My MS doctor has repeatedly requested that I show up with my walker instead of the wheelchair since I use the walker at home. I haven’t because it is a long walk to the elevator from being dropped off at the outpatient building entrance. Today I decided to surprise him and show up using the walker.
It was a good walk to the elevator, as I expected. When I reached the floor, there were machines to check in, instead of going to the desk, (I need to say that I had been receiving multiple emails and texts to check in electronically. which I didn’t understand why they kept sending them, if I wasn’t there). That is the reason I started checking in electronically when confronted with this machine.
Well 10 minutes later, when P came up from parking the car, I was still on this signing in machine. It was asking endless questions, information that they already had, and I was getting tired from standing there for so long. P started asking, “what am I doing,” and said to get out of it. He went to get someone to help me get out of it. She got me out of the program and said I was already checked in. I was tired and now aggravated.
There was a nurse at the end of a long hallway beckoning me to the examination room, past 5 or 6 empty examining rooms, and I was pissed I had to walk so far. At this point I was exhausted and let her know just how tired and aggravated I was. In other words I was a bitch, and I also acknowledged the fact that I was being a bitch. Once seated and catching my breath, I apologized and told her she could tell the doctor I was being a bitch.
In came the doctor, (whom I like) and I asked if his nurse told him what a bitch I was. He commented that she said what a lovely person I was and I laughed. Anyway we had the regular tests and conversations and I finally did my walking timed test. We discussed new treatments, which there was none of notice, something in pill form, around 2 years from being approved, and of course for relapsing/remitting MS.
I again brought up the pain and throbbing in my left arm, that I mentioned at my previous 6 month exam and also at my yearly physical with my primary care doctor. This time he didn’t ignore it. He stated that he didn’t think it was related to MS, and I agreed. I asked him about arthritis, which was suggested to me, and he doubted it, since arthritis is in the joints, and this pain isn’t.
He noticed that my left upper arm was bigger than my right. He was looking for a tape measure, which he couldn’t find, and I had one in my purse, (always for home improvements). He took the measurement and it was 33″ and my right was 27.” He ordered another MRI of brain and spine with and without contrast and and an ultrasound for the left arm. Finally. I’ll keep you posted.