Warning long post...
I have had an awful weekend starting last Friday. I would like your opinions on what I should do next. It will take me too long to type so I apologise but I have copied the email which I have sent to one of the medical secretaries:
od afternoon Pam,
Thank you very much for listening to me grumble on on the phone earlier. I would like to express that I am not making a complaint but only expressing a concern.
I first started to attend Fairfield hospital in April last year where I saw Mr Emms and was referred onto Mr Gudena. Mr Gudena carried out a labral repair and osteochondroplasty on 10th July last year. I went to post-op physio sessions but was still in a lot of pain so was referred back to Mr Gudnea earlier than I should have been, He said my adductor tendon was inflamed so would give me a steroid injection. When he came to see me upstairs on the ward before giving me my steroid injection I told him that I was having really bad pain in my knee to which he said he didn't know what it was it was nothing to do with the hip and he would look when I went down. He examined my knee in anaesthetics and said it was fine (I have no tenderness to touch in it). That steroid injection lasted for 5 months and I was pain free. When the paid returned he gave me a further steroid injection. Again before he saw me to give me the injection I spoke to him in the ward first. I told him I had really bad pain now spreading to halfway down my shin bone, he shrugged. That steroid injection took 2 weeks to work and lasted for 3 weeks although did not get rid of the knee or shin pain only dulled them. On giving me the 2nd steroid injection he felt the tendon and said it was really tight and needed to be cut.
After the 2nd steroid injection wore off I was still suffering from really bad pain he sent me for an MRI scan of my pelvis and lumbar region, he also prescribed me pregabalin and amitriptyline. On 9th October I came in to see him for the results of my MRI scan. He seemed rather pleased that the MRI scan of the hip was completely clear but said that I had a paracentral disc bulge in my L5/S1 area and discharged me (never even mentioned releasing me tendon which is still hurting). He referred me to see Dr Dawson (Rheumatology) and Mr Buxton (Neurosurgeon). I came to Fairfield following a car accident so I asked if the bulge could have been caused by the car accident and did the scan show and signs of wear and tear and degeneration. He said the car accident could have possibly caused it and that I had no signs of wear and tear or degeneration. I spent over and hour on the phone to my solicitor arguing as my case is due to settle (I have now found out this was unneeded - see below). I saw Dr Dawson the same afternoon she had no idea why I needed to be seen and had to speak to Mr Gudena on the phone to find out why. He had referred me to her as I have a family history of arthritis. The only thing to come out of this quick appointment was a prescription for a higher dose of pregabalin and some amitriptyline because I was still in a lot of pain. Mr Gudena could and should have given me this prescription.
I saw Mr Buxton this afternoon. I went in 35 minutes late, the lateness does not bother me as I work in both NHS and private healthcare and understand. However when I sit for a long period of time the pain becomes worse. When I went in he told me straight away that the bulge was on the left side and would not affect the right leg leg. Mr Gudena must have know this as the written report says left. Mr Buxton showed me the MRI scan and it was perfectly clear that the bulge is nowhere near the nerve. The MRI scan also showed ovarian cysts (near the nerve), this was also written on the report and Mr Gudena never told me this.
Dr Dawson wrote a prescription for me and Mr Buxton just said there was nothing he could do other than refer me to pain management and send a letter to my GP telling them to refer me to a gynaecologist. AXA PPP will be paying £240 for these appts which is completely unfair to them and to me as it comes off my allowance.
The bottom line is I feel like I have a constant 'Chinese burn' across my thigh and really deep constant pain through my knee, shin bone and now into my foot. I am taking 300mg pregabalin and 25mg amitriptyline daily because of the pain and most of the time they only dull it. The deep pain in my knee, shin and foot only started after the hip arthroscopy although since the car accident my right leg has not felt like my own and still doesn't.
I have been referred to pain management however as this clinic only runs on an Thursday (our busiest private practice clinic day in work) I may not be able to attend. I have been receiving various pain medications and injections since November last year and the pain has just gotten worse. I don't want the pain to be managed, I want the cause to be found and fixed.
As I explained at the beginning of this email this is not a complaint. I am just in a lot of pain, more than I was when this course of treatment started back in April last year and I am coming up to paying my 3rd amount of excess on my policy in January and I feel as though I am no further along and in an awful lot of pain which as stated only started after surgery.
I am not totally in limbo, suffering with an awful lot of pain and do not know what to do.
United Kingdom
