Dr. Carolyn Male - hospitalized 5/30/13

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Sodak

I eagerly await your input Carolyn, and if I have further takes on your health and care thereof I will PM.
Dick of So. Dak.

Sounds good to me Dick, and I'll PM you asking your opinion about a couple of issues.

Carolyn

[b54red]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

True enough Bill, but how would you like to get on with your life KNOWING that you still have stones in the left ureter.

Carolyn

I don't like it but I do. Every time I have a twinge in my back or a pain in my side or any nausea I think "Oh no here we go again".

Bill

[carolyn137]

Yesterday the stent from surgery on Aug 29th was removed and all was well until Howard and I returned to my car.

It was a beautiful sunny day, temps in the low 70's, got to his office in time, called 30 min after my 1PM appt. Had to wait until he was through with another patient so spent time looking at the machinery in that room and reading labels on boxes, etc. Then I saw a large glass jar labelled Chantix and I said what is that doing here. I asked the nurse when she came back in and she said it's for patients with bladder cancer to help them stop smoking. Gulp, say I.

Removal went fine, I told him I had a game plan/agenda and some questions, so after I redressed he met me in another room, which I appreciated, and I learned a lot.

First I told him that it bothered me that there were still stones in the left ureter, he corrected me and said in the left kidney and they were just what he called "flecks" on the cat scan.

Next I asked him why lithotripsy for the ureter and laser for the kidney, and here's where I learned something. He said it's one and the same. I knew that lithotripsy, the word litho meaning stone and tripsy meaning breaking or crushing, but somehow I got it in my head that there was something called a litho something or other and he explained.

A scope is introduced, the stone(s) are located, he knew where they were from the catscan last May 30th, then a fiber optic cable laser is introduced in a channel inside the scope and it's the laser that sends the shock waves to the stone. Learn something new all the time.

I asked him if he stood while working or sat down. He said he stood b'c all is done by him remotely with tiny cameras and monitor screens and pressing buttons to activate this or that.

Then we talked possible dietary issues and I told him I'd Googled myself into oblivion on that. And shared what I learned and listened to what he said.

I asked him not to give me script for a followup catscan, told him why, and he agreed.

I asked if he had ever had kidney stones and he said no, and I was thinking of my dentist in CO who was caries resistant.

His is a remarkable family, I knew that, I think 7 brothers and sisters and all are MD's as is his wife who is a pediatrician. I asked if he had any kids he said 4, three in college and we taked about college kids and deciding on an a major and he said he liked the European system where tests are taken to show aptitiude and then channeled that way for their education.

Last question was a trivial one. On his appt cards on the left there's an American Flag at the top and underneath it a black rhinocerous.I asked him if the rhino was an F1 hybrid of an elephant and a donkey b'c I knew that some folks would only go to a doc whose political affiliation was the same as theirs and told him so, he laughed a lot.

He asked what I knew about black rhinos, I told him they were endangered, that poachers were cutting off their horns and sending them to the Far East. Correct he said, and asked if I knew what they were used for after being ground up. No, said I. He said as an aid in rectal problems and he could do the same with out any reference to black rhinos thus doing his part in helping to save them.

QED

left the office, got in the car. Howard said we'd better get gas. I had my denim bag I take with me with my checkbooks, credit cards, other stuff, but also my small yellow address book which doesnt have many addresses but has many irreplaceable phone numbers and this time I'd put two of those while bank envelopes you get when asking for money and had about $200 in them.

Howard, I cant find the money, do you have enough for gas? Yes I do. Then I had clipped two coupons from an insert, with any quarter pounder, free drink and fries. Howard, do you have enough money for that? yes, I do.

This demin bag has several zipper openings and all the way home I'm getting more and more upset that I cant find the little book and my money.

OK, we get inside my home, I look here and there. He said do you want to take another look in your bag b;c I kept insisting I'd put the stuff in there.

Sheepishly, I found one zipper I hadn't opened and there it was.

We got home at 4 PM and the men's tennis final started at 5 PM., great match and I;m tired, I really am. Expected to post here this AM, told my brother Dave I would, but then warnings for severe T storms, so I held off.

Almost forgot. When leaving his office he told me if I needed him to call b'c he knew I obviously had his office number. I looked at him grinned and said yes I do and you've had my number since 2008, a reference to that stone extraction where the stone was embedded in the right ureter wall, and resulted in a challanging situation for him.

So now to pay bills, and do so much more on the to do list and catch up on threads here and there.

Carolyn

[Diriel]

Sounds like you have your sense of humor back. It is really nice to hear that things seem to be getting progressively better for you!

