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Not what I kneeded to hear.

48 Comments

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The good news – my primary doctor referred me to the orthopedist I requested and their office called with an appointment.

The bad news – their “board” determined I should see their orthopedic physician assistant instead.

I protested. I politely requested. I argued. Okay, I may have begged.

No dice. No orthopedist.

After a recent examination, my primary doctor said she heard bone on bone crunching. She said my muscles were compromised and not supporting the joint properly and I probably had some bursitis. If that, and the fact I’m in constant 24 hour pain with days I can hardly walk, isn’t enough reason to see an actual orthopedist … what is?

The even worse news? I can’t get in to see the baby P.A. (I researched him. He looks 12) until the end of June.

I am one unhappy camper.

Yes, I requested to be put on the cancellation list but it’s going to be a long, painful few months.

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😩😩😩

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48 thoughts on “Not what I kneeded to hear.”

  1. Gail and I both know how you feel. My knees are bone on bone, but because I am immunodeficienct they will not operate. My odds of a bug attacking my knees in particular, my skeleton in general, is above 80%.They tell me grin and bear it. According to them, fake knees will fail within a year, so why bother. I said I’ll take a year, but they had no sympathy. Better to work on someone they can help for life, not just a short while. A 20% chance sounds great to me!

    Because of Covid Gail was bumped down the knee replacement list time after time. Instead of 2020, she finally got the surgery in 2023. By then her ligaments and tendons were stretched to hell and back. The operation took 2-3 more hours than expected. Recovery was supposed to be 3 months. She hasn’t really recovered yet. The knee is better, yes, but it ain’t great. The other knee — not so bad surgery is not needed yet. They don’t care she is in pain all day, every day. She had one knee done — who needs 2 good knees!
    We feel for you, Rg, we are suffering with you.
    As for the baby doctor, he needs to learn what to look for. You will be just a guinea pig to him. (My apologies to guinea pigs everywhere.)

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    1. A year? That’s nuts, I have a good friend who had one replaced ten years ago and is still fine. Sorry that’s not an option for you.
      At this point I’m hoping for replacement but will take whatever can relieve the constant pain. You know the term use it or lose it? I’ve spent so much time immobile this past year… I’ve totally lost it.

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      1. I wish I had never heard the term. I have done so little since Covìd. The less I do the less my energy. The less my energy the less I do. Two days ago I washed the floor where our cat with diabetes peed. He can’t control where he pees sometimes. It was in the front entryway, which we never use. But guests and workers do use it, and someone made a face coming in. So I inspected. It was old and dried. I went to get a pail of hot water and Pine Sol. I had to carry it there on my walker. By the time I was ready to wash the floor, I had no energy to actually do the washing. 12 hours later I finally got it done. So much for hot water! That was Friday night. The mop and pail are still in the entryway, and the WELCOME mat is still upside down in the corner. I hope I can get it cleaned up today. If not, there’s always tomorrow. Gail can’t go there, she can’t do stairs anymore without handrails. Which is one reason for only using the door through the garage.

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  3. Welcome to Modern US Medicine. First the PCP has to approve, then you see the gatekeeper PA, then you can see a surgeon if the PA says so. After that, you wait in line for the actual surgery. The only way to speed that up is to have something cool wrong with you instead of osteoarthritis.

    And wait until you learn that anything is considered “elective surgery” unless you will die today without it. Then you get to sign the consent form, which lets you know that killing you is always one of the possibilities. At least you have Tricare instead of private insurance where, after you go through all that, they decide it wasn’t “medically necessary” so they don’t want to pay for it.

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  5. You just had to do it: Hospital poker “I’ll see your heart attack and raise you a knee surgery” As Kenny “no limit” Nines, the guy who thinks folding is something you do with broken cheese, I’m going all in with the enchiladas that you win big.

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      1. My post was misnamed for some reason; it was originally titled “Whistling past the Graveyard”; not bad, right?
        Your witty riposte has kept a smile on my face all day. There’s nothing trivial about that. Cut ’em.

