my trip down the doctor lane

ooohhh, it's been a while huh ... does that mean that i've been perfectly ok? yes and no. just like everybody else, i've had my good and my bad days ... but i'm getting by and that's what matters ...

what i would like to share right now is about my trip down the doctor lane ... i know, i know ... it's corny ... but it is my way of pointing out - i've seen a lot of doctors. it became like a hobby and it's a common problem among mvp patients - the doctor-hopping. mvp symptoms can be sooo varied so patients tend to go from one specialist to another.

before i write details and more details, i need to point out that one of my main hurdles in dealing with mvp *and with my health in general* is finding the right doctor for me in taipei. with the kind of symptoms that i get, with my being a foreigner *add to that fact is i'm from a third-world country*, with my gender - last time i checked, i am a female : ) ... i'm usually tagged as an anxious person.

sure, i'm away from home. i don't have a family here. i get stressed at work ... but what some doctors don't understand is that i become anxious after i get symptoms. if i don't feel anything weird in my body, i am perfectly calm.

and now, after more than a year of dealing with seemingly totally unrelated symptoms, i still don't have my "standard physician" but i'm sure no one can blame me for not trying ...

(1) gastroenterologist -> i was having abdominal pains near my navel, i had an endoscopy ... all clear

(2) general practitioners
-> i was having chest bone painsss and some areas of my chest bone seem to be protruding, i was just asked if my work requires heavy lifting and if i had any trauma around that area ... negative for both so i was given some medicines to take care of the pain
-> i was having fever on and off, diagnosed with a viral infection ... i was given a medicine for allergies
-> i was having difficulty breathing ... i was given an anti-anxiety medicine

(3) annual check-up
abdominal sonogram - intermittent abdominal pains ... all clear
breast sonogram - for my breast pains ... they are fibrocystic
brain CT scan - for my headaches, my brain is ok, still curly ... all clear
carotid artery scan - for my chest pains ... all clear
echocardiogram - for my chest pains ... yup, positive, i have mvp but it's trivial

(4) ob-gyne - intermittent lower abdominal pains ... i had an IV sonogram ... polycystic ovaries ...

(5) breast surgeon -> to rule out any breast issue since i've been having problems around the chest area ... all clear

(6) endocrinologist -> my thyroid is prominent, i had a thyroid sonogram and a blood test ... chronic thyroid inflammation and had to stay away from iodine ...

(7) orthopedic surgeon -> intermittent chest pains, i got two rounds of x-ray ... no lesions ... all clear

(8) ENT - i have a prominent lymph node around the neck area, i had a fibroscopy ... no problem with my ear, my nose, my throat ... all clear

(9) dentist - prominent lymph node, to rule out any teeth infection .. all clear

(10) opthalmologist - double-vision, headache ... just need prescription glasses ...

need i say more?