So Tuesday of this week I went to the Hospital to have another Kidney biopsy done. You may recall that the last biopsy was inconclusive since they got the wrong part of the kidney so they had to do another one. There is less than a 2% chance that you will have some bleeding from the biopsy but instead of my luck going to important things like lottery tickets mine goes to things like having kidney failure and, in the case of the biopsy, having your renal ARTERY "knicked" just a little bit. So I had the pleasure of staying in the hospital a couple of extra days. I came home Thanksgiving around noon and was fine until I awoke from a nap. The family came over for dinner and I ate reclined on the couch. Nice Huh? So after dinner the wife and I asked everybody to lock up and let the dogs back in as we left for the ER. About 4 hours later I am back home and feeling better. I'll spare you of all of the gory details.
My impressions on my stay: The nurses were wonderful. The vascular surgeon team is incredible. My nephrologist and the other doctors in her practice I am not impressed with. She was adamant about my staying at the hospital even before the little "knick" but she didnt file any of the paper work for me to have a hospital room, or meals (particularly ones that I could eat because of my diet). Any wonder why I am counting down the days until she is my former nephrologist?
Friday, November 26, 2004
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Unusual Good News Bad News
So today I went to see an attorney that specializes in airplane crashes and medical malpractice. Since I the last airplane crash I was a part of that I can remember was probably when I was around 10 and I made one of those rubber band powered plane made of balsa wood (Do they still make those?) or maybe a paper airplane but the paper planes have a less spectacular crash.
Anyway, it is obvious why I was there. We talked for awhile (he used to live about 4 or 5 houses down from me many years ago but more importantly he came highly recommended by a few legal minds that I trust) and he thinks I have a good case. The main problem is the good news I am alive, my kidneys are recovering and I should recover. The bad news is this isn't exactly the best news for the law suit (ie, less $ for me, the insurance company, and the attorney) but I am ok with that.
In an unrelated story, I began the process of switching Nephrologists. I called my primary care doctor to get a referral to a doctor that used to be the head of the state nephrology association. Once I get the refferral (probably on Friday) then I can call and try to get a doctor's visit scheduled. I will be ecstatic when that happens.
They took more blood to run more tests last week. Hopefully they will have that tomorrow.
Anyway, it is obvious why I was there. We talked for awhile (he used to live about 4 or 5 houses down from me many years ago but more importantly he came highly recommended by a few legal minds that I trust) and he thinks I have a good case. The main problem is the good news I am alive, my kidneys are recovering and I should recover. The bad news is this isn't exactly the best news for the law suit (ie, less $ for me, the insurance company, and the attorney) but I am ok with that.
In an unrelated story, I began the process of switching Nephrologists. I called my primary care doctor to get a referral to a doctor that used to be the head of the state nephrology association. Once I get the refferral (probably on Friday) then I can call and try to get a doctor's visit scheduled. I will be ecstatic when that happens.
They took more blood to run more tests last week. Hopefully they will have that tomorrow.
Monday, November 08, 2004
An update on my kidneys and I still hate Doctors
So my nephrologist, soon to be former nephrologist, was at the clinic today. She had the results from the tests for the last 2 weeks. Most things are in the normal range and what isn't, for the most part is barely outside of the normal range except for one number which is still really high. Normal is between 1-4 (not sure 1 to 4 what) and I am at 7.5 now and was at 9.2 week before last. When I went into the hospital it was around 33. Most people on dialysis are around 15-16. So it looks like the dialysis is working and hopefully I will be off of it soon.
Now that I have the good news over with let me rant on my nephrologist. I have never been impressed with her level of competency. She started today with saying that she thought another Doctor that is in her practice and that I saw originally in the hospital was going to be in charge of monitoring my care and asked if I had seen or talked with him. I said no and asked if that meant that nobody had been monitoring my care for the last 4 weeks or so since I left the hospital. She just kept repeating that she thought the other doctor was going to be in charge. I asked if she had gotten hold of the quack that had prescribed the drug that got me into this mess to begin with to see if he had ever done any tests on my kidney's function. She had not and asked for his name (which had to be the third or fourth time I had given her his name and his office location). I asked if she had the tests results from when I left the hospital. Nope. I am proud that I kept my voice down so only the nephrologist and a nurse heard my ranting. I also was able to refrain from using "colorful" words that you would hear on a naval base. But there is no doubt in her mind what I think of her.
Tomorrow I will have several phone numbers and names of excellent Nephrologists (it is helpful that I have done pro-bono work for the Kidney Foundation). Then I will have to check and see which are covered by my insurance and soon I will be switching doctors...
And an update on another front
A week from tomorrow I am having lunch with an attorney that specializes in medical malpractice. Any guesses on what we are talking about?
