I am a lucky guy. I've hardly had any major sickness or injury in my life.
Knee injury in skiing and ACL reconstruction was the biggest injury. But it was oh-so-many years ago. Although I quit skiing and was cautious in taking on martial arts exercise afterwards, I've been walking, jogging, hiking, dancing and doing everything else just fine.
As such, I've stayed away from hospitals and doctors, other than annual flu shot and covid vaccinations.
However, in the past a few years, I started feeling funny sensation in my upper right abdomen and back. I had some pulsing pain around my liver a few weeks ago. I am fine, but the sensation/pain is a nuisance.
I am a cancer biologist. I've seen many tumors in mice in person and photos of human cancers. This kind of long-lasting abdominal pain/sensation makes me nervous. Just get to see a doctor and ask a diagnosis should be a much better way than speculating by myself.
Speaking of speculation, most likely it is gallstone or related inflammation. Imaging analysis should pick up gallstone, kidney stone or tumor (I'm not gonna like it. I attended a lecture on Hepatocellular Carcinoma last Friday. They presented survival curves from recent clinical trials for liver cancer, and they did not look too promising. Treatment benefits were there, but small. Liver cancers are still "difficult" cancers for sure...I digress). Blood work should detect liver damage or inflammation (hepatitis) if any, which can be followed up with other diagnostics to determine the cause and therapy strategy.
What should be done is there as routines for hospital staff. They can answer what this is. And we can determine what to do next.
I am from Japan. I don't know recent situations in Japan, but I was used to get to see a doctor quickly, in a matter of hours and days at most, when sick.
American medical system moves like glacier for me.
After the pain episode, by the book, I asked my primary care physician to refer me to internal medicine.
2.5 weeks later, I got a call (yesterday) that the referral got through. They made an appointment with a doctor on December (now is Sept 22),......2.5 months later.
I'd get to see a doctor if it is an emergency, like stroke, heart attack, serious injury or acute infections (...would I? I hope I would). But for non-emergency, the system seems to be moving so slow. And I doubt covid patients are still clogging up the hospital system.
Seriously, some aspects of American life are like those in third world countries.
Well, maybe because I am not very familiar with the medical system and there may be a fast lane (I did ask around, though). Or maybe the hospital system seriously needs work. Or maybe it is just such a time and we have not recovered from the covid impact on medical system (I saw some doctors and nurses quit).
I know the doctors, nurses and hospital staff are working hard for what they are supposed to do and for what they can. I am not trying to be a Karen. But from the standpoint of a patient, there are improvements to be made.
What can I do to make improvements?
