An update. So, with the help of my daughter (Denver daughter) she drove me to get the MRI and I finally heard from another ortho Dr in the same practice (there are 25 offices I found out).
Her nurse told me I'd have to get a CT scan and lots of bloodwork....(all on a Friday with the virus affecting everything).
First my daughter picked up the orders from the NEW Drs office. Then she drove us to get the CT scan...forgive me but I don't remember if I told you I had to get the MRI at 8:15 that's PM.
Drs orders in hand and we found a place where I could (quickly get the CT scan). Then the CT people said there was a place across the street (basement with paper signs) where I could get the bloodwork done.
It was like I was going into some dark hole never to be heard from again. I went down in the elevator ....down...down...finally the doors flew open and there were (again) paper signs saying, "Bloodwork" (for real)..I think they were hoping to stay hidden. Ha!
At the end of the hall was another sign that said, "Bloodwork here". There were two people sitting in one of the three plastic chairs. (They were together but when the door opened...only he (the person getting the bloodwork) could come in.
She and I sat their staring at each other for around 10-15 minutes. Then the door opens and out he comes and the nice young lady looked at me and said, "next".
I went into this room where it looked like shower curtains were drawn. She pulled back the curtain and asked me to 'please sit'.
I handed her the paperwork and she left for another five or more minutes...came back and said, "that's wrong". After a few minutes she came back with 6 vials of blood.
I'd just had a thyroid visit done one maybe 3 or so weeks ago so I hoped I'd made more good blood (just kidding).
Anyway, I told her exactly where to take it (ahhhh! Don't we all have that magic blood vein that keeps on giving?
Six vials later she wrapped something around my arm and I was off.
By then it was probably about 6:00 PM.
Driving into Fairfax on the major highway it was a nightmare. The rain was some of the hardest I'd seen in a long time. They're always working on these roads so we hit some major pot holes.....I kept asking God to just get us there an not have a flat tire.
The man upstairs delivered....and so we were on our final quest (the CT and bloodwork).
OK, so you guys know how I'm always telling you how easily I make friends (it's good and bad).
In the maybe 10 minutes while I was waiting to get the CT scan, there were only 5 of us in the room.
Right before they called me back I started talking to a lovely lady. We were talking about how people get a back ache and think they know what pain is....we laughed at that....
Long story short I ended up telling her about the cream I have made at a Compound Center. Insurance doesn't pay for it and you need a prescription but I told her when she puts it on..."She'll hear the angels sing" (meaning the muscle will relax an so will the pain). It doesn't last like a pill or injection, but it really helps.
She quickly wrote her name and phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to me as I walked in to get the CT.
I haven't had a chance to send the ingredients (what I can see) to her so she can tell her Drs but I will tomorrow. The price has gone up. Now it's around around $135 or more per tube but it's worth every penny. Insurance doesn't pay for it.
So, that's the update. My daughter (as she always does) treats me like a Queen. She is a wonderful person all around.
I'd never have been able to find any of these places or even drive there. I take it very seriously when I'm taking muscle relaxers (only at night).
I'm due to get the vertebrae and bulging discs (whatever) 'cemented' on Tuesday morning.
My daughter keeps saying, "Mom...I'm worried they'll come up with some other 'thing' we need to provide BEFORE you get this done".
I keep saying, "Sussshhhh! Don't even think that way".
I am so afraid that since it's been almost a month it hasn't started healing the wrong way...fingers crossed.
Stay tuned dear ladies...Thank you for your prayers....I believe they do help.
ps...I know Bill has given me sweet looks like, "I'm sorry Mom". He's been sneezing like crazy so my friend (the Vet's nurse is bringing her stethoscope to listen to him and find out what the Vet recommends for allergies).
I almost forgot as I was walking in to get the CT scan a lady came into the building at the same time. She was so bent over I don't know how she could see in front of herself. She walked with a cane in each hand.
On the elevator she said she was 83 years old. The conversation started when I said, "I was hoping I'd manage to get through life without something like this virus happening...I'm 73 and thought I'd beat the odds". That when she told me she was 83 and she totally agreed with me.
But as I was sitting outside of the building waiting for my daughter to swing back and pick me up. An elderly man walked past pushing his wife(maybe). She had a scarf around her head (like chemo) and her legs were all cut up and swollen (like she'd been in a car accident).
Anyway, he pulled up the minivan to get her in it. The back seat swung out making it easier to transfer someone from the wheelchair to the seat.
But it was dead weight because it seemed that she was paralyzed. As he tried mayb 3 times to lift her off of the wheelchair, he lifted up up and suddenly the two of them hit the ground at the same time. I wanted to go to help them, but with my back in so much pain, I'd just have made things worse.
There was a car behind them (to let someone off). The driver got out of her car and asked if she could help...at the same time the people who let you in and out of the building (there was even a cop there) came running out to help.
I got into my daugher's car and we pulled away (making it easier for the man to pull away from pickup).
You know it makes a person realize there are people in this world struggling in life with no one to help them.
My late husband used to be a volunteer driver for the cancer society. Here was this man who had maybe 6 businesses, traveling constantly to Florida and places; but when the Cancer Society lady called, he always told her he was available. He would change everything to be a driver. If they couldn't walk, he'd carry them. He was very muscular and worked out every day. There are good people in this world and my husband was one of them.
Stay tuned ...I'll keep you guys updated. I have to go lay down now because it hurts to sit up.
Fondly, Annabellethecat
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