I had sent off my barrage of questions Friday a week ago via the patient portal. Monday I got a reply that the
doctor was out of the office that day, would be doing procedures all
day Tuesday so it would be Wednesday before they had any answers for
me. Actually it was Thursday mid morning but I didn't see it til
after 4 PM that day. Too many questions with too many parts and the
doctor thought it would be better to answer in person so if I could
come in on Friday he would make time to see me. Far too late in the
day for me to reply and, I figured, for them to set up a time for me.
And the last thing I wanted to do was drive into the city through the
gauntlet of Fort Bend County construction and deal with the horror of
the Medical Center since I would have to see him in his office there
instead of the nearer hospital center where I had seen him previously
and where the procedures will take place.
In the meantime I had seen some
terrible reviews of this doctor...get yourself a different
doctor!...mostly concerning his bedside manner or not taking
time to explain things as well as far more great reviews...he
saved my life!...with praise that he took time to explain and
answer questions, exactly the opposite. Thursday evening I was feeling anxious about the
whole impending thing, didn't want to submit without my questions
being answered, didn't want to spend a whole day going into the city
at the drop of a hat, thinking maybe I would just postpone the
procedure and subsequent change of medication until I had a chance to
talk with him especially since several of my questions were about the
new medication but Friday morning I called the doctor's office,
explained the situation, and the person on the phone told me he would
see me at noon. OK, I'll be there. The drive turned out to be not so
bad as the maps app routed me around the city with a straight
shot to the medical building and parking was easy and with the return trip home just 3 1/2 hours out of my day.
When I got there the
waiting room was empty, about noon they put me in a room and about
12:30 Dr. Cheng came in. He shook my hand and explained why he wanted
me to come in so he could answer them in person, he had a print out
of my questions but when I pulled mine out he deferred to me and
answered everything to my satisfaction. I'm a little anxious about all this, I
told him. Understandable he says.
One of the things I asked was which
was the worse ailment, the flutter or the afib. The flutter he said
which surprised me. But it makes sense since that is the one he wants
to treat with ablation and address the afib with medication. When I
asked why not just increase the medication I was on for afib instead
of starting me on one with such heinous possible side effects that he
wants to observe me in the hospital for a few days he said that the
meds I am on don't really address afib. After the ablation he'll take
me off those.
When I left, the waiting room was
packed. So this has set my mind at ease, I'm impressed that he made
time for me during his lunch hour on a day when he obviously had a
full schedule and didn't rush me or seem impatient to be done so I'm ready to go through with the procedures as scheduled on
Monday and Tuesday. Maybe even looking forward to not having these
episodes anymore since my anxiety has had the flutter going full bore
the past two days.
In other news that pathetic and
despicable man occupying the White House wants us to believe he
called off his thoughtless impulsive order to bomb Iran for shooting
down our spy plane over their territory (Iran supplied coordinates to
support their claim and they also declined to shoot down the manned
plane accompanying the drone while the US has provided zero proof
that they were not in Iranian airspace) because he really cares about
the 150 probable deaths of Iranians instead of finally being
convinced that it would look bad for his re-election campaign and
there would be a ton of bad press which is the only reason he would
call it off especially considering he doesn't give a shit about the
lives of all the would be immigrants being held in concentration
camps on our border in unsanitary overcrowded conditions with disease
rampant, insufficient food, sexual and physical abuse dished out by
their captors, no clean clothing or laundry facilities or even
diapers for the babies, children taking care of toddlers they aren't
even related to. Our government thinks it's all fine that they are
sleeping on concrete under a piece of foil, that they don't need soap
or toothbrushes and or actual real meals instead of frozen
uncooked/unheated dinners and those kids who are so sick they are
unresponsive, why, they're just sleeping. So yeah, sure, Trump called off the bomb
raid on Iran to spare the lives of Iranians and now he wants to be
praised for not killing them. MAGA!
The latest piece is out of the kiln
and washed but no finish work done yet. This is the third of the four large Drowned Feather pieces, actually #4 in the series but cast out of
sequence. Yes, that's a dried up fern frond, the whimsy part of the set.
10” x 10” x 1/2”
I am so glad you feel confidence in your doctor. He does seem caring. Those reviews are always so dicey, but if the positive reviews far outnumber the negative, that's a promising sign. Best to assess for yourself, though, as you wisely did. As for the averted war, I am in total agreement with every word you write here. I think we will eventually gain access to those camps and be horrified at what is happening on our watch. It's just one more reason why it's so critical to vote this cruel administration out. I love that drowned feather piece. Abstract in a way, earthy and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIf only more doctors understood that so many patients really need and want even the smallest indication that they can SEE us. US. Not a set of symptoms or systems. And that doctor gave you that. Bravo for him!
ReplyDeleteI will be so glad when this is over for you. When it's done and you are back to being afforded the luxury of carrying on with your life as before but BETTER! Without the worry or concern.
Dare I say that Trump is the worst thing that has happened to this country since slavery?
I think I may be correct about this.
Love the new art piece. The fern is such a nice little addition. As Angella said- earthy and beautiful.
