Needles and Tubes and Popes, Oh My!
Mar. 14th, 2013 03:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gridloreYesterday I spent a good portion of my day at the Mountain View Campus of my health provider. Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Since I am a monument to medical confusion, I've acquired the usual legion of doctors. Yesterday was my usual Coumadin level check and a consult with the Allergy/Immunology Department.
In 1995 I was diagnosed and treated for Stage IV-B Hodgkins Lymphoma. Since then, I've had any number of health problems, like multiple pneumonias, the actual flu, losing all my teeth, losing my ball bladder.. so doctors tend to both love and be confused by me.
My Coumadin level was a bit low, and the NP green-lighted my plan to get a bike and start riding. She also told me that if I got more active I should avoid greens like spinach or broccoli, and drink consistent levels of beer.
Finally! Medical advice I can take!
After that I had a considerable break between appointments. To kill time, I went to a nearby Round Table Pizza for lunch. They do a lunch buffet that is both good and affordable, even if I don't do salads. Sat down with my food to watch the events at the Vatican. I was far from the only one who gravitated to this particular TV to watch events unfold.. until one of the workers tried to change the channel to a pointless basketball game. Seriously, 3/4s of the people in the restaurant were watching papal coverage while eating. After a general outcry, we got to watch Pope Francis emerge.
Having had my fill of pizza and popes, I went back for my second appointment. The problem with referrals from other physicians is that I rarely remember the details of the referral, and depend on the first doctor to tell the second doctor why I'm there. In this case, that didn't really happen. After a lot of questions and file searching, the doctor decided to go ahead and have me do a broad-spectrum allergy test.
Ever have this done? It involves have about 32 needles jabbed into your back to see if you have a reaction to anything. It wasn't so much that the needles hurt, no the problem is I'm incredibly ticklish. I survived, and the test came up a big fat goose egg. I'm not actually allergic to anything. I'm going back for a more detailed test in a few weeks.
But Dr. Mulligan wanted to cover all the bases, so he sent me over for a detailed blood work-up. How detailed? Nine freaking tubes of my blood. I don't think I have that much blood. And to top everything off, despite being well hydrated. the vampire had to go in through the back of my hand.
Results in a week or two.
On the plus side, I got a wave and a smile from a very cute baby.
In 1995 I was diagnosed and treated for Stage IV-B Hodgkins Lymphoma. Since then, I've had any number of health problems, like multiple pneumonias, the actual flu, losing all my teeth, losing my ball bladder.. so doctors tend to both love and be confused by me.
My Coumadin level was a bit low, and the NP green-lighted my plan to get a bike and start riding. She also told me that if I got more active I should avoid greens like spinach or broccoli, and drink consistent levels of beer.
Finally! Medical advice I can take!
After that I had a considerable break between appointments. To kill time, I went to a nearby Round Table Pizza for lunch. They do a lunch buffet that is both good and affordable, even if I don't do salads. Sat down with my food to watch the events at the Vatican. I was far from the only one who gravitated to this particular TV to watch events unfold.. until one of the workers tried to change the channel to a pointless basketball game. Seriously, 3/4s of the people in the restaurant were watching papal coverage while eating. After a general outcry, we got to watch Pope Francis emerge.
Having had my fill of pizza and popes, I went back for my second appointment. The problem with referrals from other physicians is that I rarely remember the details of the referral, and depend on the first doctor to tell the second doctor why I'm there. In this case, that didn't really happen. After a lot of questions and file searching, the doctor decided to go ahead and have me do a broad-spectrum allergy test.
Ever have this done? It involves have about 32 needles jabbed into your back to see if you have a reaction to anything. It wasn't so much that the needles hurt, no the problem is I'm incredibly ticklish. I survived, and the test came up a big fat goose egg. I'm not actually allergic to anything. I'm going back for a more detailed test in a few weeks.
But Dr. Mulligan wanted to cover all the bases, so he sent me over for a detailed blood work-up. How detailed? Nine freaking tubes of my blood. I don't think I have that much blood. And to top everything off, despite being well hydrated. the vampire had to go in through the back of my hand.
Results in a week or two.
On the plus side, I got a wave and a smile from a very cute baby.
no subject
Date: 14 Mar 2013 23:00 (UTC)I see what you did there -