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A Good Way To Get A Good Doctor


mushroom

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mushroom Proficient

:rolleyes:

:unsure:

Get yourself admitted to the hospital where they have to call in specialists for consultation. I just got home from doing this (well, actually I was admitted kicking and screaming :lol: ).

I had already decided this summer to seek out a cardiologist, and the condition I was admitted for (atrial fibrillation) required the services of such a person. I was lucky that the hospital uses an association of cardiac physicians who take it in turns to cover the hospital consults. So I got to see four cardiologists during the course of my stay. Three of them were absolutely worthless, whilst the fourth (a woman :D ) is an absolute gem. I was watching baseball on TV and she came in wearing a baseball cap, and I liked her style. I talked to her about lectins and cardiac problems, prefacing my comments/questions with "You'll probably think I'm nuts, most doctors do, but..." and she said "No, I think there's very possibly a link. I would like to talk to you more about it." :wub: at first sight :) They are out there, but very hard to find. This way I got to find out about four of them without the appointments and one-hour consultations.


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kareng Grand Master

Oh no, Shroomie! Glad your plan worked! :)

Hope you are doing better. Did you have to go "down the hill" or were you able to stay in the area?

jerseyangel Proficient

Sorry about the kicking and screaming part, but wow--that doctor sounds like a real peach! I hope she can help you sort this all out :)

Skylark Collaborator

Atrial fib? Wow, shroomie. I'm scared for you. :o I'm awfully glad you came out of the hospital OK. I hope you got onto some meds that have your heart rhythm under control.

mushroom Proficient

Well, it all turned out guys, that it was a lack of potassium after all, which is what I told them going in there. I told them about my prior a-fib and low potassium, and how I had been trying to penetrate the voice mail to get an "urgent" appointment with my PCP for an appt. and a prescription for potassium. Grrrrr -- I think I am going to tell my PCP that as much as I love her I am going to change physicians if she doesn't fire her P.A. This is the fourth time she has screwed me over, and she even did it again after I left the hospital, but that's another story. I was eating bunches of bananas through Tuesday on the advice of local pharmacist, trying to keep up my potassium levels, but when I went for the appointment that I finally got scheduled, she did an immediate EKG after listening to my heart and said I was in a-fib (I had been feeling lousy that morning) and was admitted through ER to ICU for three nights :o so they could monitor me. They tried all the standard heart drugs to bring me back to normal sinus rhythm, but none of them worked. I kept telling them I neeeded potassium but they said my potassium was normal on admission. I said it was just all the bunches of bananas I had been eating and I needed supplements. (May not ever eat another banana.)

Well, waddya know, they started me on IV potassium, and normal sinus rhythm returned within four hours :P . Then we had this big hassle over gluten free potassium supplements, no one could guarantee that there was no gluten in their product. So I set Dh to work on the computer and phone, and finally to our local compounding pharmacy. The pharmacist said, Forevvins sake, why don't they give her the elixir. That's how we always used to do it. So that's what got me out of there and back home. So yes, I am back at the lake, with the use of an overnight oxygenation machine for the rest of my stay, duly delivered at 7:00 p.m. (after the P.A. had failed to place the order :blink: even though she called me in the hospital and said she was doing it.) I had to call the company at 4:45 p.m. and they said they had no order. I hate that incompetent beotch. Four days of hospitalization, a cellulitis infection at an IV site (that's another story altogether), a take-home presriprtion of Keflex and probiotics plus the potassium and another heart med, which the pharmacy called and said said they can't fill untl tomorrow because it has to come from Sacto (along wth my potasium) Grrrr x 10 Stupid pharmacy clerk could not say they didn't have the stuff in stock when we dropped off the prescriptions. So will stuff down another banana tonight :rolleyes: And here I thought New Zealand medicine sucked :ph34r:

Anyway, all's well that ends well, I guess, and I have found my cardiologist :D Pity it took four days of my life :unsure: and I sure hope my insurance covers the ICU bill.:ph34r:

Skylark Collaborator

That's a hair-raising story. I'd be mad as hell at that P.A., and you might have the makings of a lawsuit for the amount of money your insurance doesn't cover from the ICU bills. If you had gotten through to your Dr. you could have avoided the hospitalization.

