That wasn’t quick!

I still have a needle in my belly. Imagine that!

The week I found out, I phoned around, looking for surgeons. They were all too, too booked up. (Well, the ones I tried anyway!) I finally found one where the office manager asked if I was a new patient, asked if I wanted a general consult or… I told her I had what I’m pretty sure is a needle inside me and I definitely would be having a pre-surgical consult as I want it out!

She made up an appointment for that same week, telling me that if I need surgery indeed, the doctor could do it the very day after the consult. Which would be Friday.

Instead, Friday, I found myself have a CT scan. The doctor had told me to go book the scan then he’d call to discuss the nitty gritty of surgery. He said everything would move fast after the CT scan.

His definition of fast is not my definition. I waited all of Friday, Saturday, Sunday and only got the call on Monday. We did discuss that he would send me to radiology first for them to mark where the foreign body is, then I’d go down to theater . But first, I’d need to phone the office and book a consultation.

My face fell… Well, I couldn’t see it but I felt like it fell.😩What? Another consultation?? But the first consultation I paid for was already clear that I would be having surgery! He knew what we had to deal with! I asked why I’d be going in for another consultation. He said it was to sign paperwork. In the past five years, I have NEVER gone and paid for a consultation just to sign paperwork. In most cases, I received it via email and sent it back.

So, I phoned the office that same day-Monday morning. Again, same question. “Are you a new patient?” I explained that I felt new as I hadn’t had my surgery yet, but that I HAD been seen once the previous week. She discussed that seeing as I was going in to sign paperwork, I wasn’t new, and that the closest available appointment would be the following week.

Excuse me? You’re telling me you suddenly can’t rustle up an appointment this same week like you did when you heard I was new, a very quick appointment just for me to sign some paperwork? You’re telling me I have to wait a whole week just to SIGN?? What happened to “You could even have surgery the day after you see him?” And if you’re making me wait this long just to sign some papers, how long till the actual surgery?

Those were all in my mind as I queried how long the wait was going to be. She sounded irritated as she mentioned that there was no space that week.

Unfortunately, I don’t get angry, I get hurt. Instead of reminding her that she lured me to the practice by telling me I’d be operated on ASAP and instead I didn’t even have a date yet, I just set up the appointment for this coming Monday, wondering silently when exactly surgery itself would be.

By Wednesday, I was now angry. This wasn’t right, nor safe. With other surgeons, they tell me a date the very first consult. I didn’t have that. And I felt she said what she said about a quick surgery knowing full well they want you to pay for two consultations but that once I’ve seen the doctor once, I’d feel trapped. Now, a week had passed since I had first started looking for surgeons. A week in which I might have found a non-deceptive practice.

It was now a matter of principle. You don’t make empty promises, milk money out of me and get away scot-free. I phoned any and every surgeon. One was listed as being at a hospital called Mediclinic Milnerton. Lies! It went straight to his home landline and he retired seven years ago! I felt so bad, bothering Dr Louw like that. But he was so kind and tried so hard to help. But the doctor he suggested was not available till 9 June. So, I asked for recommendations for “not too busy” surgeons in a neighbourhood group and phoned the first name that someone shared.

He had space that very same week, so I went in to see him yesterday morning. And it’s not that he wasn’t busy because there were many of us there. They created space.Also he didn’t treat me like I’m on some conveyor belt like the other surgeon had. He introduced himself nicely, looked me in the eye as we spoke and I felt at ease.

Better yet, I signed paperwork that very same appointment and I’m having surgery this Wednesday. THAT’s what I’m taking about!

Not only that, he will also carry out the gastroscopy the rheumatologist had requested I have done. We need to see if my Exinef (NSAID for the AS) is killing me, and we need to see if there are biologics I won’t be able to try.

Just a few more days. Just a few more days and this thing will be out of me. He can’t promise that it will be super smooth or quick, because we don’t know what damage the needle has done in there, but at least we will be working on it.

And that, dear reader, is where we are.

I STILL HAVE A FOREIGN BODY WITHIN ME. But Dr Charl Cooper will get rid of it soon.