[Sodak]

Nice post, Dr.!
And sounds like you see a nice Doctor; one willing to spend some time and conversation on the patient.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Diriel

Sounds like you have your sense of humor back. It is really nice to hear that things seem to be getting progressively better for you!

I've always had a sense of humor and will always continue with that.When adverse situations arise there may be a temptation to think woe is me, get depressed and all that, but if a person does that all they do is to hurt themselves IMO.

One example of humor I'll never forget.College students after I moved back East to take care of my parents.

I was lecturing about either electron transport or the Citric Acid Cycle, I can't remember which, and I saw eyes go blank and heads go down,so I said get with it guys or I'll tap dance nude on the table top.

Heads came up, eyes were wide open,I said let me try to explain this in a different way, I did, and I think at least half of them then understood what I was trying to tell them.

Carolyn

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Sodak

Nice post, Dr.!
And sounds like you see a nice Doctor; one willing to spend some time and conversation on the patient.

I'm getting to know him better.Back in 2008 it was an emergency situation and after cystoscopy showed no urine flow thru the right ureter he said he had to operate the next day in order to be sure the kidney was not damaged. So everything was ASAP

I'm one who does ask questions, does want to learn more, and I think he appreciated that b'c most patients don't,so that's why he spent the time with me and we got to know each other much better.

Back on May 30th when I collapsed with septic shock I was pretty much out of it in the ER but remember him telling me what was found with the cat scan and X-rays and that he had to operate the next AM
to put in a temporary stent to bypass that stone. And I have no memory of who I saw in ICU other than the billing reports with some names I didn't even recognize.

So this was really the first time we sat down and we had a chance to talk and at that point I knew his waiting room looked like an AARP convention, he also does pediatric, but that day it was the older patients, and I know him much better now as he does me.

Carolyn, rememering there are still "flecks"in the left kidney.

[KarenO]

Dear Carolyn, I was enjoying an orange Minsk heart tomato grown from the seed you sent
and was thinking of you. So glad that things look like they are healing and that your health has improved. Here's hoping your "flecks" in the other kidney remain where they are and cause you no further trouble.

Karen From Canada who can grow Carolyn's tomatoes even on the "tundra" as you say
take good care

[cooklady18]

Dear Carolyn: Good to see that you are still posting. Glenn has been concerned about you and sent an e-mail yesterday. Had me check here to see what was going on. His cell phone fried about a month ago and he lost all of his telephone numbers. If you have his cell phone number, please give him a call. Anytime after 4:00 PM central time is good. Otherwise, you can give us a call at our home phone number. I think I may have your phone number at the office, but haven't gone down there yet today. Take care. Linda D.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by cooklady18

Dear Carolyn: Good to see that you are still posting. Glenn has been concerned about you and sent an e-mail yesterday. Had me check here to see what was going on. His cell phone fried about a month ago and he lost all of his telephone numbers. If you have his cell phone number, please give him a call. Anytime after 4:00 PM central time is good. Otherwise, you can give us a call at our home phone number. I think I may have your phone number at the office, but haven't gone down there yet today. Take care. Linda D.

Yes Linda, I'm still quite alive and posting, the stent put in on Aug 29th at surgery was removed this past Monday and to see you post here is making me laugh quite a bit, however I must say I do appreciate your concerns.

Glenn did e-mail me from school yesterday but I spent most of the time cowering under the covers b'c of very strong T-storms that just kept going and going.

I don't have his cell number but will answer his e-mail of yesterday with my home number and since he probably has more minutes than I do, with no cell phone for me, blocked here, I'll let him call me if that's OK with him.

I was sleeping late when my front door just opened and I heard a man's voice and it turned out to be Steve from Agway delivering kitty litter, and birdie related stuff, so now I'm up and the game plan for this weekend is Davis Cup tennis on TV with time out to catch up on bills and the like/

I knew you were a member here but no way could I ever have thought of your user name.

Carolyn,noting to others that the post above is from Linda/ Glenn Drowns of Sandhill Preservation.

[carolyn137]

Yes Linda, I'm still quite alive and posting, the stent put in on Aug 29th at surgery was removed this past Monday and to see you post here is making me laugh quite a bit, however I must say I do appreciate your concerns.

Glenn did e-mail me from school yesterday but I spent most of the time cowering under the covers b'c of very strong T-storms that just kept going and going.

I don't have his cell number but will answer his e-mail of yesterday with my home number and since he probably has more minutes than I do, with no cell phone for me, blocked here, I'll let him call me if that's OK with him.

I was sleeping late when my front door just opened and I heard a man's voice and it turned out to be Steve from Agway delivering kitty litter, and birdie related stuff, so now I'm up and the game plan for this weekend is Davis Cup tennis on TV with time out to catch up on bills and the like/

I knew you were a member here but no way could I ever have thought of your user name.

