When to go to the Doctor
well, it has been a long three days. I have had pain in my left arm above the elbow making it very hard to move the arm without pain. Do I or don't I go to the hospital? I tell my husband no I don't need the hospital even though the pain would like to make me cry. My husband keeps a close watch on me as I baby my arm. I do some investigating and with my family history of stroke and heart attack in my family, I should have gone to the ER. Not me I take pain killers to try to kill the pain. I think I must have pulled a muscle making beds at my work. Then my brain tells me that is not what is going on.
I have had Doctor trouble lately so when the husband asked me to go to the hospital I could just see the Doctor tell me nothing is wrong. Do I overlook what previous doctors have done and played it safe? No. I try to sleep with my arm in a comfortable position. Don't get much sleep! After my investigation online I find that the pain in my arm could be nine different things, but the major one is heart problems.
My husband asks me again on day two if I wanted to go to the doctor. I told him the doctor had said my heart was okay when I was in earlier this year. No enlargement. No blockage that they could see. I really don't want to go because I am scared that I will find out I am having something with my heart.
My husband told me I need to have a colonoscopy to see if I have colon cancer as my Dad had. I tell my husband that I couldn't afford it. Now I have insurance. I don't want to know about Cancer either because it would change the way I live my life. Do I go to the doctor? I did but the doctor forgot to schedule any of my physical and tests.
Finally, I decided to take my husband to the VA that I will go to the hospital because the pain in my arm is getting unbearable and remember a grandma that had a frozen shoulder. I think to myself that maybe that could be it and I could exercise it.
Here we are at the hospital and the doctor takes one look at it and tried to move the arm from the way I was holding it. I started to cry it hurt so bad. The doctor told me that the shoulder was swollen and he needed Xrays. Oh, the good arm is positioned in a position that is going to make it hurt so bad I start to cry. Well, when the Xrays come back I don't know whether to be relieved or scared for what they did find. The doctor and my husband are talking about surgery. My rotator cuff is really messed up. It has arthritis and is torn beside. The doctor told me that the pain will only get worse until something is done. He prescribes a pain killer that so help me chewing on the blanket on the bed works better for pain than the medication. Am I glad that I went to the doctor? Yes and No. I know it is not my heart but still, the thought of surgery is not my idea of fun. I know that it will go away after the surgery. It might take a while but I have figured out that it is my time to take care of my body after so many years as a caregiver to others.
The Emergency room doctor told me and husband that I had to follow up with an Orthopedic doctor. I was not a happy camper with this news. I did as I was told and went to the orthopedic doctor. He told me that even with surgery, which was put off for five to six months, might not help the pain at all. It might stop for a while but if I abuse the arm anymore I may not have to worry about using it at all. I was scared to think I wouldn't be able to work anymore. I thought to myself I could fight through the pain and work. One day of work and I came home and told my husband that he had won. My husband knows me well enough that he knew I would fight to be helpless but I guess it is better to be careful rather than lose it completely.
