More Medical Mayhem

So I went to both the cardiologist and the internist. The cardiologist gave me a prescription for antacids because he thinks that I'm having some weird acid reflux thing and it's causing the breathing problems. The internist thinks the cardiologist is making a stab in the dark and told me not to take the antacids and gave me a prescription for an asthma inhaler. Neither one thinks the drug I was on could possibly have anything to do with my symptoms, despite the fact that they started after I started taking it, and have markedly improved since I stopped. Go figure. Is it that hard to admit that the patient might be right?

Here's the great thing - those stairs that were the start of this whole episode of medical mayhem? I went up all four flights on Monday and again today and I was able to carry on a conversation after I did. I'm telling you this stuff not because I think my medical history is that interesting but as a cautionary tale, maybe aimed more at myself than at anyone else. Once the sickness industry train gets rolling it's hard to get off. I don't want to be an anti-medicine fanatic; I think fanaticism in any form is a bad. I know doctors are well-meaning and doing the best that they can. But, it's a scary thing when no one is willing to listen to the patient, when the medical history they take (I got a copy) is full of errors, and the procedure they do sets up a chain of events that result in a visit to the emergency room with a condition that is potentially much more threatening than the original reason for seeking treatment. Moral of the story (again, for my own benefit) is to do whatever it takes to stay well.

I started the diet on Monday and have done really well (though not perfectly) so far, and I have started walking again. I will need to condition slowly - I have lost muscle tone and my cardiovascular endurance is nil. But I can start! The docs have given me the OK to resume my life, including workouts - which is a good thing, because who ever heard of a wellness coach who is in such bad shape?