A year ago I started having pain in my right hip and down my leg. My orthopedic doctor said bursitis. We tried a course of steroids. We tried cortisone injection. I did a couple months of physical therapy. And then I had bursectomy surgery. The pain was better for a while, but it is now back with a vengeance.
Les and I saw my orthopedic doctor this morning. The first question from his assistant was did I want a cortisone injection and I politely told her "no, thank you". She smiled and hurried out of the room. We talked with my doctor, some x-rays were taken, and the gist of it is the degenerative OA in my right hip has worsened and I need hip replacement surgery. If you've been following my posts you might remember that I have said I would like to get through one year without any more surgeries. Obviously that is not happening this year. Hence the great mood I am fighting as I write this.
And here is the reason for my frustration. My orthopedic people can't put me on the surgery schedule until they get a surgery clearance from my GP doctor. So I called and also sent a message through the My Health program. My GP doctor is on vacation and will not be back in the office until Monday. AND.....they won't schedule an appointment for me for the clearance until I have a surgery date, which I can't get until I have the clearance form signed. I lost count of how many unhelpful people I talked to at Riverside trying to explain. They said no one else can sign the form. (I wonder what happens if someone's regular doctor is abducted by aliens or falls off the earth or something?) I was willing to see another doctor. No, has to be my regular doc. So, Monday morning, bright and early, I will be on the phone telling them I WILL be seen. And the way I am feeling right now, if I have to go down to the office and poke someone with my cane, I just might do that.
And another note, I am pretty sure that one of the unhelpful and unfriendly people I spoke with this morning was the same woman who told me when I arrived for a previous visit a couple months ago that I had cancelled that appointment and wouldn't be seen. My doctor's nurse was very upset when I told her about that. She checked and found out it had been a computer glitch and I had NOT cancelled, which is what I had tried to tell the woman up front.
Anyway, here we are. I will keep you posted. It's cold, it's pouring down rain, Les and I got soaked. Life is good but I have to say parts are annoying today. Stay safe and God Bless America!
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| Thanks to I Can Haz Cheeseburger for the picture. It sums up my feelings right now. |
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