Tuesday 27 March 2012

What ever happened to the holistic approach?

Given my brain is a little broken as I write this my point may not be immediately clear.
Bare with me - I have a story to tell.

I have been trying to get a hold of my Neurosurgeon for a while.  Since I had my last  MRI and consultation in December my seizure activity has began to pick up - again.  I am experiencing frequent muscle weakness and sore joints on my right side.  My AVM is on the left and the swelling effects movement, among other things, on my right.  I had sent a bunch of emails, made a few calls, left some messages all of which were not responded to.  The hospital where I received Gamma Knife Surgery is not the hospital my Neurosurgeon actually works at full time so sometimes it is difficult to track him down.  As it turns out he was away for a few weeks. I decided not to pursue the other members of my team because they are not as familiar with my "unique case."  (I now have his personal assistant's email address so I cc everything to her at her request :)

A couple of weeks ago I visited my Family Physician and had her run a bunch of blood work.  She humored me but said, "you know it will all come back normal". I smiled.  I requested the lab send the results to her but also to my Neurology team at Toronto Western Hospital and my Cardiologist at St. Michael's Hospital. "Normal or within normal" are her go to phrases.  I no longer know anything and nothing in my life is within normal.

While at my appointment I shared with her my increase in seizure activity.  She suggested that maybe I go off an anti depressant I have been taking because it may decrease the effectiveness of my anticonvulsant.  Interesting.  I had already independently decreased my dose from 60 to 20mg before I had surgery so stopping wasn't out of the question. Done.  The doctor who originally prescribed this medication told me that with my "AVM diagnosis I have much bigger things to worry about now".  I assume she meant bigger than mental illness that haunts my family at large.  (Keep in mind we only have one brain).

Last fall I was referred to a Cardiologist because my Geneticist accidentally stumbled upon "something very wrong" with my heart while looking for more AVM's in my heart and lungs. Not vascular (AVM), not electrical (like B) but muscular.  The left ventricle was beating 50% slower than it should be. New problem unrelated to everything else. Really?  Unrelated?! I have learned that when you look for something you may actually find it or something completely unexpected.  I have had four different tests on my heart over the past six months. The Cardiologist has been wonderful but he too believes my AVM is more important than anything else at this moment.  I will finally hear the results and prognosis on April 4th. Sigh...  I have so many questions... What caused this?  How long has it been going on?  Does this explain why I don't recognize my own body?

Since I am already making the trip to Toronto to see my Cardiologist I decided to touch base with my Neurosurgeon - one more time.  I sent him a quick email to let him know I would be in Toronto on the fourth which happens to be his clinic day.  I reminded him of my previous emails, the increased seizure activity and told him I was no longer taking Prozac.  Within minutes he responded. "Prozac is known to cause seizures.  Please discontinue and come see me on the fourth."  Interesting!  It's never been a secret I was taking this medication.  Nor has it been a secret that I have regular seizures.  So why the AHA moment now?

I would like nothing more to hand over my medical files for the past 15 years to an eager medical student and say. "Here!  This is a list of symptoms and though they may seem unrelated I feel like everything is connected.  I am of one body and mind.  Please do not treat a part of me.  Treat me as a whole."

1 comment:

  1. Two of the greatest failures of allopathic medicine is specialization and symptom treatment.
    It is unfortunate that alternative approaches have not been adopted by the mainstream.
    Especially if the reason is foolish pride.

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