To continue my little summer medical adventure, I ended up being admitted to the hospital that night only because my rheumatologist suspected pneumonia, even when an xray didn't confirm it. He wanted more sensitive tests including a CT scan with contrast of my lungs to eliminate a diagnosis of pleurisy or pneumonia. My primary care doctor backed him up. From this point on, no one from the hospital, ever talked to these two people again, even though, they presented information to me as if it has been discussed with them, and that decisions about my care had been made with their impute.
The CT scan showed fuzziness in t he lower right lobe and some more indications of pneumonia in an upper right lobe. An infectious disease doctor was called in. He claimed the original Xray did show indications of pneumonia. I determine was started on antibiotics. There were beau coup blood tests to a cause. The nursing staff were to determine that I needed oxygen and saw the order was given.
The house doctor said he thought I was just in an RA flare. After all, my sed rate was high. I really just needed some more prednesone, bed rest and some extra pain medication. As far as he was concerned I was taking up space.
Blood tests and cultures didn't reveal the culprit, but I was switched to a stronger wide spectrum antibiotic by the infectious disease doctor and began to improve within six hours.
When I was finally released, the two doctors were still disagreeing about my condition. The house doctor changed levels of some of my everyday meds without consulting my primary care doctor, but gave me the impression that this had her authority to do so.
The infecticous disease doctor questioned me and came up with a theory. I had been changing out the dirt in some plant pots that had wintered outside Some standing water had collected in them. I took care of these a few days before first growing ill. He believed that I has that while in a flare I was exposed to legionnaire's disease. Fortunately, it was caught in the early stages, leading to a lack of culture evidence.
Now, that house doctor wouldn't give an inch. Refused to consider the truth-that the treatment cured me. Disregard the wishes of my doctors to be involved in my case-despite my expressed directions.
On top of all this, neither doctor has ever written a report to my rheumatolgist ( which I requested) , and as of late Nov. , none had been written to my primary care doctor.
The hospital I used had been an institution of high repute. During the past three years it has deteriorated to the point that when I can, I will choose another.
The charges for my stay were high; the amount we pay for insurance is steep. I would expect that the focus of attending physicians would be on the needs of the patients and not on competition and one-up-manship with each other. Above all, the patient has relevant knowledge and information to offer if the doctor will listen. I know body and I know when something is wrong! I know the difference between a flare and something else that's wrong -like pneumonia.
grrrr
"D"
