[Otclassof1973] WHOOP IT UP

[Kady Denton]

Marvin,

What a ride. I'm sorry you went through all of this. Did you finally feel
better in a week?

Unfortunately, like any profession, there are good ones and bad ones and
ones that don't quite pay attention. My sister had a stroke about a year
ago. I knew something wasn't quite right with her. Her speech was a little
sluggish, her mouth had a slight droop and she kept complaining that her
thought was really dry. Other then that she was herself. Later that day
after talking to the lady that directs this group she belongs to and having
her observe my sister, I decided to take her to emergency. I told the
receptionist I thought she might have had a stroke, the concerned attendant
only had us wait 1 1/2 hours. After getting into a exam room, we only waited
another 1 1/2 hours. I talked to the "doctor" about her symptoms including
her speech, he decided to do a cat scan. Then told me I could take her home.
He said to follow up with her primary care physician. I again brought up her
speech telling him she did not talk like that. Some friends that had come
down told him the same thing. He said he thought she just talked like that.
He finally admitted her. Being that she's down syndrome, many people
including physicians assume things about her and sadly some think she
doesn't deserve the proper attention.
One in the hospital she got excellent care and it was determined she did
have a stroke. We were to follow up after her release with her primary care
physician. Because of insurance he was supposedly notified she was in the
hospital. Never came to see her. When we saw him in his office a few days
after she was released, he was not concerned in the least. He told me she
probably would have to stay on the cholesterol medicine for life and that he
would see us in 3 MONTHS!!! I changed doctors to the one who saw her in the
hospital. His form of treatment was sending me to a neurologist to check her
head x-rays, put her on blood thinners and cholesterol medicine and have her
blood drawn monthly to make sure her blood was normal thin and not
thickening up. He sees her every 3 - 4 months, is awesome with her, she
charms him, makes him laugh and everyone has a pleasant visit. In essence
this doctor saved her life. If I had stayed with the previous doctor, she
probably would be dead.

It's scary that there are health officials out there that could kill us. We
need to make sure we ask the right questions and insist on proper care.
Good for you that you finally came across one that knew something.

Take Good Care of Yourself.

Kady

-----Original Message-----
From: Marvin A. Segall [mailto:neufsaid at juno.com]
Sent: Friday, September 16, 2005 2:57 AM
To: otclassof1973 at eris.njit.edu
Subject: [Otclassof1973] WHOOP IT UP


Infectious Disease Control (IDC) called on Tuesday.  Nothing to be overly
concerned about, they were just following up on my having been recently
diagnosed with Whooping Cough.  Apparently it’s on the rise in the Bay Area
and so dangerous that doctors are required to report cases immediately as it
can kill infants and the elderly.  His was just a routine follow up call.

When asked to describe my symptoms, I told him I had been coughing and
whooping so hard that I’d pulled three intercostal muscles in my ribcage
before being diagnosed with Whooping Coughing.   I’d also been coughing and
whooping so hard it made me throw up and pass out
 three times a day
 for a
few weeks.  Of course, I didn't’t know then that what I was doing was called
whooping; to me it was an involuntary spasm at the end of a coughing jag
that sounded like Elmer Fudd trying to laugh while inhaling.  Who even knew
Whooping Cough was one of my menu options?

According to Mr. IDC, and these were his words, my symptoms were “classic
textbook examples of Whooping Cough.”  What luck, here I was presenting
textbook Whooping Cough symptoms in a Bay Area hospital alerted to a
Whooping Cough outbreak.  Certainly I’d be diagnosed before someone could
say Jack Robinson.

Say Jack Robinson with me, but say it very slowly, because my case took five
separate doctors, 14 interminable weeks to diagnose.  Any wonder that I call
my HMO, “the least health care money can buy!”

Week one, the first doctor told me I had Bronchitis, prescribed a five-day
course of Zithromax and told me I’d feel better in a week.

Week two, the second doctor prescribed cough syrup and told me I’d feel
better in a week.

Week three I rushed to the Emergency Room after coughing so hard I threw up
and passed out.  In the Emergency Room my third doctor drew enough blood
samples for three small vials, rehydrated me and told me I’d feel better in
a week.

Week four I pulled an intercostal muscle in my ribcage from coughing.  I was
still throwing up and passing out and when I called my second doctor she
said she was busy and could her colleague get some experience and help out
with my case?  Doctor number four prescribed more cough syrup, non-aspirin
Acetaminophen and told me I’d feel better in a week.

Week six I pulled a second intercostal muscle in my ribcage from coughing,
but I was throwing up a little less, wasn’t passing out anymore and even
managed to make it through a full day at work without throwing up if I
barely ate anything.

By week 12 I had pulled a third intercostal muscle from coughing and if I
only ate very small amounts I could almost control the throwing up.  Going
back to doctor number two I was prescribed some more cough syrup and told I’
d feel better in a week; but since I was now insisting on having some tests
run, she scheduled me for a Spectrometry Test that measures lung capacity -
because after all, a test, is a test, is a test.  My results came back
normal; but I was left to assume it was normal on a Spectrometry Test to
throw up during one’s first attempt to expel all the air from one’s lungs.

Week 13 and test number two was a CAT Scan that confirmed I had indeed
bruised my ribcage in three separate places.  Such is the miracle of modern
science!  Doctor number two’s assistant called to give me that information
and to inform me the doctor had said there would be no more tests.  I asked
for a referral to see an allergist and the assistant called back to say
doctor number two didn’t have to refer me to the Allergy Dept., that I could
make my own appointment.  The assistant seemed surprised when I asked for
the Allergy Dept.’s phone number, but was kind enough to look it up for me.

Week 14 found me sitting in doctor number five’s office in the Allergy Dept.
Within two minutes of describing my symptoms he told me I had Whooping Cough
and sent me to have blood drawn, again, for a lab test.  A few days later he
called to tell me my results had come back positive for Whooping Cough and
prescribed another course of Zithromax.  If you recall, doctor number one
had also prescribed a course of Zithromax for what she diagnosed as a case
of Bronchitis; but while Bronchitis requires a five-day course of Zithromax,
Whooping Cough requires a 10-day course.

Week 15 and what do you know?  That’s me on the phone with that fellow from
IDC following up on their notification of my Whooping Cough diagnosis.
Listen, he’s telling me that part about my symptoms being “classic textbook
examples of Whooping Cough.”  What a relief!

I’m not throwing up anymore; but I do have a lingering cough that gives a
little whoop now and again and makes me retch occasionally.  I’m sure that
if I had the energy to ask someone at my HMO, they’d assure me I’d feel
better in a week.

Marvin

#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9
Primum non nocere
First do no harm
Galen (Attributed)