I think your doctor is a good one. Malcontents usually post the negative stuff. I've know several people that have had ablations such as yours and they have done wonderfully many years after their procedures. Good luck with what you've been handed.
ReplyDeleteIf the Dr took time for you and made you feel "heard" then I'd say you found the needle in a haystack physician. The one we all wished we could see (and be seen). I'm so happy for you. I'll keep you in my thoughts and send all the calming and comfort possible to you. xoxo Oma Linda
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the good reviews that the doctor received were true. Best of luck with the procedure. Try not to give another thought to 45, because he is the one who is causing angina throughout the world.
ReplyDeleteit would be interesting to see world wide statistics on the uptick in angina during his term.
DeleteI believe there have been some scientific studies evaluating several of the websites where doctors and hospitals are reviewed and not surprisingly, the majority of reviews come from multiple reviewers, i.e. people who spend a lot of time reviewing all and sundry online.
ReplyDeleteIt's excellent that this guy took the time to explain. It looks like you're in good hands!
A couple of unfortunate incidents in the last few years put me in contact with new doctors. I found the young ones to be more forthcoming with time, patience and explanations, on the whole. It's as if their training really matches the brave new world medicine that's all about you advertising we see on television. Certainly here in NE Ohio, rapidly becoming a rival medical center, thanks to Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. I'm glad you found one of that sort. Give Dr. Cheng an attaboy for me.
ReplyDeletethis one isn't a youngster but in this case I'm glad he isn't. I want someone with plenty of experience in poking around inside people's hearts.
DeleteHope everything goes well - the new tile is a stunner
ReplyDeleterecognise it?
DeleteGlad you got reassurance from your doctor. Your mindset is just a valuable as your actual body health when healing. This President actually ran from an elder man who fell and was bleeding at his dinner table. He didn't even pass his phone to someone to call 911.
ReplyDeleteI refuse to call him president and he is a most despicable person, selfish and uncaring to an unfathomable degree.
DeleteAs you say AFib is not as serious as a flutter, maybe I didn’t have that. I never got ablation either - although it was scheduled - because the flutter/fibs stopped suddenly and they couldn’t do the procedure because my heart had settled down temporarily. I would trust your doctor, he is the one with the expertise, good luck.
ReplyDeleteThe orange one is turning many people in the rest of the world once again against ‘the ugly American’ when I know from having so many friends in the blog world that nothing could be further from reality. If only he doesn’t get back in, the signs, as we are told them, are that he might easily do so.
We will probably have a bargain basement Trump for our next Prime Minister, Johnson is well on the way and now an admirer of Bannon and Trump, as is the ‘unelected voice of the people’ Farage. I am so tired of it all that I am more often than not tempted to hide myself away.
one of the questions I asked was did I have to be in flutter for him to do the ablation since my episodes are intermittent and I have gone up to five days with nothing, at least that I notice, and he said no, they have ways to know which spot/s to zap. though these episodes have been going on for nearly 8 months now. I had two previous bouts that only lasted a couple of weeks in the past two years. I'm glad to hear yours have gone away on its own.
Deleteas for the true ugly American in the White House I am petrified that he will get re-elected. I'm so sorry his being our president has caused others of his ilk to be emboldened in other countries. this does not bode well for the world.
I'm glad you got the chance to sit with your doctor like I did with mine. I noticed that there is a trend with doctors, well, some doctors, to take time to really talk with their patients. I know my doctors always do except the one that I dropped because he put his patients on the fast track through his office and out the door as fast as possible. I'm guessing he had a boat or mistress to pay for.
ReplyDeleteNice piece. I can't wait to see all of them when they are done.
Good luck with it all. I hope it goes well for you. It was a good thing that you were able to speak the the EP.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness - I just read the last 5 posts. I'm glad you asked all your questions & got good answers. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThinking of you and hoping things are going well. Your newest piece is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteDear Ellen, It is a huge help to have confidence in your doctor. I have had afib since 2011 and in May 2018 my medicine ceased to control the problem. I kept having terrible episodes of a high pulse rate and feeling totally dreadful. In addition to my regular cardiologist I also saw my electrophysiologist from Yale. He changed my med. until I could have my ablation the end of July. After that the second med. was not helping so I was changed to a third. It took time for the healing process post ablation but I am now controlled again. My Yale doctor is the kindest M.D. I have ever seen and has over 20 years of experience doing these procedures.
ReplyDeleteI will just add that a friend who had flutter had his ablation with no further problems at all and was able to stop the meds after the procedure.
It all varies so much with each person and I wish you the very best.
Love the glass piece, and the "feathery" look of the fern frond. As for your procedure, I'm glad you got to meet with the doctor. It TOTALLY makes sense that you'd have a lot of questions. How could you not be anxious? I hope his answers gave you a little more confidence.
ReplyDeletePretty impressive, this doctor. Even with doctors I like, they always give you the feeling they are squeezing in any time they spend with you. Sounds like you are in excellent hands. LOVE the piece - the fern is perfect!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the POS in office makes such life-or-death decisions with the finesse of a five year old, does nothing but further bury him beneath contempt.