I contacted my healthcare provider last week after suffering a severe blow to my head when I fell down, In fact, I fell again last night. Without giving too much information, I was weak because I had to clean my toilet more than 15 times because after every meal, I have diarrhea, despite using lomotil before eating. However, while I was at the ER and telling the doctor about my experience and what I had found on the California Medical Board about my gastroenterologist who has been treating me for dilated liver and pancreatic ducts, she agreed with me that I should never see this doctor again. I am sure she knows more about him than what consumers can see on the "board's" website. Her reaction was very telling at best and her sage advice did not go without careful consideration about what I had been planning to do about my lack of care, lack of respect and an overall feeling of being dismissed by my doctor.
After that discussion I arranged a followup visit with my PCP and advised him that I am filing a grievance against my healthcare system because of the mistreatment I have been receiving from my stomach doctor as well as against a neurologist who misdiagnosed me 10 years ago with dementia without doing any form of testing(that resulted in losing not just my license but also my sense dignity and independence because I had to give up my new car. The diagnosis was later corrected by another neurologist who was stricken by the diagnosis and sent the appropriate information to DMV, but since I had already given up my car and could no longer afford to but a new one, I never renewed my license but will do so now), and that I wanted to be seen at University California Davis by a liver specialist. While I could have chosen Stanford, which has one of the best liver disease care centers in California, Davis made more sense because their hospital is located in the city where I live. I have Mayo Clinic Connect to thank for providing me with information about getting to a university hospital, and also for helping me develop enough confidence to get to the point where I felt comfortable asking for what I need.
After that video visit, I received a call from the Home Health department of my healthcare system and was advised that the following would be sent to my home beginning next week: RN, PT, OT, Dietitian, Nutritionist and social worker, I will also be getting a pressure relief mattress because the interstim device implanted in my back is protruding more than it was before because I have now lost almost 30 pounds since March. I cannot sleep on my back without waking up with pain that requires an ice pack each morning. My normal weight is 120, and I now weigh 92 pounds. No healthcare provider has ever discussed with me this weight loss, other than the stomach doctor telling me to eat all the ice cream I can, which I now cannot because I have become lactose intolerant and non dairy ice cream is too expensive right now.

I am grateful for the support I have received from the Mayo Clinic Connect for many reasons, including, but not limited, to the emotional support, the medical information and the encouragement to seek better care elsewhere. The sense of humanity provided by the Mayo Clinic staff has been tremendous and my experience participating in the Mayo Clinic Connect has been life changing. I have nothing but an enormous sense of gratitude for all those who have emboldened me to begin speaking up and becoming an advocate for myself, something that until now has always been difficult to do. Old habits die hard.

I thank all of you for taking an interest in my health and wish in some way I could better thank you by simply posting this message. You have changed my life and now I know I will get through this horrible affliction and begin a new path back to my healthy lifestyle. You hung in with me when my own medical providers would not.