Why I'm a terrible patient...: Part 3

(Continued from Part 2.)

When my son and I finally got home from the hospital, I thought we were in the clear.  I had a nasty case of mastitis, but I went to the doc, got some medicine, and it cleared up, no problem.  Recovering from pregnancy was tough, but I figured it would take a while for the aches and pains to go away.

Then, right around the time my son turned 4-months-old, one day at work, I got this bad pain in my abdomen while I was standing at the register.  It kept getting worse, until I was just about doubled over, but I figured it was just a stomach bug, maybe food poisoning.  But I tried to use the restroom, and nada.  I was off the next day, so I just stuck it out for the rest of my shift.

I spent most of the next day in bed, only getting up to take care of my son.  (Fortunately, 4-month-olds are relatively low-maintenance.)  Around 2:00 that afternoon, I couldn't take it anymore, and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to give my son the attention he needed.  So I did something for the first time ever in my life.

I called my husband at work, and asked him to come home and take me to the hospital.

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Why I'm a terrible patient...: Part 1

I used to be a pretty tough chick when it came to getting sick.  I hated (and still hate) going to the doctor, so whether it was a sprain or strep throat, anything that didn't require an ER visit, I just pretty much toughed out and got over.

But when I got to college, the strep throats got more frequent.  Then I got a really nasty case of tonsilitis, with my tonsils swollen so tightly I could hardly breathe, much less eat.  I subsisted on protein shakes and antibiotics, and even managed in my misery to accompany my mom to see a show of "Cats" a few hours away from home.  (I'd gotten her the tickets months earlier for Christmas.)

Eventually, not being able to swallow without agonizing pain wore me down, and I went to a real doctor.  (I'd been visiting the Student Health Center, who blood-tested me for mono and pregnancy eight times, those being the only two illnesses college girls get.)  The GP I saw took a quick look at my throat, vomited in her mouth a little, and sent me to a specialist.  The specialist asked about my symptoms, took a look, and gave me a diagnosis.

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My doctor has a "Napoleon Dynamite" poster in his office.

Some people freak out when their favorite hairstylist announces she's retiring or moving.  Other people have a certain mechanic they've gone to with every car over the last three decades, and they just don't trust anyone else to take care of them.

I have a doctor I saw at various times throughout my pregnancy, who was there while I was in labor, and who performed my three subsequent surgeries.

And he's retiring in July.

Well, "retiring" from private practice.  He and his wife are actually going on a two-year appointment to provide medical care to suffering people in Africa.

Leaving me here without a specialist/surgeon I trust.  Those selfish jerks.

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I'm throwing a pity party, and you're all invited!

I generally prefer not to whine and cry, because I feel like I truly am blessed in the life God has given me, but I'm having a really bad day pain-wise, and sometimes it makes me feel better just to vent a bit.

As I've touched on in the past, I've gone through multiple surgeries to treat ovarian cysts and resulting abdominal adhesions. Adhesions come from trauma experienced during surgery, so more surgery can only do so much to help, and is typically used only as a last resort, as a temporary fix.

Well, to try to keep a long story short, this very cold winter has been causing me a great deal of adhesion-related pain and illness (just like with every other type of chronic pain, cold makes it worse). I know for a fact that I have no interest in receiving any further surgeries. I also refuse to go back on any narcotic-based pain medications. (At one point I was on Vicodin, Flexeril, and Toradol...all simultaneously. They also had me on anti-nausea meds to combat the sickness from the pain meds.)

That leaves me open to alternative treatments and therapies. If any of you out there have had any experience with these, please let me know.

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