FWIS3

So, today is officially day 7 of Brite suffering from back spasms so bad she can barely make it to the bathroom. After feeding her flexeril (mild muscle relaxant) and tramadol (moderately effective pain med) for 6 days I finally concede defeat and start suspecting she has herniated a disk in her lower back.

I pack her and the 4 y/o into the car and drive to my nearest military MTF with an MRI machine (we are still covered by TRICARE military healthcare until November 10) and go to the emergency room. Mind you it's only a 55 mile drive.

I am talking to the ER doctor who says "well, I would really like to get an MRI to see what's going on but we don't have MRI coverage on the week-ends"

ME: I find it hard to beleive that you are an ER and you don't have emergency MRI capability
DOCTOR: well we do if it were a trauma or a stroke
ME: so, a herniated disc in the back doesn't count as an emergency?
DOCTOR: well, we don't know that it is herniated.
ME: but we can't find out if we don't do the MRI
DOCTOR: Well, it's really up to Neurosurgery and they won't accept a referral unless we have an MRI. So, I will put in a referral to your primary care doctor and see if she can get you scheduled for an MRI this upcoming week.

WTF? Actually I know what the fuck. The fuck is that because of the sequester and budget cuts and a refusal to raise revenues the military MTF's are forced to work the people in uniforms like dogs so the only guy they have to come in and do the MRI is probably a Airman who has already worked 50 hours this week and will be the guy they have to call in to do the MRI. Because they don't dare put any of the civilian staff on call because they are mandated NOT to incur overtime.

Technically, it's not an "emergency" but that idiot doctor knew damn well that she was forcing my wife to remain in pain from 2 to 4 weeks longer. Not to mention the fact that if it really is a herniated disc the longer they wait the more likely things like pain syndrome and nerve damage will occur.

And there really is no guarantee that surgery would be considered the best option. Often for herniated discs the best therapy is to get the inflammation down and do things like physical therapy.

The one bright side to it all is that I did get the prescriptions for valium and stronger pain meds (which was also one of my primary goals for this trip).

And that folks is why Brite has not been on the board for several days now. Fuckity, fuckity, fuck, fuckity fuck.

That is all for now. carry on with your day.

Damn. that sucks, hope the pain meds do their work.

Sigma_Orionis wrote:Damn. that sucks, hope the pain meds do their work.

What he said. Fuck.

Swift wrote:

Sigma_Orionis wrote:Damn. that sucks, hope the pain meds do their work.

What he said. Fuck.

Thirded.

Tell brite I hope she feels better soon despite the idiots.

Oh ouch. Tell brite I wish her the best, please...

Holy crap what a mess.
Hope it all gets sorted out soon.

That's awful. Please let her know we're thinking of her. I hope the drugs are helping!

that's outrageous! if i understand correctly, if you'd gone in during the week or said that this started after a fall the scan would have been done? please, call your primary yourself and, in the nicest possible way, push and get the order for the mri.

code monkey wrote:that's outrageous! if i understand correctly, if you'd gone in during the week or said that this started after a fall the scan would have been done? please, call your primary yourself and, in the nicest possible way, push and get the order for the mri.

We have an appointment to see primary on Wednesday. IMO when someone presents with all the classic symptoms of disc herniation the MRI should not have to wait for 2 weeks to happen. but because she didn't have "trauma" and she wasn't in a car accident it couldn't possibly be an emergency issue.

The chiropractor that I am paying for out of pocket did more for her tonight than the ED doctor did yesterday. Yes, the doctor gave us the prescription for drugs but we really needed to have an MRI done and a referral to neurosurgery to rule out the need for urgent/emergent surgery. I realize that 90% of the time they don't recommend surgery in these cases. It's almost always treat with drugs, time, bed rest, and physical therapy. When you lose the ability to walk and/or start shitting your pants then all of sudden its an emergency and lets do surgery. And then it's too late to prevent further nerve damage because you have already allowed the nerves to die.

And that's the dilemma. there is only a small chance that surgery would be recommended or do any good. But, in a worse case scenario you don't want to be the small chance.

No weekend MRI? That's fucked up.

As a fellow back-spasm-gotta-go-to-the-ER sufferer, my best wishes to Brite.

SciFiFisher wrote:The chiropractor that I am paying for out of pocket did more for her tonight than the ED doctor did yesterday.

