I was scheduled for an MRI last night at 8PM. Took my Valium and then failed to get either brace on and started down the stairs very carefully without a brace. Couldn’t do the top three steps and retreated to try the braces again. Still, no go. So back down the stairs again, very slowly. Not too bad and then at the bottom I sort of slid to the right and down on the last few steps. Got up easily, and then couldn’t get my shoes on. In frustration, I called an ambulance and head for the ER at DCMH.
The less said about that the better. A joke. Couldn’t even get the unstable right knee examined. Went home. Fell backwards trying to get in the front door as my right knee buckled. Took about a half hour to drag myself up the step and in and to the base of the stairs, where it only took 5 real painful minutes to stand up. Managed to get up and to bed where I managed a painful and fairly sleepless night.
In the morning the feet felt about the same, but my right knee and thigh were significantly worse and painful. Getting up from the bed or a chair is becoming much harder. Both thighs hurt a lot and I need to keep my CG very carefully over my legs. Definitely getting worse.
Got another MRI appointment for 11AM. About 9:45 I tried to put the TROM on. Leg was very stiff and painful. After a couple of tries I changed to the new functional (Donjoy Drytex Wrap in XL, nice brace). No problem, got it right on. And the slid off the bed right onto the floor. During the night the mattress shifted about 6 inches toward the windows (something in the frame and box spring isn’t level). It just wasn’t supported by the box spring. So just before 10AM there I am on the floor next to the bed. I try to get up or move with no luck at all. Every time the right knee contacted the floor or anything the pain was sufficient to cause me to scream. After about 30 minutes of struggling I call and cancel the MRI and take a 15-minute rest. I realize my best chance is to shimmy to the base of the bed and try to use the cedar chest there to crawl up. About halfway there and lying on my back, I try shoving the mattress back over the box spring. I had tried that right at the beginning but couldn’t get leverage or a decent angle. Down toward the corner, I manage to get a better angle and finally shove the mattress back into place. Since my chest was now near the bottom corner of the bed I get a pillow under the damaged knee and try to get up. It isn’t easy as both legs are dead weights. I finally lurch up and after a scary moment or two, with my legs hanging over the side, I get control and am to rotate onto my back with most of me on the bed. It was now 11:20AM! About 20 minutes later I go and check e-mail and then come back and more or less pass out for the most of the afternoon.
I do make a few decisions and act on them. I speak to the patient management folks at Aetna and fax them the summary about my condition I created yesterday. They agree I would be better off in the hospital where there’s a chance I’d be looked at as a whole person instead of as a bunch of slightly related symptoms. However, they can’t compel a doctor to admit me.
As a first step in my new attack on my problems I cancel all specialist appointments. If I see a specialist I want it to be in a hospital where tests will be carried out promptly. Next step is to get one of the three doctors in my primary’s office to admit me.
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