Official Diagnosis

Went to see my doctor today to chat about headaches. Tuesday was day six of Headache Watch 2006.

After a lengthy interview about my headaches, I was officially diagnosed with migraines. This wasn't news, but nice to be taken seriously and to have a doctor give thoughtful consideration about how to manage the situation.

Once we covered the headaches, I told her the story of my right kidney ache. A year or two ago - I forget now - there were a couple of weeks when my lower right back ached. Mildly at first, and then a few days later, to a frightening degree.

The only thing that seemed likely was a wee kidney stone might be knockin about. The night it got really bad, I popped half a vicodin and waited it out. It had dissipated by the following morning and life went on. No idea if anything ever passed - the pain just gradually disappeared.

But it's back this week - though very mild. Rather than hope for the best, I told her all about it to see what she thought might be going on. She was equally thoughtful in her approach to my kidneys, asking a lot of questions and explaining symptoms, etc.

We agreed that a ct scan at this time didn't seem necessary, but that I should monitor the ache and if it worsened, to give her a call and we'd start some tests.

I thought we were all finished and I'd soon be on my way back to work when she said, "To be sure, I want to rule out any ovarian cysts or possibly the appendix." I was thinking, "cool, that seems reasonable," and then she said, "So I'm going to do a pelvic. Go ahead & take off your pants and underwear & lie back on the table."

Hello! What? I was about to leave! Now you want me to take off my pants? Won't this cost extra? I don't even know you! The pain is in my BACK - ABOVE my pelvis! Don't you know where my kidneys are?

I'm not averse to the annual pelvic exam - I'm okay with taking care of myself - though no woman I know, including myself, enjoys lying back on a table with your feet in [cold] stirrups with your hoohah on full display. It's something we endure because we have to, not because we want to.

But OK - I was there to find out what's going on - I had to do my part. As I could have told her, there was no funny business in the reproductive area; the appendix neither. Nice to have that ruled out, but it would have been nicer to know in advance that it would be a hoohah check.

Go for the headache meds, stay for the pelvic. They throw that in for free!