Invested in my own expensive custom knee brace as ins wouldn’t pay for one plus i was caring for my wheelchair bound wife and couldn’t be recovering and unable to help her. Wore it and continued to work, switchman, bargeman, yard engine operator, got a couple more years out of my knee until I was able to get it replaced. As I was very active pre surgery the post and rehab wasn’t as bad as it could have been. But that baby hurt. Three years later no pain.
Idaho45guy, you need to take more control of your health care. Hopefully you aren’t saddled with some HMO that requires approval for treatment and limits you to doctors they select. While you’re waiting to see the orthopedic doctor look up his credentials. You’ll want someone that’s board certified at a minimum. Do you have any friends / relatives in the medical profession whose opinions you trust? My wife found good specialists for me based on personal referrals from the doctors and nurses she worked with. The doctors I see are the ones other doctors go to, they’re all board certified and highly regarded by their peers.
Even then the protocol they follow to diagnosis an issue is frustrating. Makes you wonder why your doctor didn’t send you for that MRI a lot sooner. I think the best that can be said is the playbook they follow, to run you through successively more accurate tests until a diagnosis is made, is as MUSTANG said a way to maximize billing.
We lost our mother to an easily diagnosable and curable cancer that should have been discovered five years earlier when she first told her GP she had a problem. Like you her GP was always to busy to call back, and then because she wanted to manage mom’s treatment delayed sending her to a specialist until it was past too late.
It boils down to blindly trusting your health to a person or system that doesn’t always have your best interests at heart. Asking questions and insisting on answers is your prerogative. As we age and get infirm we are less capable of seeing the big picture, myself included. My wife is my health care advocate. With things the way they are everybody needs one.
It’s even worse now with mega-corporations buying up local and regional hospitals. Unless your doctor is affiliated with their health care network he can’t even monitor your care in the hospital or send you to the network for testing. That ‘affiliation’ requires him to adhere to the protocol, standards and fee schedules of the system. The corporations are in it for the profit and set these protocols and standards to maximize income. Your recovery / well being isn’t the primary motive.
An Ace bandage wrapped around the knee before work can help keep swelling down. Limits movement a bit but really helps. I have torn ACL's in both knees and the cartilage in my right is trashed. When the right knee flares up I wrap it and it helps! Lessens the pain some too plus keeps the knee warmer and in cold climates that is a plus! Look online to see how to do a proper knee wrap.
Degraded medical service is one of the side effects of low pay for doctors and hospitals providing Obamma kare. The more government rules - and pays - our medics, the more like communism things will get for us deplorables.
If you're already less than happy with current indifferent "production line" medical systems don't try the V.A.; they are entirely "free" to vets and they're worth every penny we pay them.
Keep in mind that the doctors call what they do "Practice", they've been practicing so long you'd think they'd know what the heck they're doing by now.
You must definably be proactive in your care and push where you need to push if you're not satisfied with what they're doing/suggesting, I've left a doctors office/care for the same reasons and have found someone who I believe is at least listening to me.
"People in Arizona carry guns," said Detective David Ramer, a Chandler police spokesman. You better be careful about who you are picking on...
*** This ***
Had a doctor who prescribed me blood pressure medication. Next thing I seem to have chronic depression. Years go by. Finally got so bad I couldn't stand it. Went to see another Dr who promptly took me off that medicine and started another. Feel better than I have for 5 years.
Wish I had those 5 years back. It was no fun at all.
A surgeon once told me, "It never ceases to amaze me how people spend 40 years abusing and breaking down their bodies, then want me to make them like new with surgery!". There is much more going on in health care than I can begin to type this morning. Be proactive and good luck!
just had my knee done. Now ive got a left and right hip replacement a right ankle replacement and a right knee replacement. The bionic man. be careful with the cortizone idea. I went to see my doctor and i was the one that suggested it to see if it would get any better. Didnt help a bit and i had to wait 3 months because of it before they would do surgery. Ive had cortisone shots in my back a few times too. After many back surgerys i always held out hope they would help but they never did a thing for me. I walk out of the doctors feeling like a new man and the next day when the numbing meds wear off im right back to where i was. taking care of yourself so you dont have these problems?? What a novel idea. Problem is most of mine are due to an incident in the military in my early 20s and add to that I never had a cushy job. Spent my life as a lineman climbing poles and doing manual labor. Arent to many lineman retired that werent even injured like me that dont have knee and hip problems.
Had a yuppy doctor that was a 150lbs soaking wet with arms about the size of my wrists assigned to me by work comp once when i was fighting a case. He told me i should have taken better care of my body. I blew up and told him that i was injured serving my country and i didnt have a 3 day a week job sitting on my ---. I stormed out and told my case worker that i wanted another doctor and i never saw that wimp again. Id still like about 10 minutes with him. Well i guess ive 2 would do.
Last edited by Lloyd Smale; 12-13-2021 at 06:56 AM.
Mechanics have to fix their comebacks doctors send flowers.NOT!
Obummer care - all 2500 pages had to be passed so the demon rats could find out how much money could filter its way into their pockets!
The VA COULD take of all VETS if it weren't for the politicians involvement ! Some VETS get decent care others get over prescribed meds that help their condition but the side effects sometimes are worse than whats being treated!! There are some great doctors & nurses out there - An APRN & cardiologist that gave a rats tush saved my wife's life ! Others like most of those WOKE types utter that -call some one else "it ain't my job"
Before you break into my house stand outside and get right with Jesus tell him you're on your way!!
Yep. How do you take better care of your body? Go to college, move to a city, get an office job, and don't engage in any physically demanding tasks your entire life.
Yeah... That's not living. That's living the yuppy dream. I am losing patience with city folk who are completely ignorant of the realities of rural life.
This is their approved physical activity...
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"Luck don't live out here. Wolves don't kill the unlucky deer; they kill the weak ones..." Jeremy Renner in Wind River
There was a study awhile back that found blue collar types on the average lived several years longer than white collar office folks.
They figured it was from the office types not getting much exercise, and work related mental stress.
After seeing several cases of all the health problems, and premature death directly caused by stress, I tend to believe it.
As many aches & pains as I've got at 67, it's a better deal than a few heart attacks would have been in my late 40s or so.
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |