I’ve just done the math and figured out that I have seen 22 different medical professionals over the course of things.
Primary Care Physician – whom I first reported the problem, who ordered some blood work with…
Phlebotomist #1 – and also an x-ray from the…
X-Ray Tech – but the images were normal so I was referred by my PCP to the..
Physiatrist – who asked for an MRI with the…
MRI Tech – who sent test results back to my physiatrist, and because there was an anomaly I was sent to see the….
Orthopedic Surgeon – who decided the anomaly was unrelated and sent me back to my physiatrist who then referred me to….
Neurologist #1 – who did preliminary testing, and then referred me for an EMG with with preliminary bloodwork from the…
Phlebotomist #2 – who did the first round of blood draws – sixteen tests over six vials, but I hadn’t been told I needed to fast for one test so I had to make an appointment to see the…
Nurse – who dealt with my glucose tolerance test (melted otter pops never tasted so gross) and then I was free to see the….
Neurologist #2 – who did the EMG and asked for an upper spine and neck MRI with the….
MRI Tech #2 – who did her job spectacularly and then the results came back to the neurologists but they were baffled so I was referred to…
Neurological Specialist #1 – who was completely baffled and surrendered me to…
Neurological Specialist #2 – who has become my guide and ally through all of this, and she did more EMG pokery and sent me for more blood work with…
Phlebotomist #4 – but those results were normal too so we opted for a very expensive genetic test which required a blood draw from…
Phlebotomist #5 for Athena Diagnostics – and while we waited for that result, I was referred to weekly physical therapy with..
Physical Therapist #1 – and the next week with…
Physical Therapist #2 – and the next week because of terrible weather with…
Physical Therapist #3 – and sometime in there the results came back negative so I was sent off to see the….
Spinal Tap surgeon – who put a fucking NEEDLE IN MY SPINE (tho it seriously wasn’t that bad, House lied to me) and the tests were all normal and meanwhile I had a consultation with…
Physical Therapist #4 – who was called in to do consultation work on me with PT #2, and my doctor referred me to get a biopsy done with…
Surgeon for biopsy – who did the cuttery which led to test results which led to my diagnosis.
..And yesterday I added a technician with a medical prosthetics company to my menagerie.
There will be more, of course – there will eventually be a dietician and a speech therapist and a host of other people. But for now, my posse is 22 strong.