Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Hmmm...Health Care Reform Needed...Ya Think???

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...Long story short, I went directly to the radiologist and requested that he re-read the films and do an addendum to his findings. This request was accompanied by a full history of my 1981 oophorectomy. I am pleased to say that the radiologist did so in less than 24 hours -- and directly sent me the addendum to his report. Finding?...no, it is not an ovary that is present, but rather, "undefined residual tissue." And, yes, this residual tissue does measure larger than the one intact ovary. Now this needs to be explained because back in 1998 I had the residual scar tissue from the 1981 oophorectomy laparoscopically removed.

What now? I dunno? I have faxed this new info to my specialists to wait for their response, if any. ...


(Just as a refresher...I have been experiencing "non-specific" symptoms that no one seems to be able to define.)

So, my health care travails and travels took me to both a GI specialist (gastro-intestinal specialist) and my long-attended GYN's office. And. . ., in the arena of "interesting" neither failed to disappoint.

The GI (a very pleasant 60-ish guy with a wry sense of humour) attributed my "non-specific" symptoms, in part, to a .... displaced rib. What? Really? His learned opinion, after a physical exam, was that my "floating rib" (ya know, the one that belonged to our forefather, Adam) is displaced and is irritating my liver and stomach. Oh, Adam's Rib is the cause of the persistent pain in my side? Figures, doesn't it...pain can usually be traced back to a male ;+P. What about the unexplained weight-gain, chills and fatigue? "No, a displaced rib would not cause those symptoms." So, any thoughts on those? "No, not really." Oh? Well thank you for your time (?) Dr. GI gave me a brown-paper bag of pharmaceutical samples and said that all should resolve itself in 6-8 weeks. The samples were for heartburn. Heartburn is not one of my symptoms! I guess Dr. GI did not want me to leave empty-handed. Thoughtful.

Next stop? The other end of my abdomen...

My current GYN (who absorbed the practice of my first AZ GYN...(ewww, I so did not say absorbed!) and who has seen me through a couple of miscarriages (yet somehow missed the entry in my medical records regarding the oophorectomy. But he did see that his prior partner had done the subsequent laparoscopy for the residual scar tissue) duly considered the ultra-sound and PetScan results. He determined that I was one of those rare women who experience Ovarian Remnant Syndrome! What? Really? (I feel like its deja vu all over again. I just don't know for what!!)

Ovarian Remnant Syndrome (ORS): A rare condition where ovarian tissue is left in the pelvic cavity following the removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes causes pelvic pain. The tissue that is left behind can form cysts which can enlarge and pull on nearby adhesions causing pain. Pain can also occur when remaining ovarian tissue produces hormones that stimulate endometriosis.

My research tells me that the only way to accurately diagnosis OSR is an MRI and/or another laparoscopy. Dr. Onc had offered to do an MRI to explain the "undefined residual tissue." Dr. GYN did not offer the MRI. And, I must keep in mind that Dr. GYN and his partner/predecessor concurred (or rather, did not question) my prior mammograms' characterization of my breast cancer as solely "fibrous tissue."

The question in my mind is: is it necessary to do anything?

While I ponder that unceasing question, I have begun introducing bee pollen into my daily regimen. (As well as reading the "Beatles Anthology" from cover to cover - I'm up to the year 1965!) What the heck. It makes as much, if not more, sense than what I keep running into in the medical arena.

So for now, I will buzz on!

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