I'm so glad you got supplements sorted out. I'm really glad you found a good cardiologist in the process, even if it was under such terrible circumstances. I hope you recover from the cellulitis easily and your potassium stays good and steady now!

kareng Grand Master

Well, sorry to see that the practice of medicine at the lake has only gotten slightly better since I worked in P'ville. Do let the PCP know about his assistant.

For future reference, if you can take the sugar, apple juice and grape juice have lots of potassium. My oldest was haveing some problems last summer with 3 - 5 hour football workouts outside and then working at a fireworks tent. Gatorade doesn't have much Potassium.

Feel better so you can enjoy the beautiful location.


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mushroom Proficient

Well, sorry to see that the practice of medicine at the lake has only gotten slightly better since I worked in P'ville. Do let the PCP know about his assistant.

For future reference, if you can take the sugar, apple juice and grape juice have lots of potassium. My oldest was haveing some problems last summer with 3 - 5 hour football workouts outside and then working at a fireworks tent. Gatorade doesn't have much Potassium.

Feel better so you can enjoy the beautiful location.

Well, Kareng, don't be too quick to give the lake an undeserved bad rep - this was in Reno, at Renown Regional Medical Center where my doc practises :rolleyes: The docs at Incline Hospital gave me potassium on the first occasion and I converted quite quickly, so they got it right. :D

Interesting about the apple juice - will get some until the pharmacy gets their supplies from Sacto sometime today :ph34r:

Jestgar Rising Star

try here shroomie:

Open Original Shared Link

mushroom Proficient

try here shroomie:

Open Original Shared Link

Good link, Jess; thanks! It's a pity I can't eat a lot of those high potassium foods, but most of the high ones that are on the list that I don't have to avoid are in my diet. I have been on a different diuretic for about a year and that seems to have thrown the potassium out of whack, although I think??? they have been checking it pretty regularly. Don't have those records with me :(

Jestgar Rising Star

No chard or spinach? I thought those, at least, were on your 'ok' list. :(

mushroom Proficient

No chard or spinach? I thought those, at least, were on your 'ok' list. :(

Yeah, I eat lots of chard, but I think it is the oxalates in spinach that do a number on me :(

Skylark Collaborator

Good link, Jess; thanks! It's a pity I can't eat a lot of those high potassium foods, but most of the high ones that are on the list that I don't have to avoid are in my diet. I have been on a different diuretic for about a year and that seems to have thrown the potassium out of whack, although I think??? they have been checking it pretty regularly. Don't have those records with me :(

Diuretics can absolutely throw your potassium out of whack. Hypokalemia is a classic side effect of hydrochlorothiazide. There are combinations of diuretics designed to spare potassium. You might want to talk to your new cardiologist about changing the drugs you're on a little.

mushroom Proficient

Diuretics can absolutely throw your potassium out of whack. Hypokalemia is a classic side effect of hydrochlorothiazide. There are combinations of diuretics designed to spare potassium. You might want to talk to your new cardiologist about changing the drugs you're on a little.

Yeah, well that's what I did with a nephrologist when I was here last year and ended up in the ER with BP of 198/100 :unsure:

Had another nephrology consult in New Zealand and they concluded that what I was taking was probably the best way to go, but I am trying to think back about my potassium monitoring. Will have to send an email to my doc's nurse - those nurses in our clinic are great by the way, you can call them up and talk to them any day with no fricking voicemail and they will come in on the weekend to dress a wound or take care of cuts; they even make housecalls :wub:

P.S. I just got my prescriptions filled, and I am NOT going to take one of them - amiodarone. The contraindications for me are multiple and the side effects are horrendous, and it did not affect my arrhythmia when I was given it IV. :blink::wacko::o I will discuss it with the new heart doc as soon as I can get an appt. (she did not prescribe it).

Skylark Collaborator

I don't blame you for scrapping the Amiodarone if you're sure you have the potassium under control for the moment. I thought that stuff was a last-resort sort of medicine?

