Bizarre doctors appt. today

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

I needed to see ortho doctor after falling right on my knees and having a lot of pain in them. Anyway - since I have an HMO I have to pick from my ins co in network list. So my PCP picks one and I make an appt. for today. They tell me they are in temporary offices and give me an address. Off I go - when I get to the address it is a shopping mall but one of the doors says ---Physical Therapy. I figure I'll ask them if they know where the doctor's office is. I go in and there is no receptionist so I ask one of the people walking around in scrubs and he said this is it. They give me the usual clipboard and I fill it out. They ask for my copay and ins. info. then take me back to see the doctor - IN A STORAGE CLOSET. No lie - shelves all along the walls filled with PT equipment and in between them a raggedy old wooden desk and a chair. The doctor comes in , looks at my knees and bends my legs etc. Explains that I damaged the cartiledge under the knee caps & now it is rough like stucco instead of smooth and it will take a long time to heal, and this rough cartiledge is rubbing on my prosthesis from my makoplasty, and that is causing my pain. He recommends pain meds and PT , but when I tell him I have a $50 per session copay for PT and the 18 sessions he recommends will cost me $900 out of pocket he says it wouldn't be worth it. Gave me a Rx for PT anyway. No xrays - nothing. At least it was fast - in & out in about 5 min. but a total waste as he did absolutely nothing for me.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

I asked why they didn't have a sign on the door to indicate it was also his "office" and he said signs are expensive. I took a index card off his desk - wrote Dr ---- office here. and slid it into the door frame. He said - well that outta do it.

dex · ‎03-09-2010

I think you might have seen the bare bones doc!I wouldn’t feel good at all about that visit.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

@151949One thing I hate to hear from any doctor is that there's not much except time and maybe pain meds that will relieve what's bothering me.

I can visualize what he explained, but I don't have nearly enough knowledge to know whether a different doctor would have a better answer. Hopefully a different doctor would be in surroundings that would make you feel more assured although we all know doctors can do amzing work in very primitive surroundings.

Right now I'll just hope you find pain relief somehow.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

I am not surprised at all by this - after all - this is Florida.

Q4u · ‎03-17-2010

I have had a lot of Ortho work to my knees, including breaking 1/2" of Tibia partially floating under one knee cap.... torn Miniscus, torn cartlidge, etc. Never, never have I had a serious diagnosis without at least an X-Ray, a Cat Scan or an MRI! I'm shocked at this. Not so shocked at the "Make Do" office facility (they have to make it work somehow) but I think I would get a second opinion.... yes indeed.... and I hope you find relief.

*~"Never eat more than you can lift......" Miss Piggy~*

dex · ‎03-09-2010

@151949

@151949 wrote:
I am not surprised at all by this - after all - this is Florida.

I would not feel good if I had any life threatening problems and was seeing a doc that wasn’t even concerned with having an office sign or receptionist.Is Florida that laid back?

gidgetgh · ‎03-09-2010

That was quite an appointment! I’d ask my primary for another referral to a different ortho doctor. One who might take an interest in getting to the bottom of your issue. One who might take the time to, I don’t know, actually take some x rays, do an MRI, whatever.

In 2012, I fell, horrible fall, and hurt my knee. I thought I’d broken it. I went to the orthopedic doctor the next day. He took the obligatory X-ray and told me it would take time to heal and sent me on my way. All that was missing was a dismissive wave of the hand.

I went back three more times as the pain kept getting worse. He kept saying it will just take time to heal. On the 4th visit, I insisted on an MRI.

They took forever to schedule it. They finally did and as I waited for the appointment, things took a turn for the worse and I ended up going by ambulance to the ER. 5, count em 5, blood clots. Two behind that knee, one in each lung and one in the saddle between the lungs. The ER doctor told me that he didn’t know if I’d make it. Obviously I did, but since that time, I really don’t put up with any attitude from doctors. I have no problem questioning what they’re doing and challenging them if I think they’re not doing enough.

@151949- I’m sorry you fell on your knees. I hope you get relief and healing soon.

Why is it, when I have a 50/50 guess at something, I'm always 100% wrong?