Blind-sided & confused?

[gomer]

I will try to be brief (for me anyway);

This past year I started having bladder issues. This summer it came to a head and had to start self-cathing and had related testing done. (quite multifaceted story in and of itself).

I am told I have a neurogenic bladder and a stricture. A couple months ago, surgery (for the stricture) was scheduled for next week and I had labs and EKG done 3 weeks ago in prep for this week’s surgery. MY labs were normal for me, reduced kidney function, nothing new and told right after the EKG it was OK, or so I thought.


Here I thought everything was done and cleared weeks ago, but yesterday, The Friday afternoon before surgery I got urgent calls from both my urologist/surgeon and cardiologist’s offices. I was told I HAD to see my cardiologist Monday morning before I can be (re) cleared for my surgery.

As far as I know, I have not had any recent problems and my minor valve issues have been stable and not a single even minor A-fib in several years, plus there was no mention there was anything what-so-ever wrong or questionable with my EKG.

So hear I am a few days from the scheduled surgery, now at the last minute, its up in the air pending clearance from my cardiologist for no known logical reason. So hear I sit wondering what the heck happened in the mean time? My usual issues nor meds or anything else have changed. Heck even my cardiologist had backed off some on routine testing and not even had an EKG the past couple years, because everything has been stable.

I have no idea what to expect when I see her Monday morning. Did she change her mind, or notice something missed/overlooked 3 weeks ago? WHY the sudden switch from all is stable and well to get my butt into her office.



In years past when I did have a complaint she had no or a casual response, maybe time of day at best if I was lucky, and now with no complaints its get in there????

DOCTORs? Do they ever make sense?


(Wondering & playing the waiting game)
Gomer Sir Falls-a-lot

[Camsue]

Hi Gomer

Gosh, sorry you got the 'run around'...sounds to me someone forgot to 'dot an i' or 'cross a T'.

Seriously, It sound like your Doctor is being extra careful to ensure the insurance company approves and pays for everything.

Hope you get the procedure soon and it takes care of the problem... Good luck!

[Cat Mom]

Oh geez Gomer, I'm not trying to downplay the seriousness of your post and your health, God knows, you've had more than enough issues to deal with!

But... I think your name should become a verb. Like if I get the medical run-around as you have so many times... I will now say, "I have been Gomered."

Or, a bad fall can be referred to as "I Gomered down the stairs."

In all seriousness though, I do hope your appt goes well tomorrow and things get explained. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, I hope your surgery gets scheduled and is successful. You're such a positive person and you deserve to feel and be healthy!
Jen

[gomer]

Thankx Camsue..

The doc said it would HELP, make things go easier, but would likely still have to self-cath. (neurogenic bladder)

Cat Mom...I already have used Gomer/ed as a verb, in fact it IS a VERB, sort of. it stands for Get Out My Exam Room!

It's an ole Navy medic term, also carried over to civilian use w/slightly diff meaning, Get Out My ER! Remember the TV series, Gomer Pyle USMC? The Marine Corp is the Navy's army and they have no medics. Their medics are actually NAVY.

Remember what the Sgt told Gomer at least once, often more, every episode, Get Out of my . Now think, when you throw something out and do not have a container for trash, what do you do? You put in in a PILE, spelling of course changed for the TV show to PYLE.

When I was in Navy A-school in Jax Fla I got pneumonia. I had been GOMER'd for over a week by the A-school sick bay doc. Finally one morning he saw me waiting just outside his door for 8am sick call.

He was MAD, he did not even wait for sick call. He came out, grabbed me by my shirt and personally walked me down to Xray, saying "I'm gonna PROVE there is nothing wrong with you". Once there he ordered the tech to do and Xray right then and there.

After the Xray, he ordered an ambulance to take me to the base horsepital. At the horsepital, the doc charged me with criminal violation of UCMJ saying there was no way I did not KNOW I was sick. I requested in writing for my defense, my A-school sick bay records for the preceding 10 days. The case was dropped like a hot potato!

Repeted events like that is WHY I refused to stay in the Navy, I even refused to go up for First class rank, so I would not be tempted to ship over (stay in).

Maybe someone did forget some minor detail, but I was told NOTHING other than I HAD to see her tomorrow morning. Things have been better and more stable in recent years. So I wonder WHY the change in attitude? I was told my EKG was OK before I was allowed to leave the office after the EKG.

She quit doing color Doppler's on the valves a couple years ago, saying they were stable (old minor rheumatic Fever damage) & even backed off antibiotics before procedures.

It's the sudden unexplained CHANGE in attitude that concerns me, or am I over-reacting?

Gomer Sir Falls-a-lot

[rdmc]

Gomer, that's a bummer.

Always on a weekend too, they call you on a Friday, want to see you on a Monday, and they wonder why you're stressed.

