Saturday, January 10, 2009

Julie Andrews and Gapetto

Change is difficult. No news flash there, huh? I am no longer feeling confident with my neurologist. Well, actually she is an APRN. My neurologist left the practice in September. I had the utmost confidence in him. The APRN, not so much. She is a 'Sally-social-worked-type', thin, short cropped hair, always neatly groomed, glasses, she wears navy blue monogrammed sweaters and gray slacks and always a white shirt perfectly showing around the neck and sleeves. She wears black pumps, no make-up or jewelery, and because she is so tiny her clothes never have even a wrinkle or crease. WTF? I, being of the more robust body type, always seem to have a wrinkle or bulge or pull some where on my clothes. Whatever. My long wavy hair is always wild by the time I arrive in her office, having treked across a windy, open parking garage. Comparatively, I look like I have been on the back of a motorcyclel following a wild-ride with Charles Bronson, and she appears like Julie Andrews in the Sound Of music. So right from the "get-go" we are quite the opposite. And she looks at me weird.

The bigger issue is that she is married to the head neurologist. He is a tiny man, most likely has a Napoleon complex and never smiles. He looks like Gapetto. He is pushing her to push me to change medications. My neurologist never did that. He said the three offered are all the same. I am wondering if they have a 'connection' to this one particular pharmaceutical company. Also, every time I have an appointment she does practically a complete physical. WTF? I half expect her to haul out a mammogram machine and toss up some stirrups for a PAP smear. It is just all quite over invasive. She also doesn't listen well, or remember well. I have to re-explain my symptoms again and again. She did agree and encourage a reduced work schedule, adjustment. It was a very difficult acceptance for me. She didn't get that at all. I was quite unsettled hearing my limits said back to me. It is one thing to say whatever about yourself and quite another to have someone mirror it all back to you. She didn't get it at all. She was also focused on my having another MRI. My neurologist saw no need to repeat a test that is diagnostic. I am already diagnosed. Any findings wont change the course of treatment so why should I be put through a contrast MRI of my brain, again? She said that her husband, 'Napoleon complex Gapetto, insisted that I have another MRI and that it was not up to me!!! WTF? Apparently, they chat about cases while relaxing at home eating their bean sprouts, sipping Evian water while listening to Bach. I am quite sure there is no wild sex. I can just tell.

Throw in her insisting that I am depressed - that was the final straw. She said, "I think you are depressed." I asked, "why is that?" She rambled on a bit about my fatigue, which by the way is one of the major symptoms to manage for M S. Anyway, I know enough about depression to know that I am not depressed, so I said, "look, my appetite is the same, I sleep well and I love to have wild sex!!". She chuckled a nervous embarrassed type of chuckle and backed down. WTF?

I knew when I left that I was done with Julie Andrews and Gapetto! The search for a new neurologist will commence soon. Change is difficult and yet exciting, even hopeful.

The brain is a complete mystery.

Gail
peace......





13 comments:

NAVAL LANGA said...

Ms. Gail

To compare the get-up of a person, a man, with Napoleon is quite new, equally a fresh kind of metaphor. However it enriches the writing.

Naval Langa
HUMOUR ZONE

Gail said...

thanks Naval.

Gail
peace......

Grace said...

I hate changes, but good luck anyways.
Have a blessed sunday, Gail. :)

Comrade Kevin said...

The hills are alive, with the sound of pap smears!

Gail said...

Hi Kevin-

I laughed right out loud!! :-)

Love Gail
peace...

PENolan said...

Imagine if talking about you during sex made it even wilder for them . . .

Gail said...

Hi Trish-
I just love how your mind works! :-)

Love me

Kartz said...

Change is the only thing that is constant...

Yep, the brain is indeed a mystery!

Peace.

Fallen angel said...

It's Geppetto, or Gepetto. That ABC button at the top of the page is a spell checker. Your brain is a mystery!

And while I, too, am delighted by your fresh and unique invention of the Napolean complex, when did you become so fucking judgemental?

Meanwhile, if you go find another doctor, and you should since you have blindly berated the entire practice for being little and thin, the new doctor will undoubtedly order another MRI.

Tanks for letting me miserable.

Gail said...

Hey F A

Good to have you comment, albeit as obnoxious as ever. I will take that as a sign of your feeling a tad better.
And the spell check had no problem with how I spelled Gapetto.

Judgmental? Nah, honest is all. And funny too!! :-)

keep on keeping on..........

love
gae

PENolan said...

Gail:
Honest + funny + tacky = snarky
xo
T

Naj said...

Gail,

I think she wanted your second MRI to see if the medication is working or not, or to assess the course of remission, or to identify the source of new symptoms. If you have insurance and it won't cost you, why not? MRI is the safest form of radiology examinations.

Happy to know you are not depressed!

And good luck with a better Neurologist.

Be well

Gail said...

Thanks SO much Naj. I hear ya, I do. With this disease there is no "better" medicine they all pretty much do the exact same thing. If I do have some more 'white spots' there isn't anything "new" or "better" to try and/or do. It will only served to make me feel worse.
I am all 'upside down' over this. I do SO appreciate your input.
Love Gail
Peace.....