First visit to pulmonologist

Yesterday, Cody, Eligh, Kinsley and I made the long two hour drive to the pulmonologist.  I already had it in my head that I would leave that doctor completely pissed off for wasting our time.  I truly felt as if my continuous complaints to their regular pediatrician were simply in my head.  Her breathing is fine and we are just paranoid.  But, that is not at all how it actually went.

The hospital is a children's hospital which is of course amazing in so many ways, while also completely depressing at the same time.  Upon checking in, we waited about five minutes before being called back to meet the nurse.  A few questions later and we were in the room waiting for the doctor.  First, though, we saw a medical student(cue again the anger) who asked us a packet worth of questions, because this packet did not arrive in time to be filled out at home.  But, when the doctor actually came in, it was a whole other ball game.  Our concerns with Kinsley's constant need to rest upon doing any exercise and always sounding winded were not at all in our head.  The doctor sent Kinsley and I for an X-ray, which she did great (she has had quite a few of her chest in the past year).  We came back upstairs and the doctor was back in our room a few minutes later.  Upon pulling up her X-ray, the doctor explained and showed that Kinsley's lungs are at their fullest capacity of air, which is actually pushing on her chest and even causing her back to curve due to all the added air in her lungs.  Her lungs were so full they are close to actually touching.  Basically, she cannot get all the air out of her lungs and it is trapped, causing her to have all the breathing problems she is having.  This is when I felt an odd sense of relief that all my concerns were true and that there is a reason for her actions.

Now what???

The doctor sent the nurse in to evaluate how she actually uses her inhaler on a regular basis, who then reported to the doctor.  The doctor came back in and said that based on her age, she is doing the best she possibly can with the inhaler and should be getting in all the meds as needed (and has been for a year or more).  If she wasn't getting all of the meds in then we could simply work on how she is breathing them in and come back in a month or so.  The doctor ordered a CT (which they could not get her in that day, he tried), so we have to go back Monday.  She is also on a more aggressive inhaler and has a follow up appointment to see if the meds are helping before the end of the month.

Now, we have to hope that on Monday she cooperates and does not have to be sedated for the CT (freaking out about the thought of that).

Stewing and brewing

I have to get it all out....this week has consumed me.

I took Kinsley in early this week for a cold that has left her winded all.day.long.  She has been "diagnosed" with asthma for a year now and has been on meds to treat it this whole time, with no real improvement (which I planned on discussing in just a few weeks when she turns four - yes, four!).  I wanted the doc to give me something to help her breath comfortably as the regular and rescue inhalers were doing nothing.  We saw a different doc who was very thorough and actually looked through her whole record and made corrections to medications that were listed and various dosages, etc.  What I hoped would be a quick, "here let's do a breathing treatment" type appointment, turned into more than I was prepared for.

The doc first ordered a newer chest X-ray and another prescription to see if it is more allergies versus asthma.  I had a hunch that the doc would also refer her to a pulmonologist (but in September at her routine appointment), but she went ahead and did a referral now.  Basically the doctor said that if she is not getting better then it is probably not asthma and could be allergies, but with her already taking singular daily for many, many months she should not have these symptoms.  Hopefully, the pulmonologist will help get her correctly diagnosed and figured out.

BUT, then, the doc also states that she is going to refer her to a cardiologist (a what?!) because she could hear a heart murmur.  Seriously, what just happened?!  I about broke down in the room, as I not only am I being thrown for a loop I also have the pleasure of having all three kiddos with me while trying to process everything.

It was simply an overwhelming day, and the worry is still sitting there brewing, but as the days go on it gets pushed further down as we wait for referrals to go through and get more doctor appointments lined up.  I know that the heart murmur could be or couldn't be present as well as not at all be a thing to worry about.  I do.  I just need to get to that point.  Right now, though, I am still stewing with frustration, fear, and worry.  So, here we wait....which is the worst form of torture out there.

A little update

I don't want to talk about it.  It's just too much to wrap my head around.  Too much.  

Instead, let me talk about my vein issue. 

About two months ago, I finally asked my doctor about my never-disappearing, painful bruise on my leg.  First look, varicose veins and a referral to a vascular specialist.  The specialist I was referred to is only 25 minutes away, but is only available one day a month.  But, I got even luckier and he wasn't available for two months.  So I waited. 

About a month ago they sent me for pre-testing.  Which involved wearing my upper body clothing and a pair of panties (good thing I wore the full coverage kind that day) and 1.5 hours of ultrasounds from the top of my thighs to the tops of my feet.  I simply left knowing that something was going on with my veins, even though you can't actually see anything from the outside of my legs.  I guess I have deep tissue veins. Again, I waited. 

Two weeks ago, I finally got to meet the vascular specialist.  He read the results, checked out my legs and told me that I have reflux in my one leg, which can lead to blood clots, but at this time I don't have blood clots.  The only way to treat this problem is by a procedure which essentially burns and removes the problem vein to help reroute my blood flow.  BUT, insurance companies require that patients try out the sexy compression stockings.  The stockings will not do ANYthing to fix my problem or anyone else with a similar problem, but it is required for three months.  So again, I wait....

Shock treatment

Tuesday morning I headed out early for an hour and a half drive to meet a neurologist I never met and have a nerve conduction test completed (nearly three weeks since first requested). 

Arrive to the massive multi-story building. 

Look at list of names on the board trying to figure out which floor this doctor was on. 

Third. 

Elevator up.

Instantly see a large waiting room for neurology. 

Check in. 

Take out the Nook, read a chapter before being called back. 

Meet friendly tech. 

She explains the procedure. 

"It sounds much worse than it is.  First, you'll be hooked up to these little patches, and I'll send shocks through your right arm and leg to check response time.  Then, the doctor will come in and she will take a tiny needle and insert it into various parts of your limbs to listen to your nerves.  Again, it sounds much worse than it is."  

Wrong!

Tech leaves so I can put on gown that is four times too large. 

Chatter about nonsense and then she mentions working at the military post (where we live) years ago and a soldier telling her he was commando and she had no idea what that meant and was extremely embarrassed.  (Umm...I thought I was keeping this gown on, why did I wear a thong today?  Please don't get embarrassed). 

The tech starts on the arm, measures and marks up my arm, and hooks up the stickers and checks each location three times with increasing shocks.  Not fun at all.  The hand one hurt like hell.  Legs weren't as bad, even though she said it would be. 

Tech leaves. 

Doctor comes in, sticks my arm with needle, has me push my arm up against hers (with the needle in me).  Then, the leg.  I think she stuck the one in my thigh too far because it felt like I was getting a flu shot. 


All of this for the doctor to tell me that I indeed have carpal tunnel in my wrist which can be treated with one of three options:  brace, shot, or surgery.  This explains the wrist/arm/hand tingling. 

Feet tingling, though, has no explanation as the nerves for all of that were great. 

Now, I wait for a call from the regular doctor to see what is next.  Real tired of all of this.