mistakes that let everyone know youre a rookie

Cortisone shots don’t really do anything lol it’s only 10% that it will work for a few days to weeks, 90% of our patients always complain that it doesn’t work and that injection is painful because the needles are so big. Your better off looking for natural remedies or other alternatives haha.

 

I'm a fan of this one! Instantly pain-free. This is a great way to cure a headache too!

 

Man I’m a fan of that one too, if I can have that with my head I don’t need to pay off any of my debt hehe

 

To reduce to simple answer the second hip joint is pending failure. Just waiting for it to go out. The blood supply failure to it is in progress. It will be a time to get to the point of surgery once they confirm that yes the joint is dead. However the situation is not going to be allowed to be what we call a "Lost year" and they will drop it right in easy.

There is a eye surgeon who wants to climb into my eyes and examine the previous lens implant (Old Cataract repair) and examine the other eye. There has been vision changes and his tools will decide what the eyes tell him whats going on. I had enough vision to pass last year for the real ID act but will need to replace the trifocals for the future at some point.

Third, the heart surgeon with the expensive tools in nuclear scanning and monitor and so on so forth etc gave me the full monty so to speak. Absolutely nothing. Muscle is good, pipes (Vessals) are clear, the medicines designed to push into failure failed. EKG people were bored at the perfect timings and on and on and on. There is a issue with the mitral that accepts fresh oxygen blood from the lungs. In Fight or flight that backs up fast to the lungs and down I go. I had that since birth premature at 3 months. They bypassed it twice when the lungs failed via leg artery and vein at 3 months. Which left a hole in my leg that has no effect generally on my long haul biking and running etc. But may impact the new joint. We don't know yet which is why we are approaching this with extreme caution. The bypass procedcure in the 60's involved three technicians 24/7 for a week. Manually non computer regulating my entire system with precision (Pretty crude today when you think about it...)

All and all, I am not one to run to surgery or abuse the medical system. I would be the very last person to take it on, hence my car parts analogy. The one thing I wont let anyone touch is the spine other than cutting the nerve signal pain system in the lower. They introduce demerol, put you out and then sonar guide a burner laser to those three nerve trunks and sever them. I know they hit the first one perfect. SLICE. Good for 9 months give or take. I have had a number of below skin surgeries in neck and back removing cysts in my life. they see my back and go omg. Its a story. They will chop out more this year.

For right now, everything is paused. I am taking Ex to have a nerve based cyst removed in her surgery in the VA and there are risks. Its going to be about 6 weeks for me to be her hands in everything once they do this for better or worse. I personally think the doctor there could not be bothered because they do that so many times they don't care what happens because certain issues post surgery is lifelong. IF it does not go perfect. So do you go fix it? Or do you try to live with it until it takes out the limb that it's on and growing? It has to come out. So. we go for her.

There is a few other things medically but I don't get into that here. Its enough work to go around to the doctors. For example both knees. At some point they will need new joints. But not yet. THAT is something I will have to consider. And thats not the only joint system involved here. Thats why they call me the 6 million dollar man. Artificial parts all over. Who knows.

 

I did get over to the VA hospital and all my pre-op business is over. I will be placed on the floor with a slow local drip over 72 hours to deaden the pain. I will also have a foley catheter and because of being a fall risk will remain in bed for a while. I am getting general anesthesia and will be in the hospital for several days. This is because I am a bad surgical risk, so much so there was a message chain with several doctors that went on for a while. going to be fun!

 

Oh god. You are going to so want out of there when they get through with you.

 

You guys seem to place a lot of faith in VA medicine. If you had affordable alternatives would you still deal with the VA?

 

In my case, yes, because I use outside physicians as well. I also know about the history of my surgeon. With the VA it's a crap shoot.

 

I tried dealing with the VA when I first got out of the Army. I found that they're usually a dumping ground for every marginally qualified and skill challenged health care provider looking for work.
Finish near the bottom of your med school class? No problem, VA will hire you.
Have real problems communicating in English because you attended some third world medical school that didn't require fluency in any language, just tuition money? VA will take that into consideration.
Have a couple of suspensions on your license to practice medicine? Check with the VA. If you can't work as an MD they'll employ you as a tech until your licensing problems clear up.
Have an MD or an RN but your drug/alcohol problem is starting to affect your work? No problem. VA will employ you while you're undergoing treatment.
V doesn't pay decent wages so they don't attract anything but the bottom of the medical barrel.
It's like that old joke..."What do you call a person who was the least skilled student and graduated absolutely last in their medical school? You call them Doctor".

 

I can't lie. There are a lot of dangerous people wearing white lab coats at the Hampton VA hospital. Right now I feel lucky. My primary care doc is actually a Nurse practitioner who is really good and is under the supervision of a really good Physician. I have two Heart docs, one a VA doc and another at a local hospital, I see both of them about every 5 months. I have a first-rate neurologist at the local hospital that trained in Houston Texas. He has taken care of my tonic-clonic seizures (some call a Grand Mal) with medication and today I can honestly say I am happy to not have them dang things. Still working on the absence seizures. I also have a fantastic lady doctor that takes care of my diabetes. She was born in Lebanon and went to school and med school there, and takes a lot of time with me. Since I have been in her care my A1C had dropped almost a full point. There are some bozos in my Prime Clinic though. I would not refer the pain management doctor there to Ahab the local terrorist. That man is a total tool. The only on staff neurologist and I had a falling out several years ago. This genius was testing my reflexes, I had an open sore right where he wanted to hit my knee. he hit it and opened up that sore. The only thing that prevented me from knocking him on his butt was he was out of my wheelhouse. needless to say, I got away from that guy.

Edit: Since I have totally hijacked this thread let me also do this. As someone that has had these dang things, it is important to me that people understand the basics of this. This is a great video. When I have these seizures mine are much like this.