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cracklover
Jan 19, 2007, 11:43 PM
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Six weeks in, countless phone calls, numerous different hoops jumped through, plenty of co-payments (@ $15 a pop), and most of the doctors have to be fucking forced at gunpoint to even palpate the part of my finger that hurts. They have no fucking clue, and seem completely incurious as to what could be wrong with it. Hey, I can make a fist, I can extend my fingers, what more could I ask for? Oh, I haven't been able to climb for six weeks? Why should they care about that?
Fucking stupid fucking fuckers! I'm getting really tired of going round and round the healthcare machine, and no-one offering a shred of useful info. Clearly something is wrong with either my tendon or my tendon pulley, but when I mention these (or explain the ganglion cysts I've had in the same place - caused by small ruptures in the tendon sheaths) they start looking nervous and acting like they haven't studied this stuff in a long time, and why the hell did I have to get this stupid patient, why couldn't I be treating someone with a broken leg - broken legs I understand. Raahhh!
Next I try the fucking physical therapist that the orthopedist pawned me off on. Oh, except that they were supposed to call me, and didn't, so now I have to hound them.
Sorry, had to get that off my chest. I'm tired of being polite and helpful and a good little health-services user. I want my fucking finger to work again, or at least someone to tell me what the fuck is wrong with it!!!
GO
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maww
Jan 19, 2007, 11:45 PM
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Sorry man. :( I have no medical advice nor sagelike wisdom to depart. I hope it heals fast and you get to get at least one doctor square in the nuts. It should make you feel better.
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c4c
Jan 19, 2007, 11:52 PM
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Which finger is it? Just curious. I'm guessing the middle one.
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viperziz
Jan 19, 2007, 11:59 PM
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Move to Canada... at least you won't have to pay for being dicked around! mmmmm Free Health Care... Oh yah the down side is that if you want a transplant, major operation, a specialist or a MRI you'll have to be put on the 2 year waiting list. But it's free!
Seroiusly now... good luck.
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angry
Jan 20, 2007, 12:03 AM
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Doctors looks at healthy people and fully ignore them. They've done the same to me my entire life.
Recently, they severely negleted a friend because she appeared so healthy (but was very very sick). There is a malpractice suit.
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reno
Jan 20, 2007, 12:06 AM
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Cracklover:
Not sure where in Mass. you live, but I know a couple guys who work in Boston. Perhaps one of them might know a good sports medicine doctor you could see.
Can't promise anything, but I'll make some calls if you'd like. Let me know.
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cracklover
Jan 20, 2007, 12:31 AM
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reno: The Boston area. Somerville to be specific. Sure. PM me if you have any good recommendations. I'll take whatever you've got. Thanks, guys, for letting me rant.
c4c: Sadly, no - the ring finger, not the middle finger. Too bad, would love to be able to show my middle finger to a few doctors.
Angry: yup, totally. They're like - hey, you're under 300 lbs, nothing's broken, no chronic diseases, what the fuck do you want? Next doctor I talk to I'm going to get personal. I'm going to ask them if what they do for an avocation. Let's say they say they've been playing tennis for fifteen years. I'll ask, what they'd do if their doctor told them "oh, well, arm injuries, who knows, at your age, it might take a year or more to heal, meanwhile, it's best to immobilize it."
Thank god for beer, that's all I can say.
GO
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squierbypetzl
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Jan 20, 2007, 2:28 AM
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In reply to: Fucking stupid fucking fuckers!
Yeeesss! Welcome to my world. I´ve had fucking recurring tendinitis in 8 of my 10 goddam fingers for over a fucking year. Stupid ass morons who supposedly know what the hell is up with tendon injuries in high level athletes (which I´m not, yet, but how the fuck will i ever be if I can´t climb!), and still have no fucking clue how to fix my hands.
Rest they say, antiinflamatories they say, 2 weeks and you´re good to go they say. $TUP!) FV(K!VG IDIOTS!!
Having fingers and not being able to use them for anything even slightly strenuous is no fucking life for me!
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kriso9tails
Jan 20, 2007, 2:31 AM
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Take your own advice: fuck doctors and you might get better treatment.