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Examples: • I wash my hands 20–30 times a day — before eating, after touching anything at home or outside, after using my phone/laptop. • I don’t let others touch my phone, and I’m scared to use my laptop because friends at school or my brother (who eat gluten) have touched it. And it annoys me a lot when others touch my stuff and feels like it got contaminated and is unsafe instantly. • I stopped eating while using my phone or laptop, afraid of invisible gluten being on them. • I wash my hands after opening food packaging (since it was on store cashier belts where gluten food is placed). • I avoid sitting anywhere except my bed or one clean chair. • I won’t shake hands with anyone or walk past people eating gluten. • At school, when switching classes, I wash my hands before getting out my laptop, again before opening it, etc. • I open door knobs with my elbows instead my hands   Job Concerns (Powder Coating, Sandblasting, Etc.) I’m working a temporary job right now that involves: • Powder coating • Sandblasting • Wet spray painting • Anodizing There’s also a laboratory. I don’t need this job, and my OCD makes me believe that dust or air particles there might contain gluten somehow. Should I quit?   Doctors Haven’t Helped My family doctor told me: “Asymptomatic celiac isn’t serious, if you have no symptoms, your intestines won’t get damaged, so you don’t need a gluten-free diet.” I knew that was wrong, but he wasn’t open to listening. I just nodded and didn‘t argue. My gastroenterologist (who’s also a dietitian) said: „If your antibodies are negative, there’s no damage. It might even be okay to try small amounts of gluten later if antibodies stay negative.“ Also said, pepper that says “may contain gluten” is fine if it only contains pepper. She was more informed than my family doctor but didn’t seem to fully understand celiac either.   Questions I Need Help With 1. Is it realistically safe to eat food my mom cooks, if we get separate pans/ and boards even if gluten is still used in the same kitchen? There will always be low risk of cc chances like that she will still touch stuff that was touched by her and my siblings after they ate gluten. And as there are gluten eaters in the house and she also prepares and eats gluten. So would opening the fridge then getting the food and touching the food be okay? So basically what i am doing, washing my hands multiple times while preparing food, she would only wash it once before, then touch anything else (for example water tap or handles) that were touched with gluteny hands, then also touch the food. I dont know if I ever could feel safe, I could try telling her how important cc really is. And I trust her so she wouldnt lie to me then be careless about cc, but idk how safe it really can be if she and everyone else keeps eating gluten and touching stuff in the house after eating. 2. Do I need to worry about touching doorknobs, fridge handles, light switches, etc. that family members touched after eating gluten? What about public places like bus handles or school desks? Or like if i went to the gym, I would be touching stuff all the time, so there will be small amounts of gluten and those would get transferred on my phone if I touch my phone while in the gym. But I want to knos if it would be enough to do damage. 3. Is an endoscopy (without biopsy) enough to tell if my intestines are healed? I’d pay privately if it could help and if i dont get a refferal. Or do i need a biopsy? 4. Could my job (powder coating, sandblasting, etc.) expose me to gluten or damage my intestines through air/dust? 5. Do I need certified gluten-free toothpaste, hand soap, shampoo, or moisturizer? (For example: Vaseline and Colgate don’t contain gluten ingredients but say they can’t guarantee it’s gluten-free.) 6. Is spices like pepper with “may contain traces of gluten” safe if no gluten ingredients are listed? Or does everything need to be labeled gluten-free?  7. Is continuing to only eat my own food the better choice, or could I eventually go back to eating what my mom cooks if she’s careful? 8. is cutlery from dishwasher safe if there are stains? Stuff like knives is used for cutting gluten bread or fork for noodles etc. I often see stains which i dont know if its gluten or something else but our dish washer doesnt seem to make it completely clean. 9. I wash my hands multiple times while preparing food. Do i need to do the same when touching my phone. Like if i touch the fridge handle, I wash my hands then touch the phone. I dont eat while using my phone but i leave it on my bed and pillow and my face could come in contact with where it was.  10. Do i need to clean my phone or laptop if theyve been used by people who eat gluten? Even if no crumbs fall onto my keybaord, i mean because of invisible gluten on their fingers. 11. Does medication/supplements have to be strictly glutenfree? One company said they couldn‘t guarantee if their probiotics don’t contain traces of gluten.  12. I had bought supplements in the past, some of them say glutenfree and some of them dont(like the brand „NOW“ from iherb). I bought them and used them when i wasnt washing my hands so often, are they still safe? As I touched and opened them after touching door knobs, water taps etc. It was like a year ago when i bought those and even though i was eating gluten-free, I never worried about what i touch etc. I know this post is long. I’m just extremely overwhelmed. I’m trying to protect myself from long-term health damage, but the OCD is destroying my quality of life, and I honestly don’t know what’s a reasonable level of caution anymore. Thanks for reading.
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