Oh, Grow Up
As I lay there, writhing and screaming, I couldn't help but wish I could see the doctor again. So I could punch him in the mouth.
We drove hours to see a stomach specialist on Tuesday. I wasn't expecting much, of course.
The problem isn't my stomach, but it is one of the symptoms--the one where I can't eat or drink anything, and I'm screaming, both from pain and just desperately wanting to throw up all the time. I let myself get talked into seeing him, on the theory that if I could get symptom relief I might actually live to get the tumour out.
It seemed like a plan.
I should add here that I've been advised that while my appointment for the consult on that is in September, there's no certainty they'll agree to surgery, and if they do, a TWO YEAR WAIT is common.
That is...not a plan.
But back to the stomach specialist. He refused to listen to any of my symptoms, and instead gave me a long lecture on how I don't need treatment and need to just accept my body.
I thought I'd share with you some gems of the medical community, taken from that lecture.
This is the state of medicine today:
"You're gaining weight."
(--Actually, I've lost 12 pounds, but, hey, what do objective facts matter?)
"It doesn't matter what you eat, as long as you get calories."
(--Really? Why ever was I concerned about malnutrition, just because I'm only managing to gag down a muffin a day, period. Silly me. I thought it was important to get 1500 calories or so, and that I eat things like dairy, and, oh yeah, fruit and veggies and protein and stuff.)
"You're fine, or you wouldn't have any hair."
(--I was totally unaware this was major tool of diagnosis. Vin Diesel? That guy is corpse!)
"Have you tried acupuncture? What about green tea? My wife swears by it."
(--Actually, I used to drink mint green tea, because I like the taste of it. But I haven't eaten any since, you know, trying to chew or swallow anything makes me retch. Also, while I am sure it is a lovely drink, I admit, I don't think it cures tumours. My lack of faith astounds me.)
This has been your total lack of hope update.
We drove hours to see a stomach specialist on Tuesday. I wasn't expecting much, of course.
The problem isn't my stomach, but it is one of the symptoms--the one where I can't eat or drink anything, and I'm screaming, both from pain and just desperately wanting to throw up all the time. I let myself get talked into seeing him, on the theory that if I could get symptom relief I might actually live to get the tumour out.
It seemed like a plan.
I should add here that I've been advised that while my appointment for the consult on that is in September, there's no certainty they'll agree to surgery, and if they do, a TWO YEAR WAIT is common.
That is...not a plan.
But back to the stomach specialist. He refused to listen to any of my symptoms, and instead gave me a long lecture on how I don't need treatment and need to just accept my body.
I thought I'd share with you some gems of the medical community, taken from that lecture.
This is the state of medicine today:
"You're gaining weight."
(--Actually, I've lost 12 pounds, but, hey, what do objective facts matter?)
"It doesn't matter what you eat, as long as you get calories."
(--Really? Why ever was I concerned about malnutrition, just because I'm only managing to gag down a muffin a day, period. Silly me. I thought it was important to get 1500 calories or so, and that I eat things like dairy, and, oh yeah, fruit and veggies and protein and stuff.)
"You're fine, or you wouldn't have any hair."
(--I was totally unaware this was major tool of diagnosis. Vin Diesel? That guy is corpse!)
"Have you tried acupuncture? What about green tea? My wife swears by it."
(--Actually, I used to drink mint green tea, because I like the taste of it. But I haven't eaten any since, you know, trying to chew or swallow anything makes me retch. Also, while I am sure it is a lovely drink, I admit, I don't think it cures tumours. My lack of faith astounds me.)
This has been your total lack of hope update.
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