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pjdf
Jan 20, 2007, 2:51 AM
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Gabe,
Sorry to hear about it; that sucks. My only thoughts are find a specialist and in particular, someone who really does sports medicine. You might want to look into the doctors that do work for the Celtics, Pats, and Sox. I don't know how it will extend to fingers, but a friend in LA had an ACL tear, and an incompetent doctor led to a second one. The second time he went to the doctor who works with the Lakers, and had a much better experience and a doctor who understood what he meant when he said he wanted to play soccer again. At the least, those doctors might know who locally is a real finger specialist with the sports medicine outlook.
Drink beer (good for blood profusion to the peripheries) and good luck.
-James
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sjm915
Jan 20, 2007, 3:08 AM
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ya man see a hand specialist, or an orthopedic surgeon.
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carabiner96
Jan 20, 2007, 4:10 AM
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cracklover wrote: Six weeks in, countless phone calls, numerous different hoops jumped through, plenty of co-payments (@ $15 a pop)
wah wah wah...look buddy, at least you HAVE insurance. I'm so sick and tired of people bitching and moaning about their copayments when if anyone in my family gets sick or injured we're looking at paying at least a grand - hospitals charge people who don't have insurance nore to make up for the insurance companies only covering 80% of the bill. I only WISH we had "plenty of copayments at $15 a pop".
last spring I had a simple sprain on my ankle. If I had had insurance (which my parents can't afford) the co payment would have been around $75. Instead, I'm trying to pay of an $800 I really can't afford.
So, sorry about your finger, and i hope it gets better, but remember how lucky you still are.
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curt
Jan 20, 2007, 4:52 AM
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Gabe,
Contact Mark Robinson here--and explain your problem to him.
Robinson Mark K MD
3291 Loma Vista Rd
Ventura, CA 93003
(805) 652-6139
Mark is an excellent orthopedic surgeon and was one of the first 5.12 climbers in the Gunks, back in the '70s. He understands climbing injuries. Good luck.
Curt
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thomasribiere
Jan 20, 2007, 10:28 AM
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cracklover wrote: They have no fucking clue, and seem completely incurious as to what could be wrong with it. Hey, I can make a fist, I can extend my fingers, what more could I ask for?Fucking stupid fucking fuckers! GO
I see you have a future in the porn industry. Good luck with that.
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cracklover
Jan 20, 2007, 4:32 PM
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Curt, thanks for the reference, I'll call him on Monday and ask if he knows anyone good in the Boston area.
'Biner - congratulations - you win, you have it worse off than me. Is that what you want to hear? No? You want me to be grateful that I have health insurance? Well I'm sorry, but while you're technically right, if any of the doctors had given me even a shred of information, I'd feel a lot more grateful.
GO
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cellardoor
Jan 20, 2007, 6:06 PM
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I had the same problem and went to several hand specialists who didn't give an f. I bougt the book "one move too many" and treated myself. I was back climbing in no time. I had two extremely strained pulleys, one with a substantial tear but not all the way through. I had tests done and one hand specialist diagnosed it and then just told me not too use it for a few months till it healed. However, it wasn't until i followed the therapy regiment in this book that i was able to climb again. Get the book, it's gold.
Hope that helps
(This post was edited by cellardoor on Jan 21, 2007, 5:29 PM)
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reno
Jan 20, 2007, 6:49 PM
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Cracklover:
Verbatim reply from my friend Gary, who has been a paramedic in Boston for nearly 25 years:
"I don't have any specific recommendations, but he might want to start his search at the New England Baptist Hospital. They specialize in orthopedics."
Got another e-mail out to a friend who is an RN, and waiting for a reply.
Hope this helps you find a good doctor. Sorry you've had a shitty experience.
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perp
Jan 20, 2007, 7:21 PM
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You: My finger hurts really bad!
Doctor: That doesn't sound good, has it been like this for long?
You: Well, it started about two months ago, when I used it to pull my entire body-weight up an overhanging rock-face, and it seems to get worse every time I do this.
Doctor: Well, maybe you should stop pulling yourself by the finger?
You: FUCK YOU, I'm a climber, i have to climb!!! Fuck you stupid know-nothing, fucking doctor. (Slams door).
