What a day!!! Closer to diagnosis???

[ynevar]

So I went to the doctor this morning.  Let me start off by saying that I have a new doctor.  I have gone to a separate private pay doctor before this, who started me on the path to diagnosis and sent me to a specialist.  However with feeling so badly I haven't been able to work much, which means I can't pay him much, which means his billing office refuses to let him see me until I pay my bill down. 

SO!  I am left with dealing with the native clinic, which is a joke...

They need me to jump through twenty hoops just to see if I can get the lip biopsy done.... and they want me to go to their specialist in Anchorage who, like most of them, I don't trust to do the right thing for me.

However, today I sent the Seattle Rheumatologist I saw in Seattle copies of:

• The clinical notes from the many repeat sinus infections
• My past two most recent eye exams, which indicate that my eyes are severely dry
• Copies of the clinical notes for my Bartholin's gland problems that just started this year

His nurse stated that with that and the blood work he might have enough evidence to diagnose me.  I sure hope so.  The native clinic wants to wait until November for their Rheumatologist.

My primary care doctor changed my antibiotics today, said the one they had me on won't help my sinus infection, which has now moved into my chest.  Neon yellow nose goo and green lung goo is really NOT fun to deal with.  I hurt and am so tired.

He added Neurontin to my meds, in addition to the Tramadol.  He prescribed antihistamine nose spray and the other doctor I saw 2 days ago gave me steroid nasal spray.  I said to them I am not using them since it could affect my biopsy when I have it.  The specialist in Seattle concluded that I shouldn't use the spray and his nurse called me and told me that it could lead to a false negative since the nose is so close to my salivary glands.

I am about to fly myself down there on money I don't have enough of to get the biopsy and see if I have a diagnosis.  I need treatment.  I have had enough of this BS.

ARRGGGGG!!

-Y

[Patze]

Hi Ynevar,

I'm sorry to hear that you're not well, and I sure do sympathize with you on the combo sinus/lung infection; woo, you sure have your hands full there.  I'm also glad to see that your primary is looking out for you and changed your antibiotics.

If you want some back ground on the lip biopsy, check out the tons of topics by using the search engine in the upper left hand of this page.  There are some good outcomes, and some not so good ones and everything in between.

Good luck with the specialist in Seattle and don't forget to keep us updated, okay?

Take care of yourself -

Patze

[irish]

ynevar, It sure sounds like you are one miserable human being. I am wondering if the doc is culturing your "goo" cause that can sure make a difference in getting rid of the stuff.

It is really rotten that you have to go to so much work to get diagnosed not to mention the money that you have to spend. It is really tough to be sick and then have to do all the doctoring. That is sort of a stupid statement but I have often told my hubby that I felt too sick to go to the doctor.

It does sound like you have a good primary plus the specialist sounds like he is paying attention too, so that is good. Hope that diagnosis can be achieved especially because of your location and the difficulty that you have in doctoring. You don't have the energy to be running around the 8 country plus putting out all that dough.

Have any of the doctors checked your immune system in case you have low IgG levels. This causes people to have a lot of sinus and lung infections. Do a search on primary immune deficiency and low IgG cells, low t-cells, etc. Some of the terms used when explaining failure of the white blood cells to fight off infection. There is a website http://www.primaryimmune.org  that has good info and a discussion forum if I remember correctly. Good luck. Irish