Monday, June 29, 2009

Looking for answers in all the wrong places

I’ve got a frustrated patient on my hands. Angela is in pain from a serious rash that the docs just can’t seem to pin down. She’s had this for over a month, and we’ve done tests galore. Nothing specific turns up. The good news is that we keep deleting “bad things this could be,” as the docs say. “It’s not her heart, it’s not leukemia, it’s not . . .” You get the idea.
We’re still waiting for results on Valley Fever. Meanwhile, her rash keeps getting worse, and her various other symptoms continue. She’s coping with the heavy night sweats (no, they aren’t hot flashes), the low-grade fever, the cough, tiredness, lack of strength, and shortness of breath. But, she is not dealing well with the rash (no, it’s not shingles). She keeps asking me, “What should I do?” I guess I should take that as a good sign. She still looks to me even as frustrated as she is, and in as much pain as she’s in. I just wish I had an answer besides, “call the doctor, and make another appointment.” Yes, SHE actually goes-to-the-doctor! That's a Best Thing About Being Married to a Transsexual, but it's still hard to watch someone you care about deal with discomfort.

2 comments:

Heather said...

Get a second.. or third.. or fourth opinion. Don't rely on just one doctor to figure it out. Research the symptoms yourself on the internet and present your findings to the doctor. Insist that they test for many things at once and not just one thing at a time. Find another hospital or office if necessary.

LivelyClamor said...

Is there Lyme disease in your area?
(Just a layperson guess)
Hope things resolve soon!