The Wrath of Dr. Khan

My stomach sucks. I've discuss this before. I've got some annoying problem with serious acid reflux that, despite changing my diet and trying several OTC drugs, is still a problem.

Now that I'm down in Maryland, I had to pick a new doctor. Yesterday was my first appointment with her. She's very nice, contrary to what image her name brings up. She is Dr. Khan. All I could think of while waiting in the lobby was Captain Kirk clenching his fist and yelling out, "KHANNNNNNNNNN!!!!'" But fortunately, my Dr. Khan did not inspire such outbursts - although it was tempting to yell that out when she first entered the checkup room I was in. I instead thought better of starting off our doctor-patient relationship on the wrong, Star Trek inflenced, foot.

Anywho, I told her of my stomach woes. She said it was one of two things: serious acid reflux, or gallstones.

Let me move past the acid reflux and straight to the gallstones. That medical term makes me think of old people. I thought, Come on, healthy 26-year-old gals don't get gallstones! But, as it turns out, gallstones are actually quite common in young women.

But before assuming it was gall stones, Dr. Khan told me to go on an eight-week trial of more prescription meds for acid reflux. Apparently, if there is something wrong in your stomach, it takes about eight weeks to heal. So if the wonder drugs didn't turn out to be a wonder, then I'd have to come back in for a sonogram to see my gall bladder is suddenly a quarry. Hooray, I thought. Let's keep our fingers crossed for acid reflux! Especially after I read through WebMD's wonderful guides to the gallbladder and gallstones. Eesh, I'd rather not break my 26-year-old streak of no surgery, thank you very much..

But, if I suddenly turn yellow and get the eyes of drug addict, I'll be sure to call up my ER for an immediate gallbladder removal.

So, The Wrath of Dr. Khan turned out to be quite knowledgeable and caring. I grabbed my prescription and headed off to my pharmacy, where I then learned more about the horrors of prescription drug costs.

Thankfully my health insurance includes a prescription drug plan. My copay for the eight-week supply of my wonder drug was $90. The full cost? $270. Thanks very much, next time I'll chop off a right leg for you -- only wait,the prescriptions for healing that would cost another $5,000.

Sigh. Keep your fingers crossed, people of My Blogland, that I do not have a quarry in her gallbladder and rather instead just has a stomach that only needed eight weeks of a hugely expensive drug to make it feel better about itself.