If the chiropractor did more than the Doctor, it's time to shoot the Doctor.

I realize that 90% of the time they don't recommend surgery in these cases. It's almost always treat with drugs, time, bed rest, and physical therapy. When you lose the ability to walk and/or start shitting your pants then all of sudden its an emergency and lets do surgery. And then it's too late to prevent further nerve damage because you have already allowed the nerves to die.

And that's the dilemma. there is only a small chance that surgery would be recommended or do any good. But, in a worse case scenario you don't want to be the small chance.

Best medical system money can buy alright!

SciFiFisher wrote:

code monkey wrote:that's outrageous! if i understand correctly, if you'd gone in during the week or said that this started after a fall the scan would have been done? please, call your primary yourself and, in the nicest possible way, push and get the order for the mri.

We have an appointment to see primary on Wednesday. IMO when someone presents with all the classic symptoms of disc herniation the MRI should not have to wait for 2 weeks to happen. but because she didn't have "trauma" and she wasn't in a car accident it couldn't possibly be an emergency issue.

I had to suggest even the mildest fraud, but maybe in the future you should say she fell down and now is having these back problems. TRAUMA!

Swift wrote:

SciFiFisher wrote:

code monkey wrote:that's outrageous! if i understand correctly, if you'd gone in during the week or said that this started after a fall the scan would have been done? please, call your primary yourself and, in the nicest possible way, push and get the order for the mri.

We have an appointment to see primary on Wednesday. IMO when someone presents with all the classic symptoms of disc herniation the MRI should not have to wait for 2 weeks to happen. but because she didn't have "trauma" and she wasn't in a car accident it couldn't possibly be an emergency issue.

I had to suggest even the mildest fraud, but maybe in the future you should say she fell down and now is having these back problems. TRAUMA!

I probably should have told them I pushed her down the stairs.

SciFiFisher wrote:

Swift wrote:
I had to suggest even the mildest fraud, but maybe in the future you should say she fell down and now is having these back problems. TRAUMA!

I probably should have told them I pushed her down the stairs.

fraud, swift? not at all. merely doig what is required.

no, fisher. do not say that you pushed her down the stairs. it isn't always about you and i'm sure that brite is quite capable of falling unaided.

I'm on the iPad... I fell down the steps between the living room and the dining room (only two steps) but went face fort and dislocated my thumb in my left hand... You're right, cm... I don't need his help... LOL
But fr the part, I'm stoned off my ass...

brite wrote:I'm on the iPad... I fell down the steps between the living room and the dining room (only two steps) but went face fort and dislocated my thumb in my left hand... You're right, cm... I don't need his help... LOL

what i meant was that there was no need to risk a domestic violence investigation. that you could describe an injury that would get the desired result. are you feeling any better?

brite wrote:But fr the part, I'm stoned off my ass...

me too! i had a minor procedure today and the pain pills have me quite loopy.

I' m on valium and vicodin... my glasses don't focus.... and I'm willing to watch qvc out of boredom....

Well, good to see ya brite

brite wrote:I' m on valium and vicodin... my glasses don't focus.... and I'm willing to watch qvc out of boredom....

I hope Fisher has kept all the credit cards away from you.

SciFi Chick wrote:

brite wrote:I' m on valium and vicodin... my glasses don't focus.... and I'm willing to watch qvc out of boredom....

I hope Fisher has kept all the credit cards away from you.

Pretty much.... but there were these really cute boots....

brite wrote:Pretty much.... but there were these really cute boots....

pictures! we need pictures!

Well, progress is being made. Brite can walk upright without screaming in agony. She took herself to the chiropractor yesterday. All of her teachers agreed to let her make up the work from the last two weeks. and the shopping networks have been blocked.



and the authorization for the MRI finally came in the mail.

Being able to walk without screaming is huge.

SciFiFisher wrote:Well, progress is being made. Brite can walk upright without screaming in agony. She took herself to the chiropractor yesterday. All of her teachers agreed to let her make up the work from the last two weeks. and the shopping networks have been blocked.



and the authorization for the MRI finally came in the mail.

Good news, and that is just so motherfucking wrong! But at least she's going to get the MRI now. Hopefully it's not a surgical situation.

Blocking the shopping channels is just mean.