Health/Medical Update

[jeshyr]

Hiya Folks,

So, I went back to the exercise-prescribing doc yesterday and showed her my graph of disappointing results showing that I'd done exactly what she'd asked and it hadn't worked. I took my flatmate along, despite her only having flown back to Australia less than 12 hours before she was happy to come and be moral support and hold my hand while I panicked because having to tell a doctor their pet theory doesn't work on you can be scary and dangerous.

To my IMMENSE relief, the doctor looked at the graph and asked me only a few questions and basically agreed that it wasn't working. I told her my plan, which was basically to drop the exercise down to a level where it wasn't impairing my quality of life (I'm guessing 1/3 to 1/2 of the existing level) but continue to try to do some of it, and she agreed that it seemed like the way to go and that there was pretty much no point in me seeing her again.

So yeah. That was both a huge relief and anti-climactic ... and also sort of disappointing, because no matter how much I know intellectually it's unrealistic and unlikely I always have a teeny sliver of hope that a medical person will have another new thing to try and it'll help.

r

Comments

[splodgenoodles]

Yeah I get the sadness about this. But I've got to say, when I started reading this I thought you were going to be describing yet another medical encounter from hell, even while I was so impressed with how you approached the interview. And while I think she should have listened enough to have never suggested the programme in the first place, I am relieved that she paid attention. May she be a better doctor for this experience.

[shehasathree]

so she really has nothing other than exercise in her bag of tricks? (or are there other things but you were already doing them?)

sucks that she couldn't help but SO glad to hear she didn't blame you.

[jesse_the_k]

+1

[jeshyr]

I don't think it was a mistake to suggest it. It *was* something I'd never tried to do the nervous-system-retraining exercises which are quite different to the standard rehab stuff (which I have done bunches of times). I did want to give it a go ... I'm just really happy that she finally agreed with me that it wasn't working. My biggest fear was that she'd write me off as noncompliant or not trying hard enough and then write back to my main specialist and *he* might give up on me ... happy to realise that's not something I need to keep worrying about!

[jeshyr]

She had many other things that I had either already tried and hadn't worked or things that I was already doing that did work. This was just the only new/different thing...

So I'm back off to the old cardiologist for continuing maintenance. He's very good in his own right - I'd recommend him - it's just that it's generally accepted that this lady is the "top" in Melbourne for my specific blood pressure fuckery and so it seemed worth a go.

I'm glad I tried it, and I'm glad she believed me.

[acelightning]

it seems reasonable to believe that there are researchers out there coming up with new treatments and new drugs. (recently i thought i saw something new that might be of interest, but then i remembered that you don't want people to tell you about "new" things that you've undoubtedly already tried and found useless.) i assume you're subscribed to the appropriate medical journals and newsletters. and i might as well wave my rubber chicken over your picture while i try to visualized your body working correctly...

*hugs*

[jeshyr]

Yup :) Feel free to wave a rubber chicken though - at least then I get to giggle while imagining you!

Love
r

[acelightning]

that's sort of a technician thing, especially with miniature rubber chickens that can hang off of a key ring. sometimes no matter what you try, you just can't fix something, or get it to stay fixed. so, since logic and technical know-how aren't working, you resort to voodoo and wave a chicken over it - except it has to be a rubber chicken, because sacrificing a live chicken is too messy.

i'm not a Healer, although i've always wished i was. instead, i can do something analogous to Healing, only for machinery. i focus on how the device works when it's working properly, and visualize it doing that, and i have pretty good luck most of the time. i keep trying to apply the same principle to humans and other animals. and when i can't get them working properly, i resort to the rubber chicken. so feel free to imagine me doing a silly "witch doctor" dance around you, shaking a gourd rattle with one hand and waving a rubber chicken about 10 cm long with the other hand :-)

*hugs* and healing thoughts, always...