We got up at 6 for a 9am appointment with a new doctor in New York City, because we had about a half hour drive to the train station, an hour on the train to Grand Central Station, plus a ten minute or cab ride to get the doctor’s office. We left ample time and got there close to 45 minutes early, figuring there might be paperwork to do. And we got there to find… this doctor doesn’t take our insurance!

I’ve had a long week with my husband. For those who don’t know from Twitter or Facebook, it has been rough. He slept a lot, and when he was awake he had confusion, lack of balance, slurred speech, and on and on with negative side effects of a medication he had been prescribed. After coming all this way, there was no way I could take him home without seeing this specialist at New York University Medical Center we were supposed to be seeing.

The receptionist was nice enough to call associates, and there was a doctor in the NYU Med Center hospital across the street who could see Mark right away. SO happy. We went over and did paperwork and waited a short time before being called in.

I will make this quick. I love this Dr K. We went over everything verbally, case history. Dr K did a physical exam. He looked at past MRIs and CT scans and x-rays of Mark’s back, which we brought in. He ordered a ton of blood tests to be done. He wants another MRI done. We had a lot more waiting after blood work was done (downstairs) before being called in again.

Dr K says Mark needs comprehensive pain management on an outpatient basis. He does not provide this, but he will call around and find us a place that does this AND takes our insurance. He ordered Mark off one med completely, and changed him off one and onto another similar one. He gave two prescriptions and a paper for the MRI to be done and sent to him, and said he will call the insurance company to get the approval for the MRI, and he’ll call us back with the approval number.

Dr K said Mark does NOT need inpatient care! 🙂 And he doesn’t want Mark on narcotics anymore! 🙂 🙂 And he is doing the “legwork” of calling around that no other doctors has done for us, which is shocking and appalling because I’ve always thought that is part of the deal when you’re a doctor… but this doctor did it!

It’s a long story to tell all the details, but this is the important stuff. Oh, and if you ever go to NYC and especially to Grand Central Station, go to Zaro’s – it’s a bakery that has a location in GCS (www.zaro.com) and we always stop in for a snack on the way to catch our train home. Today we got cupcakes, black and white cookies (an NYC classic), a french baguette, and Mark also got an egg and cheese pastry thingy. Yum!

Coming down off the narcotic, Mark is probably going to go through some bad withdrawal symptoms, so he still can’t be alone. (I say still because after I came home Tuesday to find him asleep and the oven on and empty, and a stove top burner on and empty, I called my parents and had my dad come down to spend the night and stay with Mark all day Wednesday while I was at work.) He is at my parents’ house for a week or two, to get through the withdrawal, and I have the apartment to myself so I can focus on work, and TAW, and getting in some much-needed rest after a really difficult week.

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Jan 8

*originally posted in Goddess Circle*