For Your Health! (part 2)

So...I got nothing.

Scratch that. I do have a new "primary care provider."

But as far a "knowledge of the stupid thing that's making you fear that you're dying," I got nothing.

I saw the cardiologist on Friday, as planned. I filled out all the damn paperwork and waited for a long time (I didn't get into the office until forty-five minutes after my appointment).

Reminded me of this:



Anyhow, eventually I was called into a room, my blood pressure was taken, and my EK was G'd. Once again (unfortunately?), I passed both with flying colors.

After another 10 minute wait, the Doc arrived. He was a young-ish (for a doctor), and I noticed that we were wearing the same style of shoes.


These.

Maybe it was casual Friday? I don't know. Didn't really bother me...I just thought it was notable.

And he asked me the very general, "So, what's going on with you?"

I gave him a brief history of my symptoms (first attack on an airplane, several more since then, went to the emergency room, constant chest pain and tightness). He asked if I had a family history (I do), and if I was a smoker (I'm not). Then we started talking about Henry, and what I do for a living.

This whole thing took about 5 minutes, after which he stood up and said, "Okay, Tyler, come with me."

I thought, okay...cool. More test. Let's smoke this sucker out.

But, no. He sat me in front of a receptionist, and had her schedule me for a test next week, and a follow-up in two weeks. He shook my hand, made some kind of lame joke about being a Somali Pirate (I'd mentioned that I work in anti-piracy enforcement...harr harr...), and sped away from me.

So lamely, I filled out the sheets, collected my things, and went on my way...totally undiagnosed, and fairly certain that I was going to keel over before I could make it to my test next week.

Walking back to my car, I wondered if there were things that I could have told him that would have made him take me more seriously. Like, how I almost passed out when I was going for a jog? Or how my chest hurt constantly? Or how I had attacks even when I was at rest? Or how I was having trouble sleeping? Maybe he could have given me advice (lay off the caffeine, and slow down on the exercise) or something...but I got nothing. Nothing but a promise of "further testing."

This bugged me all the way home. Do I just need to start lying to these guys to get them to take me seriously? Why are they so stingy with the medical tests? Don't you want to rule things out first?

I mean, I'm new to all of this stuff. I only had a handful of physical exams after I graduated from college, and I've never had anything approaching "serious symptoms" of a disease before. I've never really had to deal with health insurance or hospital bureaucracy...so I don't know if I'm doing it right or not.

All I want is for someone to tell me either:

A) You're healthy, don't worry about these symptoms you've been experiencing, because they'll go away.

B) You've got something wrong with you -- here's what we can do to fix it.

So I decided to get a new doctor. Actually, I'd decided that a long time ago, but I only put in the request after the New Year. My old doctor seemed to cater mostly to geriatric patients. His support staff was irritating, and while his bedside manner was fine...it seemed to me that any time I came in with a concern, he seemed unfazed because of my "youth."

Don't know how the new guy is (I'm seeing him for the first time on Wednesday), but it will be interesting to get a second opinion on things. Part of the conditions of the switch are that, any and all "referrals" made from my old Primary Care Provider are "Null and void."

Which means no more "Dr. Sketchers." Even if that means I'll have to wait even longer for tests and test results...I'm totally fine with that too.

So I'll keep you all posted. Lots of stuff happening...but no real news, as of yet.