What's up, Doc?

I'm happy to say I met my new doctor yesterday--the one who's going to try to figure out my digestive problems.  Now, that's enough to turn a reader off right there, so I won't go into it in much detail.  I'll just say that he's pretty sure that my problems are not explained by an ulcer. 

I was impressed that he'd actually read my records before coming into the room.  Even more impressive, he spent over an hour talking with me about everything from when I was a little girl to the present day.  He also told me that my current treatment is a kind of "Hail Mary" (his words, not mine), and the sort of thing a doctor does when he doesn't have any idea what's wrong.  One of the medicines I'm using is not even seen as an effective or useful treatment any more, and so it's rarely used (unless the doctor is trying to get rid of the pesky patient).

This is both disappointing and reassuring.  I was disappointed that my last doctor seemed so disinterested the last time I got sick; but I was reassured that it wasn't because I was expecting too much.  I was disappointed when my new doctor said I might have to tolerate some uncertainty for a while; but I was reassured when he said he would keep working with me until we figured it out or until I felt better.  I was disappointed when he told me that problems like mine are not easy to diagnose; but I was reassured when he told it that it was unlikely to be any kind of fatal illness.  I was disappointed when he told me I might have to get sick again; but I was reassured that he won't ignore me when I do.  In fact, he said it would have been a perfect time to do some imaging studies to see if they might help with a diagnosis.  That always seemed to me to go without saying, but apparently my other doctor didn't think so.  It's like trying to fix an unreliable appliance that works just fine as soon as the repairman shows up.

So right after Thanksgiving I'm scheduled for some rather unpleasant tests.  I'll spare you, my readers, the details.  You can probably figure that part out on your own.  Until then, I'll continue along my queasy way.  It cuts into my sewing time because I spend a good part of most days lying around, not feeling very well.  And that's where I'm headed now.  Lying around, not sewing.  At least the sun is shining today.