Your stories hit more home for me since my recent surgery. I had dull abdominal pain through most of December and occasional stabbing pains on the sides of my stomach. I didn't want to “mess up” Christmas for the family so I put off seeing my doctor. The day after Christmas I was in the ER, again on Jan 6th. After being sent home Jan 6 with a bunch of different pain killer prescriptions, even though I told the hospital I was hypersensitive to narcotics,(they gave me a nausea patch and pills) I finally got an appointment with the surgeon that had fixed an ulcer 6 years ago. I say finally but it was rather quick as I insisted, and to be frank he knew my insurance paid 100%. I showed up at the office and told him a CT scan was in order and I hadn't eaten so he could send me to diagnostic that day! And he did! I really did expect him to. A couple of days later and he's talking surgery for erosion's on my stomach wall and a hernia. The stabbing pains had gotten worse and he scheduled me for surgery at the end of January. Something in my facial expression made him check his schedule and say he would do it Jan 15 which he did. If I had not known him and he had not been my doctor and known my normal pain threshold before I doubt this would have happened. I understand the importance of knowing your doctor. I was able to completely bypass my primary care and save money for my insurance provider. Anyway, I'm on the mend and although the internal stitches hurt a bit the stabbing pain is gone.
When I went for my follow up the other day, the first think I was asked was if the stabbing pain was gone. I said yes and I was so thankful. The surgeon said after getting in to my surgery, he thought I would have chronic stabbing pain because there was a lot of scar tissue and he thought it may have caused nerve damage! I said this pain just started in December, I haven't had any surgery in 6 years! He honestly expected me to have chronic pain for the rest of my life. Like I said I can't do pain killers. I am very lucky.
I truly have a better appreciation and understanding of your chronic conditions and I don't know how you do it. I'm still in the healing process and am a baby right now with my own pain, but what I have/had is nothing to what you guys are going through. I feel stupid for making a big deal out of my condition. I still have to follow up as the CT scan showed something odd with my left kidney but doctor said not to worry. (prayers)
So right now is transportation the main issue trussel? I'd be willing to help out with paying for some of that. If they got your story on the air I'd like to see it and I'm sure others will help. Also, if they keep postponing your surgery and you don't want it postponed get tough. I laid it on thick that I'd just be back at the emergency room and wasn't prepared to wait much longer with the pain I was having. It was stabbing beyond belief and I've had a baby without any pain meds, kidney stone, and gall bladder attack and surgery without pain meds, ACL surgery all within the last 15 years and before I was 35. But this was unbearable. Don't take no for an answer! Also, could your doctor put your treatment down as something other than pain management? A different code calling it a back injury or some such but not just addressing pain? My daughter needs to get her wisdom teeth out, and the insurance kept turning it down. It turns out the insurance was reading the code the doctor put down as a cosmetic procedure. But when he changed it to impacted wisdom teeth in need of coming out within 3 months (which is true as is your injury) it was then covered.
I meant I really DIDN’T expect him to.
I’ll be in prayer for you too. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
A precious friend has helped with the transportation issue for a few appointments. I pray the news story gets this fixed before that runs out. Prayers still appreciated!
I hope I can get a link to the news story when they air it...so I can share that here!
Sorry to be late with prayers. You are on my mind an heart and pray that all will be well.