FrogFeathers
post-grad
- Joined
- May 25, 2009
- Messages
- 1,083
- Age
- 55
- Location
- Southern Wisconsin
- Gender
- Female
- Country
United States
Not a new surgeon, I still have the wonderful one I've had all along and my follow-up with him is September 3rd.
For those who don't know, I go to the Veteran's Administration hospital (an hour away from where I live) because my husband is 100% service-connected disabled. Because of his 100% service-connected status, they give us health insurance (no dental, which is so lame with three kids). Ten years ago, they started the CITI program for spouses at the VA hospital. At the time, I was healthy, took only one pill a day (thyroid pill) and had no other issues. Now, I'm on a plethora of medicines for various long-term ailments (such as asthma and high blood pressure).
Anyway, we get doctors who are at the end of their student time- and usually we get them for three years (then they graduate or change specialties). I've been to h-e-double-hockey-sticks and back with my pain issues. The knee problem has been ongoing for over 20 years and 3 years ago when I injured my right knee (again), the good doctor I had then started what treatment he could... then graduated. (My pain issues aren't all knee-related. I've got arthritis and some other "itis" issues in other body parts).
The doctor I got stuck with then was a jerk. "You knees hurt because you're overweight."... No, doc, that's not it. I'm overweight because my knees hurt. Fix the knees, the weight will go away. It took THREE LONG PAINFUL years before this kid doctor gave me a letter of referral to see an off-site surgeon. And bam! Got my knee replaced.
He's since moved on and today I had an appointment with my new doctor. She's fantastic. She's going to work with me on my pain issues and try and get things fixed or at least, managed. (we have some red tape issues to jump through, but she's willing to try). She asked about my knee and knee-replacement and such. I told her of my difficulty in exercising and how I've tried walking a mile- did it twice, had to stop, tried again... and so on.
She told me I should cut that in half. Do only a half a mile. She told me (reminded me, because I knew) that it is better for me if I walk a half a mile on a regular basis (three times a week, whatever) than it is to try a mile once a week. I said I know, I was trying to start slow. She said a mile all at once after almost 4 years of nothing wasn't all that slow of a start. "Start slower" she said. :hehe:
So, I'll try it... half a mile to start... and when I can do a half a mile every day with ease, I'll increase... and so on and so forth.
But it is SO REFRESHING to have a doctor who listens to me. She even went back in my records to see what my weight used to be and how thin and healthy I was before all this. She also thinks that doctor I had before her is a jerk.
I have a follow-up with her in two months to see how our pain management plan is working (or not working as the case may be). It'll be nice to function without pain- or at least with a tolerable level.
For those who don't know, I go to the Veteran's Administration hospital (an hour away from where I live) because my husband is 100% service-connected disabled. Because of his 100% service-connected status, they give us health insurance (no dental, which is so lame with three kids). Ten years ago, they started the CITI program for spouses at the VA hospital. At the time, I was healthy, took only one pill a day (thyroid pill) and had no other issues. Now, I'm on a plethora of medicines for various long-term ailments (such as asthma and high blood pressure).
Anyway, we get doctors who are at the end of their student time- and usually we get them for three years (then they graduate or change specialties). I've been to h-e-double-hockey-sticks and back with my pain issues. The knee problem has been ongoing for over 20 years and 3 years ago when I injured my right knee (again), the good doctor I had then started what treatment he could... then graduated. (My pain issues aren't all knee-related. I've got arthritis and some other "itis" issues in other body parts).
The doctor I got stuck with then was a jerk. "You knees hurt because you're overweight."... No, doc, that's not it. I'm overweight because my knees hurt. Fix the knees, the weight will go away. It took THREE LONG PAINFUL years before this kid doctor gave me a letter of referral to see an off-site surgeon. And bam! Got my knee replaced.
He's since moved on and today I had an appointment with my new doctor. She's fantastic. She's going to work with me on my pain issues and try and get things fixed or at least, managed. (we have some red tape issues to jump through, but she's willing to try). She asked about my knee and knee-replacement and such. I told her of my difficulty in exercising and how I've tried walking a mile- did it twice, had to stop, tried again... and so on.
She told me I should cut that in half. Do only a half a mile. She told me (reminded me, because I knew) that it is better for me if I walk a half a mile on a regular basis (three times a week, whatever) than it is to try a mile once a week. I said I know, I was trying to start slow. She said a mile all at once after almost 4 years of nothing wasn't all that slow of a start. "Start slower" she said. :hehe:
So, I'll try it... half a mile to start... and when I can do a half a mile every day with ease, I'll increase... and so on and so forth.
But it is SO REFRESHING to have a doctor who listens to me. She even went back in my records to see what my weight used to be and how thin and healthy I was before all this. She also thinks that doctor I had before her is a jerk.
I have a follow-up with her in two months to see how our pain management plan is working (or not working as the case may be). It'll be nice to function without pain- or at least with a tolerable level.
