I saw the Internal Medicine Specialist this morning, and he was shocked and quite disappointed to hear I'd quit the Xarelto back in December and hadn't had a stroke yet. In fact, I thought he was going to cry when he discovered I'm in better shape right now without it than I was before. I felt like giving him a big warm hug and saying, "There, there - it's going to be alright..." but I didn't.
Instead, I said, "I'm sorry for giving you the impression I'm second-guessing an expert like yourself. I'm really not trying to be a smart-ass, because I know how much the world loves a smart-ass. But I did get worried when those side-effects got serious. So I quit the meds to see what would happen, and I seemed to improve, so I stayed off it. Could it have been too large a dose?" He replied, "No, you don't need to apologize - I don't mind you being a smart-ass as long as you're a live one. And that dosage was the minimum there is. And that occult blood that gave you the scare was very minimal - hardly enough to register on the tester - so there wasn't any cause for alarm, but you had no way of knowing that. So I won't put you back on that one. There's a newer one out now which is much less irritating on the system - about like a baby aspirin - so let's try that for a couple of months, and then come back and I'll check you again, in case we need to adjust it."
[Note:
The newer one is Eliquis, 2.5 mg, one tablet morning and evening.
120 tablets: $208.35, Dispensing fee: $10.00, Total: $218.35, I pay: $47.67.]
So once again, I apologized profusely, shook his hand, wished him a pleasant weekend, and left with a fresh list of prescriptions and another test requisition. All's well that ends well, and young guys like him are still teaching me things, and I'm paying attention. I used to be a real know-it-all, but now I'm getting smarter, and I'm only a semi-know-it-all. And I'm discovering that this young specialist knows a lot more about me and my medical history than I thought.
He was reading off things today that were done by Dr. Chang during a colostomy repair operation in 1990, and fortunately I didn't have to add any more details to it, because it's not a pretty story. Thankfully, Dr. Chang does excellent work, and I could get rid of that colostomy bag, and he put me back together again, and it's been OK ever since. I'm missing a few inches of colon, but I don't mind a bit. It's much better than wearing a bag the rest of my life.
So it was an eventful morning, the nice young doctor and I are once more on the same page, and it has a happy ending. And I have learned how to apologize when I make a complete ass of myself. That's something I'm proud of, because for too many years, I wasn't like that. The big problem with life is, by the time we learn how, it's almost over. So don't pray for fame or fortune - pray for guidance and forgiveness, and for friends who provide it.
we never (should) stop learning. The older we get, the more (and better, so that it sticks) we learn. (In my case).
ReplyDeleteBest wishes from mild DE, where the flowers of the Spring are blossoming.
I just wish I knew back when what I know now, and why it's better to listen than to talk sometimes.
ReplyDeleteBeing a manic-depressive, I've always enjoyed being a show-off and getting attention. But the Japanese have a saying: "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down." That's one I wish I had found much sooner...
And I'm glad one of us is getting some nice spring weather. Lately around here, we've had temperatures more like the kind we get in the middle of winter. There's still new snow up on the mountains after our rains, and it's really weird.
Stay well, my friend!