Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Does Anyone Have A Coupon For Mayo???

I am confused.

After seeing Dr. Asshole, I returned to the family sawbones and he went over my most recent test results. All normal, but he did notice that my thyroid was a very high normal. He then pulled up my thyroid results over the past few years. It has been steadily creeping upward each and every time but since it has never been “abnormal”, no one ever really noticed it. Apparently, long term hyperthyroidism can actually start to affect your body like hypothyroidism. As he was explaining this, I felt a slight twitch above my eye that signaled impending grasping at straws. But at least he wasn’t saying I was a hypochondriac…

So instead of talking about going to Mayo, he talked about changing my thyroid medication. Hmmm, that would be decidedly cheaper and all I would have to do is to be patient for the next three months because thyroid changes are about as expedient as erosion.

I told him I was game and then went home and checked the interwebs because of course, I trust the interwebs more than I trust my doctor. I’ll be damned! Each one of my symptoms shows up on the list of chronic hyperthyroidism. And when did my upward spiral start happening? After I had my hysterectomy, which also seems to have created in me a new found sensitivity to all medications. A little bit o drug now goes a long way for me, even to the extent that I have had to chop pills in two because dosages don’t come small enough for me.

So what do I get this morning?

A phone call from the Mayo Clinic! Because this same doc called down there to set up my appointment.

Am I actually crazy after all? He called yesterday. I spoke to him last week and I thought we had a three month endocrinology plan all mapped out.

Well, it’s all really moot because of two things. The Mayo Clinic Rheumatology Department….are you ready for it? Doesn’t accept patients with mysterious symptoms and no diagnosis. You have to know what you have before you go there.

Waaaaah????

And, if you don’t have insurance, you have to pay a little co-pay. Well, not so little actually. You have to stop by their business office before you see the doctor and drop off $3,000. Then, you see the doctor. Then, you return to the business office and get a refund, if any.

So, I can’t go to the Mayo. Even if I had $3,000 to burn.

Yeah, I’ll be getting my $4.00 prescription for a lower dose of thyroid medication today.
And I’ll wait for three months.

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