I need to get this off my chest, so here comes a major rant.

I've been whining around here about my shoulder problems for months. Tore a tendon last spring, had surgery over the summer, took a horrid fall straight on it onto concrete in September. Since the fall, it hasn't been right. I've had x-rays, 2 MRIs, and a CT scan. None have really looked at the problem area, but they keep telling me that the repairs to my rotator cuff held up well.

I know this- the repair job was skillfully done and has healed well. However. There's always a however. Since falling, the injured shoulder hangs between 2 and 3 inches lower than the other and is rotated forward- kind of a nice orangutan effect. My collarbone is out of place at both ends, slightly at the sternum and pretty caved-in on the other end, and my shoulder blade sticks out in back, 24/7. Range-of-motion is pathetic in one type of movement. Plenty of pain, especially if I try to get fancy and do anything like walk, breathe, or find a position to sleep in.

The surgeon, who I like, respect, and have seen for a few years, says it's fine. He does have a nasty habit of looking at the computer screen instead of the patient. My rheumy, PCP, and physical therapist have all urged me to get another opinion, as have friends, family, and even a couple of more-or-less strangers!. The surgeon's partner looked at it briefly and pronounced it "fine." A retired ortho here in town who still consults said that if the surgeon says it's fine, it's fine. It's reaaly not fine.

About a month ago I saw another doctor who practices in a different town and is unaffiliated with the first. Not sure what to make of him yet. He sent me to physical therapy and ordered yet another MRI, this time specifically of the AC joint. This is progress, as the AC joint is pretty obviously messed up. I tried a new physical therapist, and like him. He examined everything very carefully, more so than any MD has by a long shot. He says that the AC joint is highly unstable, that the entire scapula is rotated forward, and that my collarbone Is out of place. Sounds right to me. I'm completely convinced that the far end of the clavicle isn't connected to anything else anymore. After a couple of visits he told me to not waste any more time on PT until the problem is diagnosed and, he implied, fixed.

After weeks of waiting for insurance approval, etc., I had the MRI on Monday. While filling out papers, the woman at the front desk called me over, and told me to make sure the tech knew we were looking at the AC joint. The tech was fabulous. She looked at my body, agreed that things were not where they should be, and took a lot of notes for the radiologist. She got me positioned to show as much as possible, and ran extra scans. She thought it was outrageous that this was my third MRI with no answers, and said that we'd get them this time. Hooray. I need a break here.

Wednesday I went by to pick up the report and a CD of images to take to my appointment this coming week. The report was short and to the point: that is one fine-looking rotator cuff repair.

Is this jackass "reading" MRIs from a bar stool in the Caribbean, getting them done before the pesky patient even walks in the clinic? Can he not read? Does he not give a rat's ass? Does he refuse to say anything bad about a shoulder the first surgeon worked on? Does he hate me? Am I crazy, and having one shoulder three inches lower than the other is the new thing?

I'm so upset and disappointed I can barely function. I'm hoping that the new ortho is adept at reading MRIs, and will be able to get some answers from the images. He sure ain't getting any from this sorry excuse for a radiologist.