Carolyn,noting to others that the post above is from Linda/ Glenn Drowns of Sandhill Preservation but please do NOT contact Sandhill by PMing Linda. Contact info for Sandhill is at their website as well as in their catalog. Thanks.

[bower]

Hi Carolyn, the remnants of Gabrielle that brought you T storms are making it ridiculously hot and humid here today, like July weather.
Glad to hear the stent is out, and that it went well!

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Yes Linda, I'm still quite alive and posting, the stent put in on Aug 29th at surgery was removed this past Monday and to see you post here is making me laugh quite a bit, however I must say I do appreciate your concerns.

Glenn did e-mail me from school yesterday but I spent most of the time cowering under the covers b'c of very strong T-storms that just kept going and going.

I don't have his cell number but will answer his e-mail of yesterday with my home number and since he probably has more minutes than I do, with no cell phone for me, blocked here, I'll let him call me if that's OK with him.

I was sleeping late when my front door just opened and I heard a man's voice and it turned out to be Steve from Agway delivering kitty litter, and birdie related stuff, so now I'm up and the game plan for this weekend is Davis Cup tennis on TV with time out to catch up on bills and the like/

I knew you were a member here but no way could I ever have thought of your user name.

Carolyn,noting to others that the post above is from Linda/ Glenn Drowns of Sandhill Preservation but please do NOT contact Sandhill by PMing Linda. Contact info for Sandhill is at their website as well as in their catalog. Thanks.

Hello Ms. Carolyn and Everyone
I am so glad you are doing well, and it's good that everyone is still here. You'll is like my Tomato Family. It good to be back.
Farmer, Joyce Beggs

[carolyn137]

All was well until I went into shock again yesterday, no not what you think.

I got a 15 page summary from Medicare about charges to date. Above I had said I was pretty out of it in the ER and now I found out I was pretty out of it in ICU as well.

The admitting MD's charge said high levelof severity., the ambulance bill said emergeny transport whereas when I went from the hospital to the rehab place it just said non emergency transport.

I said above I didn't know what was happening and who I saw, and other than two MD's I now know their names, but have no recognition at all.

The two exceptions were my urologist and the other one was a hospitalist whom I'd met when I had that low K episode two years ago. He is outstanding and I have to have some way to thank him. All I rememeber him saying at one point was that they'd put in X liters of fluids and were having problems getting my blood pressure up so they were adding albumin. And he was at my bedside every day I was at the hospital including the day of discharge when my urologist was also there at the same time.

Some of the costs billed? What can I say. My orthopedic surgeon said that all MD's billing Medicare know what they will pay so why submit charges for so much. For the last hip that was done the anesthetist, who I also requested for the surgery on Aug 29th, billed 3X as much as Richard, the surgeon.

All I can say is that I have an excellent Medicare Supplement as well as a separate drug coverage and that primarily for the cost of insulin pens, and haven't, to date, had to pay a single penny.

Yes, I pay for the Medicare Supplement and Medicare itself, and the drug one as well, b/c Medicare only covers 80% of most expenses, so there you go.

Yet to be received are the charges for surgery, anesthesia, etc., for surgery on Aug 29th as well as removal of the stent on Sept 9th.

Other than the above, the Orkin guy came last Fri, came back from the cellar and asked if water ever got thru the foundation walls, I told him no. Cutting this short he went back down, opened the door to where the water reservoir, hot water tank and that stuff is, came back up and showed me the picture he took down there of water spurting from a coupling.

What else say I. I was able to contact an excellent plumber I knew 10 years ago, he came that Pm, said it was a plastic pipe with a hole in it, replaced it, and said he'd be back yesterday to replace a check valve, which he did. I love Jeff.

Also yesterday apparently solved the issue of a required $ distribution from my retirement fund, which I should have known about, but didn't.

So I've been lazy and read a few books, nothing of interest tennis -wise until a few weeks more.

Appt with my new primary local MD next week, I last saw her the Fri before I collapsed the next Thurs, then try to set up an appt for followup with my ortho surgeon, since I'm two years late.

I want to see if he can tell me what might be wrong with my right knee, I think I banged it when I collapsed, no sense in even taking an X-ray, in addition to the faux hips, since no way in H is anyone going to come near me that access to knives and I aleady have to use a walker.

But it's preventing me from driving my own car and that's what's so disappointing.

All for now.

Carolyn, who last week was visited by one of the EMT's who responded to my call back in May, he was looking for donations to the Fire Dept, and gave me a blow by blow description of my ambulance trip to the ER.

[Diriel]

... Just wow! Sounds like you are far from bored!