One time I had those pre-op tests for a surgery, thought everything was okay and had the surgery which was uneventful. At my post op appt. with my GP, he asked how the cardiologist appt. went. I tell him I wasn't told to see a cardiologist...oops, somebody forgot to tell me, their bad.

On Catmom's using your name as a verb...not a bad idea. Or, around our house, we've called MS the "Gomer" disease, not after you, unfortunately, but after the Jim Nabors TV character. Because sometimes MS feels like what Gomer used to say "Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!"

Hope you get it all figured out and can go on with the surgery. Correcting a stricture? Sounds "ouchy" to me, let's hope it's not, or that they give you the right meds to get rid of the pain.

[gomer]

rdmc...

Thanks for the LOL "Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!"
I had forgotten about that, sure fits often, too often.

Cliff-Hangers are for TV shows...........

I think many here understand the concept of there is nothing worse than knowing something is wrong, but not what, fear of knowing there is an unknown. Even bad news is easier for the human mind that not knowing.

I can't help but wonder if somehow the problem during the self-cath lesson might be involved. I did refuse to go to ER, I saw no reason to.

I guess I will find out in the morning...........

Gomer Sir Falls-a-lot

[Cat Mom]

You NEED to write a book! I loved your and rdmc's "Gomer references", glad you weren't insulted by my post!

My dad used to say, "Good things and bad things will happen your whole life, but as long as you find the story in things, you'll find a sense of fulfillment.".

You seem to be this kind of person. Thank you for taking the time to share some of your experiences with us and for offering support despite your own health issues. I hope your appt tomorrow goes well, please let us know.
Jen

[Mynamegoeshere1]

Gomer

I hope everything goes well for you Gomer. Hopefully it was just a missed clearance from your cardiologist for insurance reasons. Please let us know!

[Ga dancer]

Hi Gomer,

Unfortunately, there was probably a ball dropped when the surgery was ordered. If you have had rheumatic fever and sometimes there are changes on an EKG that may be normal for you, but not with kidney failure and pending anesthesia. You do want anesthesia, right?

Hate to remind you but after a certain point nothing improves with age and either the surgery center, the anesthesiologist and/or surgeon looked at your history and suddenly realized that cardiac clearance was missing. The paperwork runs the show - lawyers, hospital accrediting agencies and risk managers for all the services involved set protocols. Your age, sex and past medical history, even if now benign, can push you into a category that requires a cardiologist to say okay.

I believe that this is a better safe than sorry issue. You have to obtain clearance, hopefully for no reason.

Best wishes and prayers that the surgery goes better than expected and the clearance is an unnecessary inconvenience.

Keep us posted.

[gomer]

Some good Points GA....

The surgeon (urologist) office did order cardiac clearance. My cardiologist is with Michigan heart and have a larger/main office right at the hospital where my urologist is and surgery scheduled. I see her (my cardiologist) at the local office.

I did go to their Ann Arbor/main office (at St Jo) with the paperwork for the clearance and was given a EKG. That was THREE weeks ago and they are ALL computer connected, so ALL records are available. I also the same day turned in my paperwork and had my labs drawn. I did everything in a all in one stop, since its about 40 miles away. As far as I knew, my EKG was OK and no problems with labs, a few L's & H's but not bad for me, I have had worse.

Yes I am getting OLDER..ya just had to remind me.

Gomer Sir Falls-a-lot (Up in the air)

[gomer]

It's a GO!

We are finally cleared for take off.... oops I mean surgery.

The surgeon (urologist) is the one who ordered extra hands on pre-op cardiologist checkout beyond the usual. I can understand considering what happened back in July in his office.

Gomer Sir Falls-a-lot

[Westgrl]

Congrats Gomer! Glad it worked out!!

[journeyman]

Sounds good for you.

Glad you got it sorted out. I think my need for a counselor that the doc.s are wanting me to see is the red-tape, poor communications, run-around are my biggest source of stress.

Knowing what I know of your history. Your stress level should be immeasurable. Good luck buddy. I hope this gives you more time for your photography hobby. You need less stress.
Dave
"Journeyman"

[Cat Mom]

Glad the doc was just being careful. Good luck with your surgery!
Jen

[Ga dancer]

So good to hear you had some good news. Also great to know you still have a body part that works. (I'm not giving you a hard time, just drawing from my personal experiences).

I recently gave my Infectious Disease doc a line he liked so much that he stopped the office visit and went over to where he had something to write on and wrote it down. The line was (unfortunately true) that I feel like I am standing in front of the dike and ran out of fingers.

I think the missing clearance was a ploy - gave you something else to worry about and now the surgery seems less scary, notwithstanding the body part involved . Hope it worked.

Now that the surgery is a go, I hope you can.