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      3. Mine has been hurting for 5 years on and off. Maybe longer. I did PT, and kept working. It hurt! Hopefully, we will both find some relief. It does seem you have to bring it to their attention. I don’t want to wimp out, so we shall do what is good for it.

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      4. My injury was 5 1/2 years ago as well. It healed up to a point, but never without pain. I dealt with it for as long as I could, losing more mobility every year… but now it’s intolerable. Time to move toward.
        I hope.

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      5. I understand. Mine is just worn down, maybe from teaching being on my feet, too much exercise, walking…there is a slight disparity in length between my legs so I was referred to orthopedics a couple of years ago, and I wear inserts. I guess it is not unusual-my cousin, a prolific walker and exerciser has had a hip operation and now is waiting for knee operation. Yes, she is not overweight. perfect weight. I was also told by one doc to lose 15 lbs or so. The pain actually makes you eat less, so you don’t have to drag as much but neither one of us is overweight. It is what it is. I hope we both move forward!

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      1. Well, you are welcome to follow my site. I am not sure I will talk about it too much as that brings some pain, also! I think they are on it because bone on bone x-ray is serious and they acknowledge it. Thank you. You can always ask me questions.

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  9. Young physician’s assistants are generally more up-to-date on the latest procedures – I have friends who’ve had knee replacement surgery and they didn’t meet the surgeon until the day of surgery!

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  11. My husband is seeing an orthopedic doctor tomorrow because of his knee. Our primary already had him get x-rays and he got in to the real orthopedic doctor in less than a week! He called for an appointment and the woman on the phone said she’d call him right back. She forgot. So when he called back the next day, she felt so bad about forgetting him, she worked him in!

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  13. Dudette… took me 30 yrs!! Waiting could be good given the headlines about a new cartilage regrowth option currently in animal testing. When my journey started, synth cartilage didn’t exist; now it’s buying me time.

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      1. Yep. Every time I got in a position to cover the high copay, I’d lose my job (I worked temp/consultant).
        My L ankle is clicky/wonky now that the knee is fixed, cause it compensated for so long.

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  15. That is such horseshit! Sorry—it makes me cuss.

    It’s infuriating to have to wait, and to NOT see an actual Doctor! Praying they find a cancellation, and you get in quicker, then move to the top of the doctors’ list.

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  17. Frustrating? Yes, but, what it means ( almost positive) is that unless you have had shots i the nee before, they are gong to try that first, but they will probably need an MRI, which most Drs. don’t have in house, but herein Az. they do have a lot of Drs. that have ties to the xray places, so they can get you in very quickly for the MRI. If this is your first pain with the nee, the shots should provide a lot of relief and can even last up to a year. Even being a patient of one orthopedist for over 15 yrs., I would be lucky to get in, in less than a month, andsince Obama care, so many Drs. have retired that wait times i am sure have gone up, so being a new patient sucks for sure, but if they could get you in next week, i would be afraid that the Dr. sucked. Have you tried icing it at night? or a heating pad? I do better with ice, some do better with heat, just give it a shot. I am so sorry it is going to take so long. One thing you can do to hurry it up is make a run to the ER because of the pain, then you get fast tracked but I don’t know if you want to do that or not. Have you tried a knee brace? I like the ones with the metal on the sides and you can get them at Walmart for around $30, they were a God’s send to me in the early days of my messed up knees. Let me know if I can answer any questions.

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    1. This is a five year old injury. I’ve seen two orthopedists, had physical therapy and acupuncture. I’ve had two shots of cortisone which didn’t help. I ice, I heat, I wrap, I compress. I had X-rays and an MRI 5 years ago when I was diagnosed with a deep root radial tear and acl damage. I requested a new MRI from my primary to check progression but my primary wouldn’t order it, said to wait for the orthopedist. It’s ironic that now I’m finally ready to take the next step … I have to wait so long. 🥴

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