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How many times have you been to your Dr. and attempted to describe what your pain is and where you think it is? Only to leave his/her office and question whether they believed you or not.
This is my story of being passed around only to realize 15 months later I should have been more of an advocate for myself as I am for my patients.
To begin with I am a anti-medicine person unless it is absolutely necessary, I do not drink, smoke and I do the herbal thing when I feel its necessary. I have been a runner for 18 years, hiker and I do a little climbing with ropes or cables(I am afraid of heights). I exercise and do weights, I am 46 yrs. old and do not look it nor feel it. I have been a nurse for 27 years and I am known at my hospital by my peers as a patient advocate and verbalize right and wrong very strongly. SO how could this happen to me?
Back in 2008 as some women do I realized my body was still "acting its age" in some aspects. It was time to be nuttered. For those of you who do not know what that means I needed to be "fixed". My doc let me know I could go on my Aussie trip then the deed had to be done. Good thing I went because after my surgery my active life ceased to exist. I felt great the day of my surgery I walked myself every hour asking to go home. Two days I was at home with my son playing monopoly in my bed. My son even brought his t.v. in for me because he knew I would never stay in bed. Well a week later the infections started and I was put on antibiotics, I worsened, my Dr. realized I was having a reaction to Levequin, we stopped it, within a week I had an overwhelming infection and was placed on 3 antibiotics IV. I stayed at home and did my on IV meds. Hey I am a really good nurse who better than me to take care of myself. Within two days I could walk again but the hips down still felt like they were falling apart. A total of 7 wks and I went back to work, two months later I realized that I was in constant pain in my hips, went to my family doc. He sent me to a otho doc. after we did xrays and no arthritis was noted. I started Physical therapy for stripping the adhesions that Levenquin had apparently caused. There was a questioned of tendinitis/lignitis/fasciitis in my left hip area. The pain continued to the point I ask for pain medicines. All my activities stopped, no more running, power walking/walking, hiking, hell I could not even sit. The doc did a bone scan, bursa injection, MRI of my back and hip he then injected my hip joint area...NO RELIEF. He kept saying he did not think it was a Labrum tear. I was like ok (I had no clue what that was so I trusted him) My physical therapist stated my MRI pointed to something in my hip. I questioned my doc. he stated he was sure it was just age.(I had just climbed the Harbour Bridge and snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef.) I disagreed, he sent my to an ortho surgeon, who stated he did not think it was a tear who sent me to another ortho doc. who agreed with the other boys, but thought it was my illiac/sacral joint and did an injection. STILL NO RELIEF still no physical activity or lower exercises. These three doc. sent me to the pain clinic. OK now I am developing an attitude, I want the problem fixed not medicated, also I felt like they thought it was in my head. I almost did not go but decided to, I met with a female doc who looked thru all the test and ask "why have you not had a MRI with contrast"? I stated the other docs did not feel it was a labrum tear, SHE ordered it. Guess what I HAVE A LABRUM TEAR. I at that time googled labrum tear, my story over and over, now I am pissed off.
18 months later, everyday in pain more on some days less on others. The amount of money I spent on 3 MRIs, PT for a year, chiropractic services, Bone scan, meds, doc appt. And the one test that says it all MRI with contrast. I lost 18 months, of running, hiking in New Zealand, playing with my dogs and SEX if I had a man, which of course being broken I did not even go there. Two @!$%#ing years...Now I told my doc I am not only a angry patient I am a angry nurse.
SEE ITS NOT ALL IN MY HEAD.
