Wellness

[Annabellethecat66]

OK, so 15 days ago I fell backwards into two stairs...full force.

Now remember guys I've lived with terrible back pain now since 2003...this just added to it.

My cat was about  to get outside (opened door) so I bent down to grab him and slipped (slippers) and went straight down.

My back hit the first step and my head hit the second.  I had the mother of all lumps on my head.

So (due to this @@#$% virus it took a few days to get into my Drs ofc...)  then when I did she shot my back up with various muscle relaxers, etc (that was even more days later).

But she said, "I think your back is broken".  She sent me for an X-ray.  My daughter (who drove me to Drs ofc) drove me immediately to get the X-ray...the pain unbelievable on that hard table

So....(go forward a few more days).  I finally called my back Drs ofc and the phone answerer said, "Umm...I'll have him call you".  He did later that day.

All I remember him saying was "the vertebra number 1 and bla bla (a few more) are broken..You need to get an MRI".

So because the healthcare in this country is so messed up and companies are buying up the smaller ones, I have to wait......(wait for what you are asking).

Well, due (again to the Northern Va area STILL closed up) my Drs office is working with two people..the phone rang and rang...finally a human answered and said "she'd TRY to get the MRI orders out to the MRI company as quickly as possible (that was yesterday).

I called my Drs office and found out the orders HAD NOT gone out to the MRI people (which meant I was at the bottom of the LIST to get an MRI).  Once again I was assured the orders would be sent to MRI people.

Move backward to a few days ago..(when I spoke to the MRI office).  I'd just a few days before had the X-ray done so I thought it would move smoothly to get insurance verified and I could thereby go to Drs office so he could "cement he calls it" my vertebra so it could heal correctly.

Nope, not the case.  The MRI people (even though it was a few days ago) will have to jump through the hoops and get the MRI verified by the insurance company that they will pay for it.

That's where I am now.  Hopefully the MRI orders were sent to the MRI company (ofc) so I can get on the list for the MRI girl to check the insurance and put me on the list to get the MRI...after that I have to go to my Drs office to get it cemented (whatever).

Keep your fingers crossed dear friends (because I consider you guys my friends after all this time) that things will move more quickly today.

Evidently it does matter if your back is broken, you still have to get in line to get the MRI done.

It's no one's fault I guess this delay.  By law the Drs ofc can only have a few people in there.  The MRI people can only have a few people in there.

So, all of this (mostly) ...the delay I mean..is because Northern Va is still SHUT DOWN and things can't move as swiftly as they would otherwise.

It dawned on me today that after 15 days (today it is) I hope to goodness my back hasn't started healing incorrectly.

Take care guys....I'll let you know what happens.  Miss all of you. Annabellethecat.

[kitcat51]

I'm sorry & hope you're able to get an MRI soon @Annabellethecat66. My State is also shut down & patients aren't getting needed cancer treatments, operations, rehab, etc...it's frustrating & heartbreaking.  

[Boomernichols]

What a tangled web we weave, what a mess..........I pray you can find some comfort in your present state.  Rest, relax, and be restored.  I pray that you will be able to get in promptly and receive proper care.  GOD BLESS YOU

[Mom2Dogs]

@Annabellethecat66 ...so sorry to hear about your fall and the pain you are in....the runaround makes no sense...hope you get the much needed MRI soon.

If you drink...now might be the time, a glass (or two) of wine might help you relax.

[tends2dogs]

Why didn't you call 911 when this first happened?  You probably could have bypassed a lot of your troubles and run arounds.  Are you on pain meds?

I hope so.  All the best.~

[Mary Bailey]

@Annabellethecat66   I'm so sorry you are going through all of this.   I pray for speedy and complete recovery

[SugarPuff]

@Annabellethecat66 it sounds like you fractured your back.  Ouch!  I have MASSIVE back problems too and I fractured L-4 last year.  Please do your research on the cement procedure.  I was all set to have it done and spoke with 3 people who had the procedure at various times over the last 7 years and all said it was the biggest mistake.  Apparently it causes more pain problems especially if you already have an existing condition.  There are also insurance hoops to jump through to even have it done. It doesn't matter what type of insurance,  everyone has to be screened for this. You can have the cement procedure done up until 6-8 weeks after the fracture so don't worry about it heal wrong. 

I ran into an issue getting an MRI too about a month ago.  The private places were either closed or on very limited hours.  I'm in your area I think and I had mine done at Reston Hospital (but could have gone to Fairfax). The hospitals imaging departments are pretty empty right now and I was able to get in the next day.  I also know of a large private MRI place that's now back to pretty much normal hours. 

The cement procedure is not done in the office of your ortho or pain management doctor, it's an outpatient surgical procedure. After my fracture the intense pain started to ease after about a month and the fracture healed itself by the 6 month point.  I am very glad I didn't have it done. I have since met more people who have had problems with this procedure. 

I'm so sorry you are dealing with this  I know the pain is pretty bad.  It sounds like you got trigger shots (TPI). Epidurals helped with the pain.  In fact I'm getting one tomorrow  back my chronic back issues.

[Mz iMac]

OUCH!!!!!  Get better soon.....

[Jersey Born]

So sorry to hear of your back injury which is compounded by your inability to get the treatment you need.  I hope that your back is starting to heal in the most optimal position, even in the absence of treatment, and that you are not in too much pain.  

One of the biggest problems I have with these lockdowns is the cost to those with conditions other than Covid-19.  It is as if only the lives of people with one single virus matter.  I do not agree with this policy at all.  I find the shutdown of all other medicine inhumane, incomprehensible, and indefensible especially considering that none of our hospitals are overrun with Covid-19 patients at this time, because the projection of 2,000,000 deaths due to Covid-19 out of the Imperial College of London was negligently overinflated.  

I am also very concerned that so many people are living in such overblown fear of this virus that they are not going in to the hospitals for serious conditions like heart attacks, strokes, and cancers that are errupting inside of them.  How much higher is the cancer death rate going to be this year due to all the postponed and cancelled surgeries to remove malignant tumors, and how is this medical neglect considered justifiable?  People with Covid-19 are no more special and sacred to our society than people with cancer or heart problems who need medical treatment to survive.  Every one of us is precious, and every single one of us deserves a fighting chance to live.  It is time to close this ugly chapter in our lives.  May it never happen again. 

[jlkz]

@Annabellethecat66 

I hadn't seen a post from you for quite a while: thought you found a place on earth without the virus so you could go on vacation !

Having fallen down wooden stairs thanks to wet soles on running shoes, I know how scary those few moments can be.   How long before someone was able to come over and help you up ?  The 911 call should have been the first thing done just in case your neck was also impacted.

How horrific to be in so much pain and encounter no help and no follow through by offices and places " dedicated " to help others get relief and their health back !

My prayer list keeps getting longer and longer, but there is room for you.  May your healing and relief from pain be quick.

As a result of that wooden stair fall, we put a small master suite onto the first floor of the mountain place.

As a result of aging and heel bone spurs, I go down stairs holding the rail but backwards:  if I fall, it will be into the stairs so I can kneel rather than face forward and tumbling.  ( I have caught DH doing the stairs this way sometimes. )