The Gatekeepers Den

My second appointment with Dr. Ghesquiere went just as oddly as the previous one. This time, I was in to talk about my blood infection (enterobater cloacae), which I was assured would be handled promptly and effectively. Of course this wasn't much of a comfort, after I had been dismissed as 'not having Lyme disease' in a brief encounter with both partners of the Infectious Disease medical practice, the only one on the Island. It was deemed prudent to have my blood cultures retested, to make sure I was bacteria-free, so I could stop taking the Bactrim DS.

Dr. G reviewed my bloodwork, and was confused by my severe anemia and off counts. The obvious answer, that the tick-borne bacterium in my body was feeding off these cells was a little too obvious. Captain Confusion and Disinformation is hard at work.

I am shocked that doctors find it so useful to repeat very definitive tests over and over again, looking for things that are only explain a few of my symptoms (at best). My blood work, testing for Lupus, rheumatoid factor, vasculitus, connective tissue disorders, protein production (rule out cancer, bone marrow disorder, over production of proteins in immune system), which all came back negative, yet again. I am not sure whether this is the second to fourth time I have had these tests done. These are the popular string that doctors usually cling to when they see me. Its the old 'oh-anything-but-Lyme' strategy. If you test a patient for enough things, you could find something wrong (which is what they hope)...something to explain all of my straaaannngeee symptoms.

Perhaps it is just a perception, but the doctor seemed to be working very slowly. We only have about half an hour, so bothering to slowly explain all the things I don't have, or asking the same questions again does not make sense to me. I get the impression he is stalling, trying to get through as little as possible with us in the short time we have, or perhaps I only think this because I know it to be true. I am detecting a pattern with this sort of doctor.

Dr. G's wording throws us all, latching on to an expression and holding on for dear life. In our last appointment, the catch phrase du jour was, 'I am obliged to tell you...'. Today, I am asked, directly, because I am now an adult, whether I would be willing to see an adult rheumatologist at the Arthritis Soceity (even though my rheumatoid factor is negative) and a physiatrist. He said if he was sitting in my shoes, these would be the places he would want to be, the doctors he would want to see. How infuriating, that the doctor I could use most of all is sitting in front of my, and smiling benignly and lying that any other doctor would, essentially, help. Except not his kind of medicine. I am feeling too sick to digest this odd appointment, so I shall put off more reflection until I can think without my brain throbbing