Is there a doctor in the house?

in

Chief Complaint/Presenting illness:
I've had tendonitis of the elbow and shoulder since May '05 or before actually; May was when i finally went to the doctor, an orthopedic surgeon. He came in and examined me in about 5 min. pronounced that I had bursitis of the shoulder and I could have a cortisone shot if i liked. I almost chickened out when he went out to do something while his assistant got the instruments( tools of torture) ready. Physical therapy was recommended but I didn't partake because it wasn't covered by our insurance and i didn't want to spend my hard earned cash on it.

So when it came back in August before vacation, with now the elbow involved too, I went to the orthopedic Dr. in my doctors group and I got the double whammy injection. This doctor was very short on bedside manner so when it flared again in December I went to yet another Dr. who x-rayed the elbow and gave in another injection there.

April I'm back again for the elbow. So tho score now is 3 elbow/2 shoulder.
So now it's been back again, in both for a couple of months but worse the last week.
I take myself off to yet another Orthopedic doc and , oh yea i forgot to say that now my sciatica has decided to rear it's ugly head, just in case the arm gives me a moment of peace. So this new doctor, who only does arms and knees so forget telling him about the sciatica, tells me it usually lasts a year, but in some people it can last up to 4 yrs.And it quite often happens to carpenters and physical laborers (damn my house). In the middle of the exam I start to get upset (lack of sleep does this to you - i'm teary- very - does he offer me a kleenex/is there any in sight - No. He has also made me choose which is bothering me more, hence the discussion on the elbow. my choices: another cortisone shot in the elbow (tho my last doctor told me 3 was it ( 4th isn't therapeutic) or surgery.

So i leave as i'm not sure about a shot or surgery. when i get outside some questions surface and i go back in and ask his assistant if i could just talk to him for a few minutes. I thought they would let me talk to him in between patients, as we do at the practice i work at. I patiently waited for him to see his remaining 3 or 4 patients and then he comes out to the waiting area to talk to me, doesn't even call me back in after making me wait. I ask him about the shoulder pain again ( now did i mention the constant clicking?) and a few quick questions and i leave.

Last nite was the worst nite ever ; I fell asleep early watching House, woke up at 11 in pain( arm and leg(butt/sciatica, took some pain med. and was still awake at 3 AM consulting Web MD. I go downstairs for water and feel awful, nauseous and like i'm gonna faint. went back to bed and managed to sleep a couple of hours. called out for work and back to bed for a couple more hours.
I dont' know how I can live like this; I know people have much worse than this, but i'm having a hard time coping. Appt. with physical therapy tomorrow; tho i can't figure how that will help while everything is hurting it now. wishing i had done it when the cortisone was on board.
Well if there is anyone still here, i'll take any and all suggestions.

7 comments:

Mary said...

This sounds so miserable and I wish I did have an answer for you, Rdl.

Just sending you hugs and very best wishes. Keep us posted.

rdl said...

Thanks Mary, i hope i don't bore you all to death.

NoVA Dad said...

I don't have anything useful to contribute other than my prayers -- hope your spared from further pain very soon!!

Patry Francis said...

Oh sister, wish I was there so we could drink champagne and watch old groucho marx movies. you might not feel any better, but at least you'd be drunk and laughing.

xo

Lorna said...

compassion from your friends is good...

musingwoman said...

I'm so sorry! Sciatica is just miserable. I've had a few bouts of it and the nonstop pain is hard to bear. Ice packs, Ibuprofen and Thera-Gesic helped the most.

The champagne and Groucho Marx movies sound good, too.

rdl said...

Matt - i never turn down prayers - thank you. Patry - I can't wait!! lorna - you're right i don't know what i would do without my friends. and Musing thank you too; also nice to see you here.