Doctor: Sigh...
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kachoong
Jan 20, 2007, 7:30 PM
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You could climb 5.6 for the rest of your life... problem solved. 
Seriously.... good luck with the quacks Gabe and I hope you find a cure for that finger. I had a similar injury, but not as bad as yours sounds. I just had to wait it out a few months and not climb too hard, and it got better on its own. Guess I was lucky... I was also a few years younger.
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happiegrrrl
Jan 20, 2007, 7:34 PM
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I think the suggestions of the sports medicine(and orthopedic, I guess....I have no clue what that is, but sounds like the one who suggested it do understand that is the type of specialist to be seeing) are going to be your ticket.
Good luck with it.
And since a straight up serious thread is just no fun whatsoever.....I feel I need to see the "had/have it worse"pot raise the ante.
I have no health insurance either, so being ill goes under the "leader must not fall" tenet for me. Not only could my parents have not afforded health insurance for my "passed the age of 18" ass (I knew so very well how the money deal went in my home that I consciously made the decision not to attend college because of the burden it would have been) - Oh...I always get off on tangents....Anyway, not only that, my parents are both dead.
I'm keeping my poker face on.....you don't all know what else I'm holdin'...... Anyone else in for this round of Pity Me Poker!!!???
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kachoong
Jan 20, 2007, 9:01 PM
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In regards to health insurance, I think most people are in a position to afford it, they just choose not to.
I grew up in a poor family, where any pocket money I received was from a job of my own. My mother was sick from when I was 11 until she died. We had no health insurance and certainly not enough money to afford my college. Luckily in Australia university is paid up front by the government, but is repaid with taxes through your life. Health insurance is a bit of money but worth it, from all the horror stories I hear and see.
By the time I was old enough and wise enough to realize, I put money into health insurance every month with at least the peace of mind to know it would save me a lot of money if the time came, even if nothing happened to me. That in itself is worth the money.... and you know what? If someone can afford a Friday night of drinking each week, they can afford health insurance. Simple as that. I'd give up beer altogether if I knew I'd be covered (for the most part) if anything happened to me.
edited for speeeeeling
(This post was edited by kachoong on Jan 20, 2007, 9:01 PM)
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kachoong
Jan 20, 2007, 9:07 PM
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happiegrrrl wrote: kachoong wrote: .... and you know what? If someone can afford a Friday night of drinking each week, they can afford health insurance. How much beer do you drink on a Friday night!!!??? hahaha....
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cracklover
Jan 20, 2007, 11:44 PM
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Thanks for the recommendation, cellardoor. I just ordered the book. Hope it helps.
From all I've gathered online, it looks like it's probably a tear in the A2 pulley.
For those who are interested, here are links to some useful info available online.
What's where in your fingers. Some decent drawings with labeled pulleys.
If you're not at all squeamish, and want to see the actual pulleys and tendons in a cadaver in different stages of dissection, you can click here.
By the authors of the book cellardoor mentioned:
Pulley Injuries in Rock Climbers
GO
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reno
Jan 20, 2007, 11:50 PM
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kachoong wrote: In regards to health insurance, I think most people are in a position to afford it, they just choose not to.
I don't know if "most" is correct, but "many" certainly is.
Can't tell you how many patient's I've treated and transported who had a brand new wide screen TV, DVD player, surround sound, and the like, but wouldn't spend a dollar on their healthcare.
Again, probably not most, but many.
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scrapedape
Jan 21, 2007, 12:09 AM
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kachoong,
Doesn't Oz have public health care as well as private?
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kachoong
Jan 21, 2007, 12:53 AM
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scrapedape wrote: kachoong, Doesn't Oz have public health care as well as private?
Yeah, Aus has public health, but it still really helps to have some kind of private health care, especially for specialists, dental and decent hospital care.
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miademus
Jan 21, 2007, 12:13 PM
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wow that sounds real shit.... ,billing problems are always a way of shit...i mean it, hope you get out of that,regards.
cracklover: anyway, my friends at the gym probably injure their fingers every season, it's regular,lol. and they tend to fix it all the time by theire own...and damn you should hear them shout when they get injured....
