Odds and Ends

Hello Sweet Friends,
I don't usually broach such deep subjects as person injuries, but lately I have felt the need to express my deep frustration as well as my deep gratitude.

First, let me explain that I am doing ok. I have finally seen my second surgeon who has opted, after a 10 week trial with the first surgeon, to keep me off my leg. Being broken, this leg has hurt since the accident in my home on December 16, 2016.  The first surgeon said, "I just don't understand why you are having so much pain in your knee and leg". That is not something you want to hear from your surgeon, believe you me! Hence, I have a new surgeon.

Second, let me say that I have in the past 13 weeks, gone through excruciating physical therapy. Holding back the tears and strain and the intense pain this injury has caused me. I've gone through the pool therapy, working dilligently to strenghten the muscles and membranes that I ripped during this fall. I have been "walking" on this leg, doing all that I can in a brace with my 'normal' disability, and pushed as this first surgeon directed me to do.

Third, I've been very stingy on my own personal use of the prescribed pain killers. I've not gotten this personal in a long time. I want to say that a pain doctor's receptionist should not be privy to my medical pain prescription nor should said persons be responsible for keeping me away from my doctor in times of severe pain.  But, that being said, I am not an abuser of drugs.  I will eventually get to the point of my post, but please bear with me. 

Fourth, being a person with a life long disability, I have learned what I can and can not do with my life. I do strive to "get better" and do make little accomplishments. However, when a disabled person is injured, it restricts life even more than before. And unless you live in one's shoes, there is no reason on God's green earth that someone can be an expert about how "disabled" I am just because I can walk (using a walker, cane, or wheelchair). Disability, in my case, has been over 20 years and I won't be normal again, ever. I know this. Rubbing my nose in it by a "professional nurse" is not what I call professionalism. Nor is making broad statements, not knowing any of my history of daily double sciatica pain, neck arthritis, blown discs that run up my spine above metal hardware. I live in pain daily and I deal with it as best I can. Enough said on that.

Fifth, said disabled and injured person as I am, and I've now been told by new surgeon #2 to"put no weight on this left leg for the next 3 months", come to the conclusion that life is very frustrating. I have no real sort of balance and literly felt like I was arguing with my surgeon to write me a script to use a wheel chair. His words were, "You will gain weight in a wheel chair." And I said, "I will only use it to transport back and forth". After a lengthy debate and hubby stepping in to assure the doc I would keep the chair in the car, did he agree to the chair. 

That being said, here is my point to this post. 

• As a patient, I feel that I should be in charge of my treatment. I should be aloud a second opinion if treatment is making pain worse.
•  I feel that I should know my own body and that if I finally use my pain prescription (I hate them and don't take them) as written, then no one but my doctor should be telling me that I "don't need the meds because I am an abuser" and make me sign a notice on drug administration policies. Publicly humiliating me in front of staff and other patients.
• I feel that when I say, "It is hurting and not getting better" that medical professionals should listen. Should run other tests, or x-rays, or whatever else to find the problem. As 4 people saw something different on the x-rays, MRI, and Cat-scan. And no one was in agreement.
• That when treatment is not satisfied, then alternatives should be sought. 
• That medical equipment should be available for those who need it.

My final diagnosis is as follows:
I have several torn ligaments around & up and down the knee, I have 3 tears in the Maniscus, I have an ACL rip, no stabilization on either side of the knee, I have a broken, pizza shape fracture down the back of the Tibia from the top and the Tibia is fractured across the leg 1/4" below the surface. 

I'm off the leg for 3 months.

Next, since I have definitely said my fill and relived the frustration once more, I want to thank all you out there who have been through the past 13 weeks with me. You know who you are. And I thank all of you for your kind words, your encouragement, your positive thoughts, and mostly for your prayers of healing and understanding for me. I THANK YOU! I know this post is long and I thank you for reading it all!

If you've been done wrong by your doctors or staff, please have encouragement from me here in this post when I say, get another opinion until you get something that makes sense and is helping for you. Don't stick it out and have more damage done as I did. It is your right as a patient to seek other opinions. 

God Bless You!