Drugs and Doubts About the New ENT

January 1-15, 2008

 

I had no choice but to go on Klonopin, an anti-anxiety medication, in order to get some sleep. Klonopin is a diazepam, a class of drug that is both addictive and drying. In order to cope with this iatrogenic (medically-caused) illness, I was forced onto medication which further compromised my health. When I saw my GP, I was, as always, in agony. She brought out a letter sent to her by Dr. F. She appeared puzzled. “Are you comfortable with this guy?” she asked.

 

When I read the letter, I was shocked. “She felt better for a few weeks but since then she has been having persistent difficulties,” Dr. F. wrote. I had not told him I had felt better after the surgery. I had told him that I felt better in the first week after the surgery than I did now.

 

“The surgery was prompted by an abnormal MRI showing chronic sinusitis,” he wrote. I was thunderstruck. An MRI cannot show chronic sinusitis, without there being a history of sinus complaints: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chronic-sinusitis/DS00232 . Why was he justifying the surgery? This was a report to my GP regarding my condition. “She was found to have polyps during the surgery and this was confirmed on her pathology report,” he expounded.

 

He went on to speak of “mild dryness” and “a small amount of purulent discharge.” I felt slapped. Mild dryness? Mild dryness?!

 

“She was very emotional…and was crying throughout most of the exam. She is very concerned that she may have atrophic rhinitis.” This wording made it seem as if I had been crying because I thought that I may have atrophic rhintis. I had been crying because I was in extremis. I had thought he had understood that. He had seen inside my nasal cavities.

 

“I reassured her….that it did not appear that she had atrophic rhinitis.” No, he had not. He had said he couldn’t tell yet. He had said that diagnosis could not be made for four to six months following sinus surgery, as healing would still be taking place. Which brings into question—why had Dr. S. made that diagnosis two weeks after my surgery?