Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax

Alice's Restaurant

Back when I went to the doctor in August, I didn't go in thinking I had a thyroid tumor. I went in because I had a lump in my throat, and I often felt like I couldn't breathe.

After the surgery, I had this strangling/suffocating feeling, but I wrote that off as scar tissue and post-op weirdness.

I had a physical a couple weeks ago with the doctor that first found the thyroid mass, and I did mention to her that I must not be back to normal yet, because although I swallow better, I sill have chest tightness and throat constriction.

She suggested Prilosec.

Funny thing is, in August I thought I had gastrointestinal reflux or an ulcer or something. Perhaps I was right, and the plum-sized tumor was just a red herring.

I haven't been sure if the Prilosec is working...I'm falling asleep better most nights, but I'm still feeling a little short of breath. This morning I forgot to take the Prilosec, and after my so-irritating breakfast of an english muffin and cottage cheese, it felt like an elephant was standing on my chest.

I'm guessing that's a clue.

You know how Alice's Restaurant has a long story about Arlo getting arrested for littering, with Officer Obie and the 8x10 glossy photographs and the Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat, but it's really about the draft?

I'm not here to talk about my ulcer medicine, I'm here to talk about my nephew.

He just turned eight. He's smart as a whip, engaging and funny, but for several years, he's had behavior problems in school.

At first, it looked like he was too smart and stubborn for preschool.

Then, maybe ADHD.

Then, maybe an anxiety disorder.

And you don't want to slide the bar all the way over to bipolar, but you can't say it won't turn out to be that in the end.

He has a counselor, a psychiatrist, concerned parents, and now that he's in public school, a bunch of teachers and administrators that have to try to help him (and mercifully, they seem to really want to.) I think they'll be adding a neurologist to the team soon, because even with the counseling and the medication and the other counseling and the other medication, something ain't right.

It's cool when a doctor can look at an ultrasound and say "hey, that's not supposed to be in there," and take it out. It's even cool when they say "take these pills for three months and see if you feel better," if you aren't feeling that bad in the first place.

It is so not cool to have no way of knowing what will help and what might make it worse besides trial and error, and that's what's happening with my nephew. I'm not blaming the doctors, that's the nature of the beast, but what a beast it is.

Posted by Nic at March 5, 2009 09:18 PM | TrackBack