This morning Joe and I went to see the orthopedic specialist. I was expecting to wait a long time, but got in rather quickly. We waited awhile in the exam room, but not too long. The doctor came in, asked me some questions, examined me, said, "wait here" and walked out of the room. That was the last we saw of him. He said I have arthritis in my right knee and there was some problem with my back, but he didn't say what the problem was.
We waited a few more minutes and a nurse came in. She gave me a prescription to get an x-ray of both knees, an MRI of my back and knees and a 6 week course at physical therapy. She also handed me two prescriptions for a knee brace and a back brace and told me to go to another office to get those.
At the second place we waited and waited and WAITED. Over an hour we waited. Then the doctor came out, called me in, looked at the prescriptions, measured me, and went to another room and got the braces. Let me tell you, this is not going to work out. The knee brace was great. The minute I put it on, the pain started going away. The back brace, however, was not good. First of all, the brace was up here -- and my pain was down here __. Secondly, it was really tight around my stomach where I had surgery a couple of years ago. Almost right away I started getting really bad pains in my stomach where the incisions were and felt like I was going to throw up and I couldn't breathe. When the brace was loosened to where it was bearable, it was totally useless. I couldn't sit down in it and had to take it off in order to drive home. There was no way I could go to work in it, so I just used the knee brace.
I was two hours late getting to work. At first I was doing really good with the brace, but as the day wore on, my knee started swelling so the brace got tighter and tighter. Then the pain started again and it was worse than before I put the brace on. When I got home it took both me and Joe pulling on it to get it off of me because my leg had swollen up that much. The metal part had dug into my skin.
I'm sure things will get better as I get used to things and the braces loosen up some. But right now I am not a happy camper.
0h my gosh! That is terrible about the back brace! I'm glad the knee brace helps...and I hope your body will adjust to it. That is horrible that it hurt worse after you took it off and all the swelling and all...Kathy, that stinks! I feel so bad for you. And...I can't believe that first doctor was basically in and out and then said, "wait here" and that was it...dang! How about a "good day, call me if you need anything, hope this works, see ya,". My regular doctor does the same thing to me...he diagnoses me and says "sit tight" and he leaves and never comes back...leaving me with the impression that he's coming back, but no, he just goes on to the next patient. Oh my, I could go on, but I won't. I am hoping that once you get used to the knee brace, maybe it will be enough and maybe, just maybe, you won't need the back brace. (??????) Ya never know!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bonnie about the knee brace helping your back. If you've ever hurt your foot (or knee) are you aware you walk differently? This could put your back out.
ReplyDeleteAnyway I hope it all works out.
I'll keep praying!!