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lena_chita
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Jan 21, 2007, 3:00 PM
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I'm glad you are getting some specific advice, hopefully one of those docs would be helpful.
I know exactly what you mean about how frustrating it is to deal with the docs. When I had my back injury, I was sent to PT who evaluated me, and completely ignoring my explanation that my range of motion was only barely half of what it should be told me that my "half-range" is better than full range of most people and I should be happy about that. As if I care about other people's range of motion. The PT was supposed to help ME get my strength, etc, back, not some "average" hypothetical person.
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justthemaid
Jan 21, 2007, 5:30 PM
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Hey Gabe.
I can sympathize 150%. I've been out for over 2 months with mystery toe injury that had made it impossible to climb and my frustration with my doctors' apathy it getting extreme.
I've considered just paying for a specialist outside of
my insurance plan who actually has a clue and cares if I climb again, since the "You should stop climbing" treatment isn't an option.
kachoong wrote: In regards to health insurance, I think most people are in a position to afford it, they just choose not to.
I kinda agree.
I make a frighteningly small amount of $ per year, but since climbing is my passion and injuries are common, I sure as hell make sure that payment gets sent every month. If a serious injury occurs I don't want to have to sell my house to pay for it.
...and I take exception to the "don't whine about co-payments" statements.
I pay a huge chunk of my meager paycheck every month and I'm treated with total indifference from my health provider. The co-pays get ridiculous.
Example: Go see my doctor- $25. 2 weeks later see her again- $25 She does and x-ray- $10 She takes a blood test- another $10 She says: "hmm- I don't see much wrong here. These things take time to heal" I say: "WHAT THING'S?? YOU HAVEN'T ACTUALLY DIAGNOSED ANYTHING!!" I insist on seeing a podiatrist. She reluctantly gives a referral. 2 weeks later go to see podiatrist- $25. He takes another x-ray $10. Tells me" Well, you've got bad genetics. You should stop climbing". I say "That's not an option". Visit ends. I leave the office with basically no suggestion on how to re-hab.
After a while the co-pays become a slap in the face, and in light of the regular payment and the ineffective "treatments" (if you can call a lame suggestion a treatment) it really starts to gripe me.
So Gabe...amen I'm with you brother.
I think I'll go buy that book someone suggested.
Maybe I'll go talk to those hippies at the health food store. At least they try to be helpful and act like they care when they are shoving that bottle of Eye-of-Newt cure-all at you.
end rant.
(This post was edited by justthemaid on Jan 21, 2007, 6:36 PM)
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wideguy
Jan 21, 2007, 5:42 PM
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Gabe, sorry to hear man. Nothing worse than a doctor who isn't concerned with you recovery and goals. I went to thre orthos before I finally found one who seemed to care. His first question, "waht sports do you engage in and what is your hope for level of participation when you return?"
He started to hedge on ordering an MRI but I pushed, told him I really wanted one. He OK'd it and found the ligament tear in my knee that the first two said was just a strain.
Hopefulloy you can find someone who pays attention too
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clausti
Jan 21, 2007, 6:13 PM
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carabiner96 wrote: cracklover wrote: Six weeks in, countless phone calls, numerous different hoops jumped through, plenty of co-payments (@ $15 a pop)last spring I had a simple sprain on my ankle. If I had had insurance (which my parents can't afford) the co payment would have been around $75. Instead, I'm trying to pay of an $800 I really can't afford.
last spring were you at the university yet? I'm just trying to understand how a simple sprain could cost 800 dollars. multiple xrays? at my university, you couldnt be a full time student without paying the health center fees, which covered visits and subsidized lab tests. no idea about xrays though.
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blueeyedclimber
Jan 21, 2007, 6:31 PM
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I think this quote sums up our (and your) current problem.
"America's health care system is second only to Japan... Canada, Sweden, Great Britain... well, all of Europe. But you can thank your lucky stars we don't live in Paraguay!" - Homer Simpson
Our health care is all about quantity, not quality. Most doctors are going into general medicine, and when they get out, are taking on too many patients to make their money. THis is not necessarily their fault, but is largely due to insurance companies stranglehold on our system. And that's just the problem with people who actually have insurance.
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angry
Jan 21, 2007, 6:34 PM
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Depends on the college.
