Rosh Hashanah was very nice. David found me a round challah, even though he had to dig for it. The services were very well done, with a major yasher koach to Rabbi Kelilah Miller for an extraordinary job. She is a fabulously talented musician, and I would recommend checking out her music on Soundcloud. To top it off, we even bumped into the local Conservative synagogue at the park yesterday where they were doing tashlich.
Now back to our regularly scheduled medical update.
Tuesday’s appointment with the GI was In the Heights, and arriving there was a total nightmare. Ambulances were double parked pushing their gurneys with people on them through a lane of traffic into the hospital. Fortunately, they have valet parking because David was thrilled to be able to hand over the keys and make them deal with parking. All in all, it was 4 hours door to door, with only 45 minutes of that being my time with the actual doctor.
The doctor himself was good. Just a bit of background. I originally had an appointment with a different GI at Columbia. But when Mary sent in my chart, the practice switched me to their gastroparesis expert. So there really is no one better at Columbia.
The doctor had clearly looked at my chart before he came in to meet with me. And it was nice to have an actual conversation with a doctor about the mouth twitches. All of my exchanges with the non-communicative GI on the subject had been on email over the portal.
As expected, there was little the new GI could do for me. He concurred that I am now off my most effective med for good. And there aren’t any other magic pills or procedures waiting in the wind. He made a minor adjustment in one of my other motility meds and made some suggestions for the psychiatrist if the cymbalta doesn’t play out as we hope. And, and this is a huge and, he would want to discuss that with the psychiatrist. This guy is clearly a team player. Something I have desperately been searching for.
David even asked explicitly who he has covering for him when he goes on vacation. he said that he has people that he refers his motility patients to when he is out of the office. So no more waiting through 4 days weekends to get any kind of answer out of a doctor. I’m sold.
I do have one more appointment with a potential GI in October. That one is a fan favorite in my gastroparesis groups. I am keeping that appointment just to be sure. But for now, I am comfortable with who I have.
The neurologist was a very different story. Let’s just say that there is a reason that Mary was able to get me an appointment with him so quickly. He did his residency in Staten Island. For you non-New Yorkers, Staten Island is truly the red-headed stepchild of New York City’s 5 boroughs. And thanks to “What We Do in the Shadows*” I can only hear it said in Nandor the Relentless’ voice.
Clear disparagement aside, the neurologist was comfortable that since the mouth twitches are continuing to dissipate since I went off the medication, there is no serious time-sensitive emergency. He ordered a couple of MRIs of my brain and C-Spine which I am getting done this coming Thursday. He also referred me to a movement clinic, which Mary is working on getting me scheduled with.
Also coming up next week is an appointment with a psychiatrist who will be working with my GI on the gut brain issues. That sums up my medical life for now.
*What We Do in the Shadows is a brilliant mockumentary series on Hulu and has done more to raise the esteem of Staten Island in my mind than anything before it.