Monday, February 13, 2012

Catch 22

I just got off the phone with Dr. Hunter's new resident at Mayo, who -- after conferring with Dr. Hunter -- concluded that no, they wouldn't do the cauterizing procedure either, right now. Unless it's actively bleeding, they say, there is no point. There also any point in doing a cystoscopy (camera scope) because it wouldn't show them anything if it's not bleeding.

So, In order for Dr. Hunter to be able to fix the bleeding so that it won't happen again, I need to see him *when* it's actually bleeding. And I can totally see his point on this. Because I imagine it's like trying to fix a slow leak in an air mattress without submerging it in water: you gotta know where to put the patch.

But, the practical application of this approach falls into the "needs improvement" category. And it's not any one's fault, it just sucks. In order for Dr. Hunter to fix it, I would need to rush down to Mayo immediately the next time that I start bleeding. Oh, and it would need to be either a Tuesday or a Thursday, from 7am until 4pm.

Somewhat unlikely, I feel.

What will *actually* happen is: when I start bleeding again, I'll just have to go the the ER locally, get admitted to the hospital, and hope that some urologist locally will actually be on duty before it stops bleeding again.

Over and over again.

Unless it fixes itself.

Well, at least I'll be seeing fewer doctors this week.

2 comments:

Eclector2 said...

WTH! What a run around. Are you going to go to the local urologist on Thursday?
Mom

Dave Matheny said...

[sympathetic grunting, moaning noises]

I like the air-mattress analogy. It's really -- hey, wait a second. Submerge an air mattress in water? How big a water tank do you have?

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