At mine, it was $400 extra per semester if you had university health care. That covered 50% of bills, give or take (depends on the actual thing you went in for).
Also, student health was free up until the point of ordering x-rays, setting bones, buying drugs, etc. So you could go in and they had a real doctor or two on staff who would give you a quick lookover. Pretty basic, but they actually seem more concerned than Kaiser in my experience.
The funny thing about Student Health was the questionaire required before each visit. Mostly questions about drinking, smoking, drug use, unprotected sex, and seatbelts. It's a college after all.
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cracklover
Jan 21, 2007, 7:05 PM
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miademus wrote: my friends at the gym probably injure their fingers every season, it's regular,lol. and they tend to fix it all the time by theire own...and damn you should hear them shout when they get injured....
Yeah, well in over 8 years of climbing I've had a lot of little stuff, and some tendonitis issues that were pretty bad at times, but this is the first time I've had an issue that might, just might, make me stop climbing completely. At least until it heals. So far I've been taping the finger down to the palm of my hand to keep it from getting stressed. Next will be one-handed climbing... Every year, huh? No thanks! Anyway, hopefully after that One Move Too Many book arrives, I'll be in a position to treat (and maybe even help prevent) my own injuries, too.
lena_chita - what a terribly frustrating experience with the PT! I swear to god, I think Angry's right - if you're not completely broken, doctors just seem to not want to do anything for you. If I had that approach as a software designer or a DBA, I'd be out of a job. "Oh - your query only returns an error a quarter of the time? Well, keep running it, maybe it'll get better if you give it time." No, I don't think that'd go over too well!
Best guess I have is that the really decent doctors, the ones who are at the top of their field - smart, curious, experienced, and care about getting their patients to a tip-top level, have checked out of the standard health-care system, and own private practices where the elite go see them and pay real money out of pocket. That leaves all the rest with all the big bucks taken out of the system, so they're forced to see way too many patients.
Justthemaid - yikes! I hope someone finds the problem! I know a woman who had a pain in her foot misdiagnosed for years and years. A number of surgeries. At one point she was walking with a cane (at age 20) - seemingly for the rest of her life. Then one doctor found it - there was a tumor in her foot that all the other doctors had missed - I guess it was pushing the bones around, and they just saw the other bones in the wrong place and were working on those. Anyway, removed tumor, and within months she was more active than she'd been in ten years. She took up tennis, lost all the weight she'd put on, her whole life changed. So don't give up! And I love the bit about the hippies with their eye-of-newt! :)
Wide - thanks for sharing a success story. Good to hear that those really good docs are out there.
I've started feeding myself prescription strength ibuprofen, and will keep on it until a doctor tells me to stop, or my injury goes away.
Thanks everyone who's participated in the discussion. I really appreciate it.
GO
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boadman
Jan 21, 2007, 9:44 PM
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Does anybody know what the author's of that article (which was really interesting, by the way) mean by, "Functional Therapy." It's what they say you do for grade 1 injuries, which I feel like I usually have on at least one finger every winter gym season. It sounds like the doctors are yet another reason to move to the Frankenjura.
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carabiner96
Jan 21, 2007, 10:42 PM
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clausti wrote: carabiner96 wrote: cracklover wrote: Six weeks in, countless phone calls, numerous different hoops jumped through, plenty of co-payments (@ $15 a pop)last spring I had a simple sprain on my ankle. If I had had insurance (which my parents can't afford) the co payment would have been around $75. Instead, I'm trying to pay of an $800 I really can't afford. last spring were you at the university yet? I'm just trying to understand how a simple sprain could cost 800 dollars. multiple xrays? at my university, you couldnt be a full time student without paying the health center fees, which covered visits and subsidized lab tests. no idea about xrays though.
By last spring I meant last last spring, senior year of high school. They took 3 different angles with the x ray and gave my one of those air casts. that was it. Bill came to $786.33 exactly. Now that I'm at uni I'm under the school insurance. In regards to my family insurance...this is me whining, skip on...anyway dad is self employed and has to pay a secretary and my mom is unemployed because maine sucks ass and she's overqualified, no one will hire her to be a waitress with a masters in anthropology. Ive got three little brothers...as a fam we barely break $30,000 a year. For a family of six, health insurance (that would be worth the money, not some shit plan) simply isn't an option.
cracklover - sorry, the rant wasn't directed at you. I know copayments suck ass, I'm making them now on my tendonitis treatments. They do add up quick. Feel better, buddy.
