I recently attended a local emergency room b/c my knee was swollen so i couldn’t get my jeans on and it hurt like hell. There were three otherpoor souls waiting as well. i could hear the doc in the background saying cold compress, advil, tylenol, wait three weeks. Then my turn, I’m in real pain here I think it’s a vein about to release a clot to my brain and I won’t have to worry cause surely my kids be attentive to spoon feeding me, wiping drool off my chin – you get it. Well, I was told cold compress, advil, tylenol, wait three weeks and whisked out the door. I awoke in agony, this vein is swollen and black, an ominous looking. Off I go, with leg wrapped tightly in pressure bandage, 100 miles to see my own doc. First thing he says is”why ya knee wrapped up”. i reply”cause it feels better that way, and I can hobble around like this”. No jeans for me I got smart and wore a skirt. He saysóh, ‘”it’s arthritis”. I say “how “doya know” he says””cause if it feels better wrapped up -it’s arthritis, fer sure”. He says “but we better get an x-ray anyway”. he gives me a slip of paper and says Ï’ll call you if there’s any problem”. I said “don’t bother, I already know there’s a problem – that’s why it’s wrapped up”. So, here six weeks later, I still can’t walk. I’ve seen another doctor. He wanted to advise me about not taking pain medication and driving but wasn’t interested in looking at the leg. The ammount of pain medicine he gave me wouldn’t fix my guppy’s toothache so i informed him he need not worry. Speaking on pain, I’m a bit of an expert myself. Whatever happened to the concept of “making a patient comfortable”. today advil or those special advil that cost $200.00 a bottle are the panacea for everything. Well, let me tell you. After taking any of them for more than a day or two you will have a hole in your gut big enough to drive a bulldozer through. Ya gotta admit though, you tend to fergit about the gangerene growing on you leg though. Now you got something to worry about.
This article appears in May 8-14, 2008.
Wow… NS Health Care has run the gammot. The OP was met with under-reaction and concerns for drug-seeking behaviors pull to the forefront in the medical community. My experience is totally opposite as I received over-reaction my last time through. My boyfriend had a pinched nerve in his back and it was making (deep) breathing difficult. No, it can’t be a pinched nerve. It HAS to be a blood clot or something very very serious, right? Upon arriving at the hospital they had us convinced he was going to die and soon without blood thinners and morphine. 8 hours later his cat scan comes back clean and he’s discharged without a second glance.OP, apply the RICE principals (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and if Advil doesn’t cut it ask your doctor for Toridol (not sure how to spell it)… a non-narcotic and very effective anti-inflammatory most often prescribed post-surgery to manage swelling and pain. And if you really just want to get a buzz on take the Toridol with a Nytol and rest easy. Get well soon.