Jessica PingIs coronavirus the only thing to blame?
Posted on June 23, 2020
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For as long as I can remember, anxiety has been a major part of my life.
Most of the time, I manage to keep things under control, at least externally. However, there are periods where I really struggle. When those bad weeks come around, my symptoms become much more severe and usually begin impacting more than just my mental health.
Generally speaking, I spend a few days of each month feeling nauseous and fatigued. I can almost always push through these uncomfortable symptoms with the help of Pepto Bismol and an evening nap. But, other times, I let my feelings consume me until the spiraling wears off.
After all, it wouldn’t be anxiety if it wasn’t unpredictable, right?
When my stomach discomfort became persistent in the days leading up to my wedding, I assumed I was just anxious about the big day. I mean, honestly, all brides are jittery, but I was a full-on mental disaster for three days straight.
Just as everyone around me suspected, as soon as the celebration was over, the pain and nausea disappeared.
Less than a week later, though, it was back again, and this time it was much, much worse. After a couple of days, this too corrected itself.
Six days later, my symptoms were so bad, I could hardly sleep, eat, or move around the house. Still unable to put the pattern together, I assumed I had an infection or food poisoning.
On the 5th day of constant pain, I finally called the doctor, and thus begins the real story.
For Better or For Worse
Gastritis.
After 15 minutes with the doctor, that was the initial diagnosis. I was to take an over the counter antacid for 2 weeks and then report back if things didn’t improve.
Less than 10 days later, I was plopped down on an examination table feeling as though I could vomit at any moment.
Blood was drawn. Urine was collected. A pelvic examination was completed. Still nothing.
My doctor was now convinced that my Gallbladder was the source of the problem. He recommended I have an abdominal ultrasound to confirm his suspicions.
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It took 3 weeks to get to this conclusion, during which, the threat of Covid-19 was increasing across the nation. Also during this time, my Visa had been approved, and I was to move to London, England within the week.
The pandemic was ramping up, Jack and I’s housing situation was not in order, and my health was still rapidly deteriorating.
Making the decision to stay in the States to have the ultrasound was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. Jack and I knew that by postponing my travel date, I would be forced into reapplying for my visa. So, on top of waiting for the pandemic to ease up, I eventually will have to submit another application and wait for approval all over again.
This illness was already a nuisance, but it just got personal.
The Tumor
I felt like a young kindergartner waiting to see if she passed her spelling test after the ultrasound. When my phone finally rang and I heard my doctor’s voice instead of the nurse’s, I knew something was wrong.
The radiologist found a 6-8 cm lesion on my liver.
Benign liver tumors are fairly common, especially in young women.
But, with my symptoms, extra precaution was being taken. I had an MRI scan and my primary care physician referred me to a local gastroenterologist.
A week after the referral went through, a receptionist called. She told me that I would be having a telemedicine appointment and that the earliest she could get me in was mid May.
Shocked and frustrated, I accepted the appointment and prayed that I could last the full 7 weeks.
Trial and Error
While I waited to meet with the gastroenterologist, my doctor suggested I continue to take an assortment of medication to help with my symptoms.
Finding the right combination was a horrible experience that lasted for weeks. I was hardly sleeping because my nausea was so bad. I would send my primary care physician’s office an email at 3:30 in the morning begging for another solution.
Some of the pills I was taking brought on their own horrific side effects. So, while my original symptoms were being somewhat masked, I was now dealing with a whole new set of problems.
I began experimenting on my own, taking less of certain meds and more of others. Trust me, I know this isn’t smart, but I felt helpless. Nothing was working.
After sending my third early-morning email to my doctor, a nurse called me and asked me why I hadn’t mentioned any of this to my gastroenterologist. I explained to her I still about a month away my appointment.
She was appalled, which only made me more leery of this new doctor. One phone call from her and suddenly the gastroenterologist had an opening for the following week.
I was finally going to get answers … or so I thought …
The Land of Phone Calls and Answering Machines, or, Telemedicine
On the day of my appointment, I set up camp with all of my meds, a list of my symptoms and side effects, and my cell phone. The nurse called me about 20 minutes early, which excited me. They seemed to be on top of their game.
Once the nurse had taken note of my prescriptions, she informed me that the doctor would call me in 20-45 minutes. My jaw literally dropped, but I said a polite “okay,” and hung up the phone. It took a full hour, but he did eventually call.
Obviously, making a proper connection is challenging over the phone, but I didn’t feel heard at all. He was just looking at my chart and not listening to the changes that had occurred over the last few weeks.
It was decided that my liver was not the cause of my symptoms, but that I should see a liver specialist just in case. At the end of the phone call, he told me I would need to have an exploratory procedure to get a good look at what was going on.
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Elective surgeries were halted due to the pandemic, but I was promised that someone from his office would call as soon as they opened back up.
They didn’t call.
Luckily, I had been monitoring the situation in Illinois. I gave the office over 48 hours to set the appointment but I ended up needing to take things into my own hands.
Prior to the procedure, I had to have a pre-op physical and a coronavirus test. Both were harmless and neither delayed my surgery.
The Results
My doctor did find something abnormal during my procedure but he is unsure what’s causing it.
The liver specialist said I will need another MRI in three months to be sure, but he does not believe that the lesion will develop malignant cells.
My post-op telemedicine appointment did not go well and I am currently in search of a new gastroenterologist that can hopefully give me proper answers.
I am able to sleep again and some of my symptoms have significantly improved on the current medicine combination I am on. That said, I am not 100% and still go through really bad periods at least once a week.
Personal Reflection
Why have I not only taken the time, but also been so candid about a personal medical experience with you all?
Because this pandemic is causing more than just financial turmoil, and hardly anyone is talking about it.
Do I truly think that Covid-19 is the only reason I have had such a long and terrible experience? No, I don’t.
There are many facets of our healthcare system that are in need of improvement. The mere idea of waiting 7 weeks for a PHONE CONSULTATION still boggles my mind. That’s not the coronavirus, that’s a much bigger problem that existed long before this pandemic was ever a concern.
Healthcare is an important part of everyone’s life. Maybe not now, and maybe not yet, but eventually, it’ll come into play for you too.
Care about it now before you’re stuck waiting 5 months for answers.
Care about it now before you pay thousands upon thousands of dollars on testing alone.
Care about it now before you or your family members are discriminated against based on your age, skin color, sexuality, or ability level.
Care about it now, and vote for change this November.
You’ll be glad you cared.
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I’ve had some gastrointestinal issues as well. I usually go to Northwestern but they wouldn’t be able to take me in for 5 months. My dad gave me the idea to call other local hospitals to see what if they could take me, so I called Rush. They gave me an appointment within 2 weeks of my call and my doctor addressed my concerns. I really appreciated this because I’ve had so many problems with doctors not giving me the time of day. They think that I’m over exaggerating or I’m fine. It’s disappointing especially when they send me the bill to pay a $150 copay for a 15 minute appointment where nothing was solved. It’s frustrating to say the least. I hope this recommendation helps! I know how hard it can be especially now. I’m so glad you are feeling better and I hope you can get a new visa soon!!