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angry
Jan 22, 2007, 12:10 AM
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You just made my broke ass feel wealthy. And I'm dirt fucking poor.
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carabiner96
Jan 22, 2007, 12:24 AM
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As cliche as it is, I would have never known we were poor growing up. I had the best childhood and still have the best family...that's all that really matters in the end (*choking on my own chick-flickness*)
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lhwang
Jan 22, 2007, 12:44 AM
Post #40 of 54
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Wow, cracklover. You sound pretty pissed off and it sounds ilke you've gotten quite the run-around.
Common things being common, you probably do have a pulley injury.
Can't add much here, but do see a hand specialist (plastics or ortho) and get an ultrasound or possibly MRI to help diagnose a pulley tear and how severe it is.
Therapy of pulley injuries is largely conservative (read immobilization for 10-14 days plus anti-inflammatories and then gradual functional therapy with tape or other pulley protection. Depending on how severe it is, it could be up to 6 months before you can climb on it again as you normally would).
Surgery is indicated for grade IV tears. Post-op, it'll be 6 months before you have full function of the finger again.
Good luck.
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granite_grrl
Jan 22, 2007, 12:26 PM
Post #41 of 54
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While your story doesn't surprize me, I do feel sorry for you. Doctors don't really seem to get too worried about soft tissue injuries (at least mine isn't), but if you nag you can get a referral.
lena_chita - I just went through multiple months of physio, and the PTs were almost depressing. As I talked about getting back to climbing, or biking, or anything I used to do they kept wanting me to hold back. I actually had one tell me that I should come to grips that I may not climb again. What hurts me is a freakn' break in my femur, I thought bones heal.
I should have seen about going to a sports specialist, not someone who deals with old overweigt people with hip replacments.
Of course the kicker is that my muscles are still very far away from being properly developped again and I was discharged a month and a half ago. You would think that they'd want to keep me on a physio schecdule at least till I can walk without a huge huge limp.
I have my own gripes about doctors and hospitals, but they did a good job on all the important things. They're just lacking in the after care.
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robbovius
Jan 22, 2007, 2:26 PM
Post #42 of 54
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cracklover wrote: . I'll ask, what they'd do if their doctor told them "oh, well, arm injuries, who knows, at your age, it might take a year or more to heal, meanwhile, it's best to immobilize it."
dude, you've followed the progress of the issues I've had with the tendonitis in my elbow since 1/06...that's the course of tendon injuries. they take a LONG time to heal... and the older you are, thje longer it takes.
the tendonitis I had in my shoulders in the late 90s took 2 years to heal, and they are still tender. my elbow may never heal fully.
there's no pills, there's no therapy, there's no surgery - unless the tendon tears... sometimes injections of cortizone can help.
That said, there's a hand specialist office at the Metrowest Wellness center on rte 9 in framingham. they did my carpal tunnel surgery in '02, and gave me the cortizone for my elbow last summer which worked wonders...check them out.
here's the link:
http://www.mwmc.com/FindAPhysician
Louis Jurist, M.D. 761 Worcester Road,
Framingham, MA 01701 508-872-7881
Michael Brunelli, M.D. 761 Worcester Road,
Framingham, MA 01701 508-872-7881
jurist is the guy who did my carpal tunnel, brunelli treated my elbow tendonitis.
(This post was edited by robbovius on Jan 22, 2007, 2:27 PM)
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bigfatrock
Jan 22, 2007, 2:32 PM
Post #43 of 54
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I have been in your shoes recently. Had a back injury last May. Went to one chiropractor who I think made my problem worse. After that went to a "back institute." Saw ad chiro and orthopedic. They eventually sent me to physical therapy. Over $600 worth of co-pays later I still have my problem. I eventually found a chiropractor who has been able to help me. I still have the problem, but it is MUCH improved. I started climbing again just a couple weeks after seeing him.
