I have Blogged about falling the Sunday after Thanksgiving and my shoulder issues. It was not broken and I was told to not use it for several days and then begin to use it and try to build strengthen and movement. If there were any issues, I was to return to my doctor.
As I got closer to the end of January I had recovered a lot of the movement and a good bit of strength. However, I could not left my arm straight up from my side or turn in to the inside or reach behind my lower back without a sharp pain running down it. The sharp pain was a source of concern to me. I could understand needing more time to build movement and strength but I felt like the sharp pain should be over after two months had past.
I called my doctor and went to see him on February 10th. We reviewed my concerns and he moved my arm and applied pressure in certain ways to determine what to do next. He felt there was probably a tear and the only way to be sure was an MRI. His office set me up with an appointment at radiology at the hospital in Georgetown for the following Tuesday.
Monday evening I got a call from US Imaging. It seems they started working with our insurance company on January 1st. Their purpose is to be sure the least expensive radiologist is used thereby saving the insurance company and me as much as possible. Really????
My Tuesday appointment at a convenient location where I have had all my radiology needs taken care of since we moved to Kentucky was canceled. They gave me some options in Lexington. I told them any time with the exception of Wednesday afternoon. They scheduled me for the following Monday, February 20th in Lexington. Now the upside to this is the Georgetown Hospital uses a closed MRI. The Lexington facility uses an open MRI. I have a bit of claustrophobia and my doctor had prescribed me one valium to be taken 1 hour previous to the procedure. Going to Lexington would be a bit further but I wouldn't need that valium and the MRI would be open.
Then I got another call from US Imaging. It seems their contract with the Lexington facilities was not current and we could not use them. There was another facility in Frankfort and it would be a closed MRI. Okay, let's save that money and I'll take the appointment in Frankfort for Monday afternoon.
Well...since it was a closed MRI and since that meant I would be on Valium and needed a driver that meant I needed Claude to take me. It turns out he had a meeting on Monday and would not be able to take me. So I called and they moved the MRI to Wednesday morning in Frankfort.
This was good timing because my little buddy Jessie who lives in Frankfort was having her birthday that day. I eMail Laura, her mom, and asked if we could pop in and give Jessie a little birthday present and a hug. I added that I would be on Valium at the time and it could be a bit amusing to watch me. Laura agreed. The date was set and the plan in place.
Wednesday morning, February 22nd, Claude and I were in Frankfort early enough for me to fill out all those lovely papers one must fill out when visiting a new medical facility. I had taken my Valium before we left the house and the thing I found most amusing is that I actually slowed down and read all the paperwork. My brain flits around so quickly that most times I just glide over stuff. But I could really slow down and focus.
By the time they put me on that table that slides into the MRI machine I was ready for a little nap. They laid me back on the table and I closed my eyes. After I was in the machine I remember thinking, "You are going to be very disappointed if you get through all of this and you never open your eyes to at least get a peek of what it really looks like in here." (I always think of Lot's wife in the Bible when I do these kinds of things.) So I quickly opened my eyes and then shut them again and settled in for being really still for about 30 minutes. That in itself is a miracle for me. I must have started to really drift off at some point because I remember having a strong impulse to roll over on my side and something inside me saying that was not a good idea. It seems like that time went quickly.
I went to the waiting room where Claude was and we waited for them to create a CD with all the pictures on it to take to my doctor. I asked if I could look at them on my computer and was told that would be fine.
As Claude and I walked to the car, Claude looked at me and said, "You know you are taking little bitty steps?" I said, "I just know I am walking forward toward the car and I can see a curb that I must step down." He chuckled and continued to walk slowly by me.
My hearts desire was for a big Dr. Pepper. I had nothing to eat or drink that morning and was ready for something. Claude pulled into a gas station and filled up his car for $3.25/gallon. This was the lowest price we found anywhere. Then he pulled across the street to the Taco Bell and we went inside for a little to eat and to get me that Dr. Pepper. While we were eating Claude was looking out the window back across the street at the gas station we used. He said, "Would you look at that. They just raised the price to $3.69/gallon!!" This is an amazing time in which we live.
We visited the Carter family. It is always so much fun to visit them. I got to sit and chat with Laura's mom for a while. I hope I was lucid enough for her. She loves a visit and that just makes it so nice. Jessie was happy with her little gift and hugs. And, as an added bonus, Laura's other two daughters and their little boys were there. So we got to see lots of the family. Great fun.
Then we headed home for a nap before I was to drive back into Georgetown to sing with Papa. Before the nap I had to peek at those pictures. As I'm looking at them on my computer I suddenly realized it made no difference. I didn't know what to look for anyway. It was neat seeing inside my shoulder but, really, I didn't know what to look for.
Thursday morning I went to City Hall for the swearing in of Detta Wilson as a city commissioner. Then I headed to Georgetown to drop of the CD of pictures at my doctor's office. I had been told they would fax him the results on Thursday some time. When I got to the counter and explained about the CD that receptionist said, "I think we have your results already. Let me check." Yeah!!! Sure enough she had them and they showed a tear in my rotator cuff. Yuck!! I needed to see an orthopedist for an evaluation to determine the need for physical therapy to correct it or surgery to correct it. They set me up an appointment for Monday, February 27th with the orthopedist.
Monday I visited him and he wants to try three weeks of physical therapy before determining a need for surgery. Yeah!!! I'm on board with that choice. He gave me the two physical therapy offices he prefers. I had a full morning of visits and things to be done in Georgetown and Lexington before I could head home. I felt like I needed to check out my insurance to be sure about quirks with it before I set up an appointment.
Monday late afternoon when I got home I pulled out the insurance book and read about coverage. I didn't have the book with which offices accepted our insurance. It turns out they use another service called OrthoNet to schedule this stuff just like the US Imaging does for radiology. I called OrthoNet and learned the process. They had me call the insurance company to find offices that would take the insurance. I called the one that was supposed to take our insurance to make an appointment and they said they no longer work with OrthoNet. Geez!!! I determined to go ahead and call the other office even though the insurance company said they didn't accept OrthoNet. Funny thing...they do accept OrthoNet, the receptionist knows the process and told me not to worry she had the forms and everything. We set up an appointment for tomorrow, Wednesday, February 29th to have the physical therapist evaluate the situation.
My hope is they can show me some exercises that I can do at home, tell me things I should not be doing that only make the situation worse and get me on the road to healing this tear so there will be no surgery. I'll have an update on how this goes in about three weeks. That is when I have another appointment with the orthopedist and we determine where to go from there.
I have learned that it takes TONS of patience to get through these medical things. I also can't really believe that we are saving a lot of money with all these 3rd party people but I'm sure I don't know all the details there. I have learned that I shall just 'shoulder on' in this process to healing my arm while be very, very, very careful to never, ever, ever fall down again.
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