Now that I have the good news over with let me rant on my nephrologist. I have never been impressed with her level of competency. She started today with saying that she thought another Doctor that is in her practice and that I saw originally in the hospital was going to be in charge of monitoring my care and asked if I had seen or talked with him. I said no and asked if that meant that nobody had been monitoring my care for the last 4 weeks or so since I left the hospital. She just kept repeating that she thought the other doctor was going to be in charge. I asked if she had gotten hold of the quack that had prescribed the drug that got me into this mess to begin with to see if he had ever done any tests on my kidney's function. She had not and asked for his name (which had to be the third or fourth time I had given her his name and his office location). I asked if she had the tests results from when I left the hospital. Nope. I am proud that I kept my voice down so only the nephrologist and a nurse heard my ranting. I also was able to refrain from using "colorful" words that you would hear on a naval base. But there is no doubt in her mind what I think of her.
Tomorrow I will have several phone numbers and names of excellent Nephrologists (it is helpful that I have done pro-bono work for the Kidney Foundation). Then I will have to check and see which are covered by my insurance and soon I will be switching doctors...
And an update on another front
A week from tomorrow I am having lunch with an attorney that specializes in medical malpractice. Any guesses on what we are talking about?
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Glad October is done
I have never been more glad to see a month come and go as I was to see October end. I started the month off with kidney failure and a hospital stay and ended the month with me saying good by to my maternal grandmother. She was in her 80's and her health was deteriating. She pretty much willed herself to die. We drove up Sunday to see her one last time in the Hospice and then passed away Tuesday.
Update on me
Last week the dialysis clinic drew blood and ran some tests. Finally got the results back yesterday. Literally, they handed the results to me with no explanation. They also drew some more blood for more tests. Most of the things they look for are in the normal range and the few things that are not in the normal range are barely outside what is considered normal. I called my nephrologist to have the results translated into english and to confirm what I think they say. She returned my call but had not seen the results yet. She said that she would be at my dialysis clinic either Monday or Wednesday of next week and would discuss these results and the tests they ran yesterday with me then.
Why I am leary of Doctors right now
First of all to be on a prescription that the Physicians Desk Reference says in big bold type that if you prescribe it you need to check the patient frequently to make sure their kidneys are functioning properly and then not check the patient for the 5 to 6 years that they are on it doesn't really instill faith in the medical profession with me. And then I have a Nephrologist that doesnt seem focused on trying to get me better. When I checked out of the Hospital, the Doctor told me that I should make an appointment to see her the following week and they would run tests and see if my kidneys are working. I make an appointment, go see her, wait for 30 minutes and then was told by the nurse that I was wasting my time there, whatever tests they need to run will be done at the dialysis clinic and for me to go home. The next day at the clinic I relay what I had been told and they schedule the tests to be done . 2 days after the blood is drawn for the tests, my nephrologist is at the clinic and tells me that I need to schedule an appointment to see her or someone else in her doctors office as an outpatient. I laughed at her and told her that I had but was told that I was wasting my time. She then said that she needed to schedule some tests to be ran on me. I laughed again and questioned her competency since they had already ran tests and she doesnt seem to know about it. I'm sure that when she shows up at the clinic next week I will have some words with her...
A word of warning
Most of you know that I am not someone you want to have peturbed at you. I have been known to do things of a devious nature (some have even nicknamed me the devil). Consider yourself warned.
Update on me
Last week the dialysis clinic drew blood and ran some tests. Finally got the results back yesterday. Literally, they handed the results to me with no explanation. They also drew some more blood for more tests. Most of the things they look for are in the normal range and the few things that are not in the normal range are barely outside what is considered normal. I called my nephrologist to have the results translated into english and to confirm what I think they say. She returned my call but had not seen the results yet. She said that she would be at my dialysis clinic either Monday or Wednesday of next week and would discuss these results and the tests they ran yesterday with me then.
Why I am leary of Doctors right now
First of all to be on a prescription that the Physicians Desk Reference says in big bold type that if you prescribe it you need to check the patient frequently to make sure their kidneys are functioning properly and then not check the patient for the 5 to 6 years that they are on it doesn't really instill faith in the medical profession with me. And then I have a Nephrologist that doesnt seem focused on trying to get me better. When I checked out of the Hospital, the Doctor told me that I should make an appointment to see her the following week and they would run tests and see if my kidneys are working. I make an appointment, go see her, wait for 30 minutes and then was told by the nurse that I was wasting my time there, whatever tests they need to run will be done at the dialysis clinic and for me to go home. The next day at the clinic I relay what I had been told and they schedule the tests to be done . 2 days after the blood is drawn for the tests, my nephrologist is at the clinic and tells me that I need to schedule an appointment to see her or someone else in her doctors office as an outpatient. I laughed at her and told her that I had but was told that I was wasting my time. She then said that she needed to schedule some tests to be ran on me. I laughed again and questioned her competency since they had already ran tests and she doesnt seem to know about it. I'm sure that when she shows up at the clinic next week I will have some words with her...
A word of warning
Most of you know that I am not someone you want to have peturbed at you. I have been known to do things of a devious nature (some have even nicknamed me the devil). Consider yourself warned.
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