Friday, October 17, 2008

The pulmonologist

Yesterdays pulmonologist appointment was very frustrating. I was hoping for a definitive answer and being told R was fine and no longer needed the med lycine or oxygen. What I got was the doc wanting to do a sleep study. And, what a surprise that she is a director of the sleep lab. She didn't know anything about lycine or want to address it at all. I pushed hard and kept pushing insisting that I didn't want to go into the sleep study with him on it if the purpose was to monitor his blood gases and the lycine was supposed to help reduce the amount of CO2. I didn't think I was getting anywhere (other than the doc and I both getting frustrated) or that I was being heard, but did get the doc to authorize a blood gas and metobolic blood test. She kept saying that the lycine shouldn't matter and pulmonoligist wouldn't use it and they didn't in their NICU, and that R had probably outgrown the dosage which would render it ineffective. I said great, then give the order to discontinue it. She didn't want to do that because she didn't know why it was given and how it works. Nor could she answer what would need to be done to make a determination. She kept trying to send my on my merry way with the the appointment for the sleep lab and I wasn't buying it. We compromised on the blood test. I asked if she would research the lycine and get back to me prior to the sleep study on how it works and the potential impact on the study and she would not commit to this. I was pleasantly surprised when I got a call last night with the results of the test and a verbal to d/c the lycine. I guess I drove her crazy enough to take time from her busy schedule to do some research on it. Good. I understand why she wants the sleep study, but told her it was rediculous that it took so long to get in and that I was done with the oxgyn. She appplogized and the sleep schedule is set for next Tuesday morning.

I just want to be done with all the doctor appointments already.

1 comment:

Laura in L.A. said...

Yay, Deb! That pulmonologist must have caught on to what kind of a Mama Bear she was dealing with! Glad she did her research like a wise doc and called you back.

I can't wait until the babies are done with the appointments, either. Hang in there.

Love, Laura :):)