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I’ve started the process.

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As you know…. the pain from my five year old knee injury ( deep root radial meniscal tear and ACL damage) has reached the point of no return and I’m finally incapacitated enough to do something about it.

Which is why I was waiting here the other day.

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My health care center moved into larger and more elaborate digs a few years ago and the waiting rooms are quite pleasant now.

Soothing colors, lots of natural light filtered in from the open concept ceiling and a veritable house plant jungle in the center.

Doctors are separated into wings with easy to find Maine related designations.

There was Chickadee and Evergreen and Anchor … and this one, which was a little puzzling.

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We have black bear in Maine, but no polar.

Anyhoo…

Before long I was taken back to meet with a primary physician to start the process. I need an orthopedist but can’t see one until I’m referred.

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After I explained my injury and pinpointed my current pain level (a steady 7), the doctor decided that wasn’t high enough and proceeded to poke, prod, push, pull, twist and torque my knee six ways to Sunday which left me gasping and crying uncle.

Diagnosis?

I need an orthopedist.

She said she heard some impressive clicking and crunching… bone on bone, said my muscle structure was probably compromised and not supporting the joint and I might have some bursitis as well. Yay me.

When I said I’d like to have an MRI to assess the damage she told me I’d have to wait for the orthopedist to order imaging… but pulled up my old one from five years ago.

Her response upon viewing?

“Eewww.”

That can’t be good.

So now I wait for the orthopedist to call with an appointment. I requested a man who was recommended by almost everyone I asked. The hands down winner when I posted a query on our local FB page. A doctor with the highest peer reviewed ratings. Tufts and Dartmouth educated. Even my pain inflicting primary said that’s who she’d pick.

There’s some question about him accepting our insurance as it’s not a type listed on his website, but my fingers are crossed he will.

I really don’t have a second choice.

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30 thoughts on “I’ve started the process.”

  3. So glad to see the ball is finally rolling in the right direction. I know about chronic pain and it’s not fun to live life like this… I hope you get in, accepted, and will be pain-free soon.

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  5. Oh dear! I hope you have a smooth (and easy) road to a resolution. This ‘by referral only’ access to doctors is maddening. I need an orthopedist too, who will refer me to P/T but first I need to go to my PCP to get a referral to an ortho who will then refer me to a p/t. Crazy. (BTW – my local hospital center just opened a new facility and it seems they used the same interior decorator as yours did – minus the polar bear.)

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    1. It is maddening. This is an old injury that I’ve seen two other orthopedists for already. And it’s such a waste of time…. I had to wait almost a month for this appointment and there’s no telling how long I’ll have to wait for the next one. Meanwhile my knee gets worse and there are days it hurts just to stand.
      Grr.

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      1. Only a month? You were lucky. My daughter in Vermont needed a appointment with a pediatric opthamologist for my grandaughter – wait time – One Year. (Another reason for me to stay here instead of moving up there – I could be dead before I could line up new doctors.)

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  6. I wrote a blog about this today, also. It is frustrating, the pain which exacerbated by swimming 2 weeks ago. I have trouble sitting, so the pain is in the joint of the right hip. Walking is mostly okay. Very painful. I have had weaking of the bones for about 8 years. My long time primary, now retired, told me about my hip and a slow degeneration. I will be returning soon also for MRI and scans. It is a process. I believe I need an answer, instead of orthopods for shoes (a slight difference in length), PT, done and do on my own, walking, yes. overweight, not really. Could lose 20 lbs to make it easier to lift the leg. Couldn’t we all? It is frustrating!

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    1. Knees are bad enough, hips can be debilitating. Sorry you’re having that type of pain and hope your process is swifter than mine. Thankfully I just had a bone scan and all was well. My bones are younger than I feel, but I suppose that’s a good thing.

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      1. I believe I overworked my bones by work, exercising, standing, but I have lived a good life. We did a lot, both of us, early age. I find knees debilitating. It moved to my knees and was very painful. The hip is okay with exercise but I did find the knee pain horrible. I am learning to work with the hip but I believe they might have some new answers for me. They did answer my email in a day! I do miss my retired primary who knew me so very well. Thank you! Wishing us both better days.

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      3. I can still garden with limited movement because I love it! I love our garden and refuse to sit out. So, I know that is good. And I can still vacuum, walk the pugs, clean and hope to return to the gym in time. We shall see. I don’t take sitting out well.

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  9. The medical system is such a mess, but at least you’re hopefully getting referred to the specialist of your choice and the facility isn’t adding extra stress. I hope all goes smoothly!

    Also, unsolicited, so feel free to disregard, but you might research intra‑articular BPC‑157 peptide as a potential adjunct to help the knee environment (supports repair cells, better collagen, calmer inflammation, and possibly better healing of ligament or meniscus tissue). My boyfriend used it ~8 years ago for a decade-old knee injury and avoided surgery altogether, and the issue is only now creeping back many years later. My aunt used it alongside knee surgery and had a quick and smoothly recovery.

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    2. A 2026 article in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons found this therapy promising. “Preclinical studies have shown regenerative potential.” “In rodent models, BPC-157 has been associated with improvements in Achilles tendon structure and biomechanical strength.”

      They cautioned that “The current orthopaedic literature on peptides is dominated by animal models, small prospective cohorts, and case series, with very limited RCTs. This gap is especially pronounced for musculoskeletal end points such as tendon-to-bone healing and cartilage repair. As such, any clinical use should be framed as exploratory and hypothesis generating rather than standard of care.”

      In plain English, there isn’t enough high-quality research yet, so use is more experimental (which often means you’ll pay for it out-of-pocket) and dosages are not standardized. (“Establishing consensus on dosing parameters and administration techniques through standardized protocols is a necessary step toward reproducibility and regulatory approval.”)

      This hasn’t stopped it from gaining popularity – “The growing popularity of peptides, fueled in part by wellness social media influencers and anecdotal success stories, has led some patients to pursue these therapies independently, often without clinical oversight.”

      The short version of all of that is “caveat emptor”.

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  11. I hope you get to see the orthopedist sooner than one month. My youngest son has had lower back issues for over a year now, which he didn’t mention to me. He had an appt with his PCP last week, and has an ortho appt this next week. I sure hope you get to see the ortho doctor sooner and sending all the good vibes for a speedy and as painless a recovery for you.

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  12. While the process is not much different in Canada, especially here in Alberta where the government wants to put private clinics into play despite that they are illegal under Federal law, one thing is different. Our doctors cannot turn you down depending on what your insurance company says. There are other stupid complicstions, like a doctor only seeing a limited number of patients in a particular time period, so they don’t overwork themselves, but probably you would get to see the specialist sooner.
    On the other hand, that new waiting room — nice at is is — tells me your doctor is way-overcharging her patients. But, I guess in a totally capitalist nation, you are not allowed to complain about prices. Here, we don’t pay a cent directly to the doctor/clinic. Everything is covered by taxes.

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