Lately I have been a “Frequent Flyer” – that is, with multiple doctor’s offices. I have been in to visit my urologist, a “doc in a box” emergency care clinic last Saturday, and today, I am heading out to my family practice doctor. WHY?
All because I can’t seem to get these bladder/kidney infections under control.
The pain is distracting, as I know many of you understand. I have had back pain because of my kidney and bladder that seems to take over my body because it makes my whole body hurt.
What I have a hard time comprehending, digesting and determining is to whom do I go when the problem persists? A few months ago I was in the emergency room due to a kidney infection. No kidding, it caught me totally off guard; I thought it was an appendicitis, it hurt so much. Once in the emergency room, I was told to book an appointment with my “doctor”.
I automatically booked one with my urologist. When I got there, however, my doctor was out of the office and the Tech lady asked me, ”Who is treating your kidney infection?” I thought, “ummm, well I thought YOU were,” but perhaps I should have gone to my family practice doctor. I was given some antibiotics and told to take them for a week. I could tell however, just by how my urine smelled after the course of antibiotics was complete, though that I was still in trouble. I dutifully stopped taking them. Sure enough, the pain and cloudy urine showed up several days later, again, now, on a Saturday.
I was told by my urologist’s assistant that if I have an urgent problem I need to go to a “doc in a box”: no more emergency calls or dropping off urine at the lab. So, I walked into a clinic and was given another antibiotic. I hoped I got something that would do the magic. I got the lab results today and the culprit turned out to be “E. coli”.
Today, I have an appointment with my family practice doctor. I still have pain, and low energy. I hope he can help me.
I guess the reason I am sharing this with you is that I am still really confused. I feel like the little puppy going around and asking, “Are you my mommy?”
I know that I am a “Frequent Flyer”; I am just not sure who to go to for my various medical needs. It scares me to death to have to go to different people for my “health basics”.
I understand that additional and new strains are being put on our doctors, now, so I am trying to be patient and wait until new systems are put into place. Until then, do I need to get sicker and sicker because I am a medical headache for the US medical system?
This morning I was reading the news online and read an article through the BBC about how good the UK Health Care System is for “End of Life Care” – the best rating of any medical system in the world [see http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34415362]. I happen to know, through readers of this blog, that getting to see a urologist takes a long time and that continuous care from that urologist is impossible, at least for those of you who have written to me. The urological patients are referred to “Continence Nurses” after diagnosis. I’m not inferring that the care provided by these dedicated nursing staff is inferior, just that access to the urologist themselves is blocked after they have been referred. I do hope it is comforting for my friends in the UK to know that End of Life issues will be so easy for them, at least.
How about this wonderful life? The one that we only have one to live? I still see myself as a healthy person, even though I have a chronic illness. I have a long life to live, many things to do . . . .
HOLD THE PHONE, NOT SO FAST!! Is this where we are heading? How about when what I need is NOW (or yesterday)? Medical costs aside, I want quality care now and I do not want a system like the UK, thank you very much!
Have you had a hard time finding consistent medical care? Please share your story with us.
We are better together.
Trudy