My Visit To The Specialist

I made an appointment, went to a GP here in Sprendlingen, and received the referral to a specialist; this was needed in order to have the next surgical procedure preformed on my neck, (radiofrequency ablation of the cervical medial branch nerves).

Yesterday I went for this greatly anticipated appointment with the specialist in Frankfurt; I was very excited! When I woke up in the morning, my neck was very painful, however I chose not to take any painkillers so the specialist could see for sure where the problem was, and how bad it can typically be.

I mapped out, and wrote down, the directions to get into Frankfurt, to the hospital where this specialist office was located. It meant taking the S-ban train, then transferring to the U-ban train in Frankfurt; no problem. I made sure I left early – three hours before my appointment actually – just to make sure that, in case I went the wrong way, (which is not at all unusual) I would still be able to get to my appointment on time. I was actually there with enough time to grab some lunch in the cafeteria and get to the appointment, no problem. Signage in Frankfurt (Germany actually) is not all that helpful I have discovered. They don't always put up many signs, and when they do they can be very confusing! Oh, and the H, which is typically what we would think is the hospital sign, is not - it is the sign for a bus or train station/stop. 

On the way to the hospital,I saw this pathetic unit... I thought maybe it needed a doctor more than I did... now I am not so sure.

Side story: the cafeteria in the hospital (where you go not to be sick) served only crap food! I chose a small bowl of tomato salad, and two different types of lettuce and put some vinegar on them, and of course a bottle of sparkling water. When I got to the counter to pay, the cashier said “Salat, Salat, Salat, unt Wasser?” He was surprised that I didn’t have any of the other food… must be unusual for people not to want to eat fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, huge pieces of bread, pasta salad, coleslaw, wiener schnitzel, sausage, amongst other fried foods.  Also, jello; Is jello a hospital staple? It would appear so.

After I finished my lunch, I went upstairs to my appointment, arriving about 40 minutes early; the doctor was 1 hour 30 minutes late. I sat there forever! I was okay with waiting because I would be getting my appointment for the surgery, and it would be well worth the wait in the long run!

This specialist was a Neurosurgical doctor... not an Anesthesiologist, which I thought, I don't know, maybe they did things a little differently in Germany? Nope. He looked at my x-rays and said that my neck and spine looked alright, except the curve was too straight do to major muscle tension. NO KIDDING! He said there was nothing he could do for me, and that the surgery I was looking for was not practiced in Frankfurt, in fact he didn’t think it was practiced in Germany at all; it was too invasive and they preferred to do a friendlier procedure. I could go and see a Bio-somethingsomethingsomething - would I like him to refer me to one? This doctor would teach me to use a computer screen of some sort, which I would sit in front of, and it shows where the tension is so I can focus on that area and release those muscles. Mhm, 'cause I don't know where the tension is... I left his office with a referral to some “happy doctor”; I was absolutely fighting tears, (not completely successfully).

Then I get outside, and realize I did not map my return trip home…

Yup, I did get lost. I used my phone gps to figure out each time I was going the wrong way, and eventually found an information desk at the train station so I could ask – they don’t all contain such an area! The dude at this station had very poor English, and just handed me a sheet of paper... *boo (can you read it? Me either)
People seem to be just not interested in helping you, and often will just say they don’t speak English (yes they do).
By the time I got home, what should have taken me about 26 minutes, took me over two hours. I was very upset; every negative emotion you can imagine was in full force within me!

I went into the house, and Dean wasn’t home. This further upset me, not because he must be there, but because I just wanted to collapse into his arms. So I decided to go across the street to the Apotheke to fill the major painkiller prescription the regular doctor gave me last week; if I can’t have it surgically fixed, I will medicate it when I have to! Well, it turns out that a prescription that strong expires if you don’t fill it within seven days… NO WAY!!?!

I turned around, walked out, and the tears just began to fall!

As I am sure you can fully guess: when I got home, I had a complete and total meltdown! Poor Dean came home to an absolute basket case!

Summed up:

•   I can not, apparently, have the coveted neck surgery I so desperately need.
•    I appears I can not have another round of the injections I previously had either.
•   I do better in an Asian country, surrounded by 5 million Asians all in my space, than I do in  Germany surrounded by Caucasians. I like Asians.
•   I am not a fan of Europe right now, especially Germany. At all.
•   Dean is wonderful.
•   I LOVE my kitties, and having them there last night when I got home was necessary. Kitties have a sixth sense; when you are sad, they know it.
• My landlord is wonderful:

When I got home, after all that, sitting outside my door I found this bouquet!
Frau Carnarious picked these flowers from her garden, not knowing the day I had had (from hell!) and left them sitting there for me!!!
Oh. My. Word!!

She is so awesome!

What a sh*t day!

I am glad for a new day -
a new week -
soon a new month!