Thursday, I saw my cardiologist for a follow-up on my echocardiogram. I am fine, except for "old age" issues. I have a right ventricular valve that's doing a little splashing about, which has caused the new heart murmur sound that had my primary care doctor concerned.
But the cardiologist was like a different person. He was nice when I saw him the first time. But this time, he was, frankly, a jerk. As soon as I asked one question about statins - how did they mix with medications I am already on - he immediately said I wasn't interested in taking them so there was no point in discussing it. I told him my PCP had suggested Zetia and he waved that away as if it were nothing. Then he went on to say that if I weren't going to take whatever drug he offered me, there was no point in my returning to see him. I could try diet and exercise and good luck to me. He wouldn't discuss "diet" either, as in, what I should or shouldn't eat. He didn't even offer a handout with diet information on it.
He was rather combative, actually, and I was appalled.
This is why I dislike dealing with the Carilion Health Care system in Roanoke. I do not get good care there. This surprised me because my husband was with me and usually, I am treated better when he is there, but not this time. Of course, he didn't speak up, either.
There are many medications I cannot tolerate. I haven't tried statins for about 20 years, and I couldn't take them then. I have no idea what may or may not have changed in 20 years, but he certainly wasn't going to discuss it.
So I left without any drugs for my high cholesterol (I don't think it's *that* high myself, although I know the doctors do). I mean, if this were 1983, my cholesterol would be considered low. But it 2023, and so it is considered high.
Even red rice yeast makes me feel bad. I take a little of that, along with flax seed oil, to try to help with my cholesterol but I have to be careful with it. It makes me have brain fog and I like to think properly.
My father and brother both also have cholesterol issues, so I am sure this is hereditary. I am not going to worry about it too much. Maybe I should, but I honestly think the numbers are more about selling drugs than making people healthy.
Sunday
Sunday began ok, with us sleeping in for a change. Then my husband spilled his sugar with a little coffee in it (he drinks it like it's a syrup), and that was a sticky mess. Then he went to check on his mother and discovered the thermostat on her air conditioning unit wasn't working, so he had to call the repair people.
While he was over there with her, I saw a huge coyote come from the direction where the cows are, so I called him and asked him to go check the cattle as soon as he could.
He discovered a dead calf, which he then had to bury.
Aside from the coffee/sugar cleanup, this was stuff that affected him more than it affected me, but I still found it a stressful day. Losing a calf is always hard, and this was another newborn. Not only does that make me sad, but it's also a financial hit. Selling the calves after they've been weaned is how we make money raising cattle. No calf, no sale.
Plus, we have to watch the mom cow now to make sure she doesn't go into mastitis or develop an infection.
When the cattle roam over a large acreage, we can't keep an eye on them constantly, and with predators like coyotes and vultures roaming around, it's a certainty we're going to lose calves now and then.
And besides, what affects him also affects me. How could it not after almost 40 years of marriage?
*Bing AI produced the images.*
There is nothing worse than a jerk doctor. What a superior jerk he was to you.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the loss of the calf. Also that you have a mean doctor. Can you request another? I have to take a statin too. I hate it but with heart issues in my family history and high numbers, I have to. I am eating a lot of protein now and cholesterol increases with that, but more with carbs. So I am cutting back on breads. Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd go back to a doctor like that.
ReplyDeleteCan you ask your PCP to refer you to a different cardiologist? What about Zocdoc? As a barren spinster, I find it very moving that your husband's woes are yours.
ReplyDeleteMy mom saw a Parkinson’s movement specialist who basically didn’t want to see her move or look at her hair to help us figure what would help her to walk better instead of falling. He was interested in his clinical study and the paper he was writing for prestigious accolades from his peers. I told him a thing or two and reminded him that he was a movement specialist that had never seen this woman walk. How many accolades does it take for him to do his job as a doctor, I didn’t pick his career, he did and he took an oath to help those in need not ignore them or cause harm. How many times did my mom have to fall when walking for it to be important to his career? Needless to say I was not well liked and I’m sure I was office banter for a while.
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