the intention was to start pushing out something (anything) once a day on here – whether it makes sense, is coherent, and entertaining or not. i started late, and i have already fallen behind. but in my defence, the last two days have been unusually stressful … what with sick puppers, medical appointments and my first time WoW raiding since … 2014 or so.
had my “establish care” appointment yesterday morning with a new provider. it didn’t go well; but i never intended it to. medical care these days is all about getting us in and out as fast as possible without much discussion or chatter. the provider (think he is a PA?) handed me a POTS handout as soon as he entered the room. his student did almost all the exam and seemed extremely nervous the entire time. not sure if that was me or them… don’t much care either. at this point, someone to refill my prescriptions is my maximum expectation. i don’t expect that anyone in a military hospital will have any interest in providing comprehensive care to anyone, least of all me. (black, immigrant, woman in mid-life who is a retiree-dependent).
dunno if i’ve said it here yet, but medicine has grossly failed almost everyone except cis-male white men. and btw: i am appalled that i am beginning to sound like i am bitter about whiteness. it really isn’t that at all, just an observation of stuff. like the fact that it’s 2025 and women still have to deal with yeast infections with either one pill you can only get with a prescription or some over-the-counter substandard shit that only makes things worse. i guarantee you, if men were experiencing this shit, they’d already have a cure.
but i digress … the POTS handout pretty much said that women are at highest risk. which doesn’t surprise me at all. their suggestions amounted to:
- stop ingesting caffeine
- get some exercise
- stay hydrated
like … thanks dude. that does not help me in the least. but honestly, i didn’t expect any better. my main concern is my shoulder, my finger, and getting call-in refills of diflucan when i need them. i no longer have any faith that these providers can actually do their jobs.
a while back, when i went in to get hormones for my menopause, the provider told me that “functional medicine” practitioners are a much better bet for proper wholistic care… except those folks are expensive!!! and located far away – as in an hour or two drive time. which makes it near impossible for me to avail myself of those services. i am told that after the initial visit they sometimes can do virtual follow-ups so that might be an option but until then …
anywho, after that fiasco, i went and got an xray of my shoulder because they want updated imaging of my partially torn rotator cuff. I have to go back some morning and do fasting blood tests but this week is just shit. so mebbe monday? maybe? /sigh decisions, decisions.
the good news is, though, that my eye exam went swimmingly, and it cost a LOT less than i expected it to. and bonus is that the new specs are due in on my birthday. so i guess … a good day after all, yeah?