Pet Peeves: The Eleventh Hour

morecowbell said:   great balls of fire!

Nooo. Martin and Lewis. Not The Killer.

when they discontinue a product I like
or a service

Seriously, if a doctor (NOT A SPECIALIST) orders a very expensive test that requires your insurance to be involved to authorize it, make sure you know what you're doing and why! I have people referred daily into our service/specialty and they have no idea why! If a doctor orders anything for you, especially medications or something in radiology (X-Ray, Ultrasound, Cat Scan, MRI, Nuclear Med scan), ask if there are testing alternatives that are cheaper! There is no reason to get radiated if other cheaper exams will answer the same question at a fraction of the cost. The same applies for generic medications! Do not assume your doctor knows the difference, because most general practioners, PA's, and NP's do not know! If something doesn't seem right, ASK QUESTIONS!!! Mahalo!

NukeMedDude said:   Seriously, if a doctor (NOT A SPECIALIST) orders a very expensive test that requires your insurance to be involved to authorize it, make sure you know what you're doing and why! I have people referred daily into our service/specialty and they have no idea why! If a doctor orders anything for you, especially medications or something in radiology (X-Ray, Ultrasound, Cat Scan, MRI, Nuclear Med scan), ask if there are testing alternatives that are cheaper! There is no reason to get radiated if other cheaper exams will answer the same question at a fraction of the cost. The same applies for generic medications! Do not assume your doctor knows the difference, because most general practioners, PA's, and NP's do not know! If something doesn't seem right, ASK QUESTIONS!!! Mahalo!

Question: I had spinal xrays in 1991 that were clear as a bell; I had some more last month that were so blurry I could barely make out whether or not I have a spine. Is it because the newer xray exposed me to less radiation? Or because the more recent xray tech didn't know what she was doing? (I assume it was the former because she seemed knowledgeable.)

soundtechie said:   NukeMedDude said:   Seriously, if a doctor (NOT A SPECIALIST) orders a very expensive test that requires your insurance to be involved to authorize it, make sure you know what you're doing and why! I have people referred daily into our service/specialty and they have no idea why! If a doctor orders anything for you, especially medications or something in radiology (X-Ray, Ultrasound, Cat Scan, MRI, Nuclear Med scan), ask if there are testing alternatives that are cheaper! There is no reason to get radiated if other cheaper exams will answer the same question at a fraction of the cost. The same applies for generic medications! Do not assume your doctor knows the difference, because most general practioners, PA's, and NP's do not know! If something doesn't seem right, ASK QUESTIONS!!! Mahalo!


Last week I had a chest cough. I went to the walk in clinic, saw a PA. my BP, normally 120/80, was 140/100. She sent me down the hall to have a chest x-ray. When I got back, while waiting for the results, she put me on a nebulizer. The x-ray came back showing nothing wrong, so she sent me down the hall again to get an iodine dye CAT scan. When I came back, while waiting for the results, she put me on IV fluids. CAT scan came back normal. She scheduled for me to come in the next day so she could check me again, and come in august for a follow-up CAT scan. She prescribed an antibiotic, a prescription cough suppressant, and prednisone (anti inflammatory steroid, I think?). When I came in the next day, my BP was normal and she prescribed Flonase as well. When I asked about using flonase with prednisone, she then told me not to use the flonase until I was done with the prednisone.


"Quick, nurse, get this man a CAT scan! He has good health insurance!"

That CT scan you had was completely unnecessary. Is the walk-in clinic a stand alone one? If so, they're using it (The CT scanner) as a profit center. There is no reason to get a Chest CT with Contrast with a normal chest x-ray. I'm willing to bet if asked though, they will say the reason for the CT was to rule out PE. Did they do lab work (D Dimer) to make them suspicious for a blood clot? I bet not. There is also no reason for a follow up CT in August either. The only reason for a follow up CT is some type of abnormal pathology on plain film x-ray/and or your CT, and a PA should not be seeing you for that, let alone at a walk-in clinic. BTW, that CT you recieved was the equivalent of ~ 500 chest x-rays, all at once.

morecowbell said:   check out the brain on NukeMedDude!

Please do! Do you know how long it took me to get all the bong resin in there? fiddy years brah!

soundtechie said:   All that and I <cough> still have my chest cough.

It's been a week and you still have a cough? Is it productive? Did you get antibiotics from the walk-in clinic and take all of them? Take some Guaifenesin/Mucinex with increased fluids and if it doesn't subside, go back and get some different antibiotics and possibly some robitussin with codeine. BTW, don't invite JaMarcus Russell over to share your robitussin either, he's trying to make a comeback!

this indecision's bugging me

trying to decide what to have for dinner

soundtechie said:   webferret said:   NukeMedDude said:   soundtechie said:   All that and I <cough> still have my chest cough.

It's been a week and you still have a cough? Is it productive? Did you get antibiotics from the walk-in clinic and take all of them? Take some Guaifenesin/Mucinex with increased fluids and if it doesn't subside, go back and get some different antibiotics and possibly some robitussin with codeine. BTW, don't invite JaMarcus Russell over to share your robitussin either, he's trying to make a comeback!

If you are having allergy problems, which I assume since she prescribed flonase, you could continue to have a tickle/cough from drainage which won't completely go away while you are still having an allergic reaction. No amount of antibiotics will help.

I am not a doctor or other licensed medical professional. This is my opinion only.

See, previously I just heavily medicated with PSE. If that's gonna start causing blood pressure issues, then I'll have to switch to flonase.

flonase can cause blood pressure fluctuations too.

If I were you, I'd get over to my PCP. PA's at walk in clinics, while probably very good, don't know YOU. Your PCP should have a better working knowledge of your health history.

usually.

Oh...request a copy of your ct report AND a copy of the disc. For your records. Just in case something weird shows up later, completely unrelated, you'll have a benchmark of "normal" at a particular point. I try to encourage everyone to keep their own copies of medical records.

^^been there, done that
ship I'm on right now is probably halfway to the ocean floor already

worst.day.ever

topped off by a deep freeze that appears to be broken.

blood all over the garage floor from the frozen meats.

damn.it

sublimosa said:   ate bad things for dinner
not only did it make me feel icky, I also feel like a hippopotamus now

Time to visit the "Giant dinosaur fart" thread!

ok, i actually came to my desk to do a particular thing. and as it turns out, i'm not doing it!

ok, now i am. i suck less

Sometimes people don't realize how far their head is up their ass

I officially hate the white-trash-obsenity-screaming-new neighbors. Came home to them taking out the lilac bush that so nicely scented the air and blocked the view of their possessions all over the yard.

Sure, fill the air with acrid smells and take out the only pleasant thing coming from your property. Why not use that energy to MOVE YOUR CRAP INTO YOUR HOUSE?!?

From the department of justice: Street terms for Ritalin

Kibbles and bits
Kiddy cocaine
Pineapple
Skippy
Smarties
Vitamin R
West coast

didn't go to the gym yesterday. so looks like the gym for me today

My battery in my key fob died.

Seriously, it's sucks having to insert key to open door.. and then unlock button to unlock the rest of the doors. Have to also remember to lock it before leaving car.. or else have to walk back after pressing the lock button on key fob and then remembering that battery has died.

#firstWorldProblems