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carabiner96
Jan 22, 2007, 3:53 PM
Post #44 of 54
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bigfatrock wrote: I have been in your shoes recently. Had a back injury last May. Went to one chiropractor who I think made my problem worse. After that went to a "back institute." Saw ad chiro and orthopedic. They eventually sent me to physical therapy. Over $600 worth of co-pays later I still have my problem. I eventually found a chiropractor who has been able to help me. I still have the problem, but it is MUCH improved. I started climbing again just a couple weeks after seeing him.
Sue.
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clausti
Jan 22, 2007, 4:46 PM
Post #45 of 54
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carabiner96 wrote: bigfatrock wrote: I have been in your shoes recently. Had a back injury last May. Went to one chiropractor who I think made my problem worse. After that went to a "back institute." Saw ad chiro and orthopedic. They eventually sent me to physical therapy. Over $600 worth of co-pays later I still have my problem. I eventually found a chiropractor who has been able to help me. I still have the problem, but it is MUCH improved. I started climbing again just a couple weeks after seeing him. Sue.
you know that mal practice suits are directly related to the increasing cost of health care, right? just checking.
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carabiner96
Jan 22, 2007, 5:08 PM
Post #46 of 54
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clausti wrote: carabiner96 wrote: bigfatrock wrote: I have been in your shoes recently. Had a back injury last May. Went to one chiropractor who I think made my problem worse. After that went to a "back institute." Saw ad chiro and orthopedic. They eventually sent me to physical therapy. Over $600 worth of co-pays later I still have my problem. I eventually found a chiropractor who has been able to help me. I still have the problem, but it is MUCH improved. I started climbing again just a couple weeks after seeing him. Sue. you know that mal practice suits are directly related to the increasing cost of health care, right? just checking.
Yes, but my dad's also a lawyer, gotta root for the home team. He's sick of doing divorces anyway...he needs to mix it up.
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wideguy
Jan 22, 2007, 5:24 PM
Post #47 of 54
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a divorce lawyer who only makes $30K a year? Man either he is really bad at his job or I need his number because he works WAY too cheap. I have several friends who couold have used a divorce attorney that didn't screw them.
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granite_grrl
Jan 22, 2007, 5:27 PM
Post #48 of 54
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I had a friend whose both parents are lawyers. I don't know the breakdown of fees, but he was hardly living in the lap of luxery. Not every lawyer job is that glamourous or pays that well.
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reno
Jan 22, 2007, 6:35 PM
Post #49 of 54
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Cracklover:
From another close friend, Alan, who lives/works in Boston:
In reply to: Bertram (Bert) Zarins, MD Chief of Sports Medicine Massachusetts General Hospital Medical Director, New England Patriots Areas of Special Interest: Knee and Shoulder http://www.massgeneral.org/ortho/SportsDoctors.htm http://www.massgeneral.org/ortho/sports.htm I know someone that see's him when necessary.
Hope this helps....
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j_ung
Jan 22, 2007, 7:51 PM
Post #50 of 54
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carabiner96 wrote: clausti wrote: carabiner96 wrote: bigfatrock wrote: I have been in your shoes recently. Had a back injury last May. Went to one chiropractor who I think made my problem worse. After that went to a "back institute." Saw ad chiro and orthopedic. They eventually sent me to physical therapy. Over $600 worth of co-pays later I still have my problem. I eventually found a chiropractor who has been able to help me. I still have the problem, but it is MUCH improved. I started climbing again just a couple weeks after seeing him. Sue. you know that mal practice suits are directly related to the increasing cost of health care, right? just checking. Yes, but my dad's also a lawyer, gotta root for the home team. He's sick of doing divorces anyway...he needs to mix it up.
Your father's a divorce lawyer who can't afford health insurance?
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carabiner96
Jan 22, 2007, 8:38 PM
Post #51 of 54
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He's a self employed general practice lawyer in downeast maine. His clients aren't exactly a bunch of high rollers - they're lucky if they have all of their teeth.
He also does a lot of court appointed work which is only $50 an hour. I know- "only" - but a law firm has TONS of overhead - rent, office doo dads, the secretary, classes, lawyer stuff, travel around the state for court...by the time money has been put back into the office, there isn't much to bring home. Plus, we're a family of 6, 3 of them boys who are only going to eat more as they hit puberty.
