going to be an exhausting day.  Sometimes the fatigue just washes over me and I can't think, can't talk, can't move, just have to lie down and shut my eyes.

I don't know what to do.  I don't know how I can be in grad school when I'm feeling like this.  Granted, I am feeling a lot better than I was a few months ago.  I credit Dr. #8 for fixing some estrogen issues, which seem to have calmed down the nausea and hot flashes.  The heart palpitations are mostly gone but come back every once in awhile.  That could be because of whatever autoimmune issue is going on...  However, the fatigue is what worries me the most.  I don't know how I will be able to be in school all day, how I will be able to think and concentrate through the exhaustion...

HERE IS A SEEMINGLY UNRELATED ISSUE THAT IS ALSO BOTHERING ME:

I have lost my voice.  I have lost my ability to sing.  I have about a 1 octave range.  Needless to say, this makes me very very sad.  My vocal issues began about 6 years ago.  Maybe I should write a separate blog post just about this.  Yes, that is what I will do.  But tomorrow I am seeing an ENT and demanding he look down my throat with a camera!