He gets paid in furniture, fences, and lobster. Nice, but don't pay the insurance bills.
(This post was edited by carabiner96 on Jan 22, 2007, 8:41 PM)
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cracklover
Nov 9, 2011, 5:47 PM
Post #52 of 54
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I just ran across this thread. Ah, memories.
So to wrap up all the loose ends, here's the rest of the story:
1 - I eventually got an MRI done, but that was several months after the injury, and by then none of the specialists could find anything certain.
2 - I bought the book One Move Too Many after reading Cellardoor's post http://www.rockclimbing.com/...ost=1523102;#1523102. Thanks, dude, I owe you BIGtime. This book, in conjunction with my own research on the web, gave me all the info I needed to diagnose and treat the injury, which was a partial tear of the A2 pulley.
All told it was about 6-9 months before I was fully on the road to recovery, and a year before I was back to 100% of where I'd been before the accident. And the net gain from between a dozen and two dozen visits to doctors was absolutely zero, aside from a DVD I now own with some cool MRI photos of my finger.
......
Interesting post-script: Five years after the injury that led to this thread, I injured my other ring finger. This time I went about things very differently.
1 - I diagnosed and treated myself:
Diagnosis - Based on the trauma and the symptoms, I had a full or near-full rupture of A-3 pulley, and possible slight partial tear of A-4.
Treatment - I fashioned appropriate devices for immobilization which I only used full-time at the very beginning, and then later used during more stressful activities. I completely stopped climbing. I did RICE, and therapy, in appropriate levels. And as things improved, I slowly got back into climbing.
2 - Despite this being a more severe injury (full or near full rupture of one pulley, rather than only partial tear, and possible involvement of a second pulley) my outcome was much better:
Money - I spent nothing on a useless medical establishment (although in fairness, I did run a few ideas past some good folks here online).
State of mind - I felt like I knew what to do, and had a course of action to follow. I didn't feel helpless and frustrated.
Time to recovery - It's only a little more than four months out from this injury, and I can now climb as much as I want, and am 80% of the way back to my previous climbing level. I fully expect to be 100% back by six months after the injury. That's half the time it took last time.
Lastly, it's kind of sad that I have a good job, a great insurance policy, and am not one of those people who dislikes ever going to the doctor, and yet the medical establishment, at least for this injury, is totally and completely useless to me. I have exactly zero medical training, and exactly zero medical equipment at my disposal, yet the diagnosis and treatment I get from my own hands and eyes is better than I'd get from the system.
Don't get me wrong, I've no doubt that there are people out there in the medical establishment who could have diagnosed and treated me perfectly in a single visit (at a relatively low cost to the health-care system). But, as they say, you can't get there from here. That, even despite the fact that my health-care coverage is probably in the top 1% in the country.
Just another data-point showing how our medical system is badly broken.
GO
(edited typos)
(This post was edited by cracklover on Dec 13, 2011, 6:43 PM)
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Allfred
Nov 10, 2011, 4:10 PM
Post #53 of 54
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I keep seeing the thread title and kept wondering why is he mad at the "fuck doctors?"
So finally I cracked and checked it out...
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IvanL
Jan 16, 2012, 8:55 PM
Post #54 of 54
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I had a pully tear in my left ring finger, got referred to a hand specialist straight away who had a splint made for my finger, gave me massage and exercises, after about 12 weeks it was nearly healed, (only problem is when I hold on to something when my pinky is left off, wierd) as good as it is ever going to get it seems (all free in NZ). I thought I was going to have a lot of trouble getting help from a doctor with that kind of injury but I was pretty happy.
On the flipside, last year I went into the emergency department with a back injury, they did x-rays and made sure I could feel my feet and said I would be fine, I complained about the pain a bit so they sent me on my way with a bunch of painkillers. I got a phone call 2 days later saying they had actually finally got round to showing my x-ray to a radiologist who pointed out that I had fractured my spine and probably shouldn't have been told to walk it off.
Couple of contrasting experiences, but for the most part dealing with doctors has been shithouse.
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