Update
Well, I had back surgery on 2/16/11, then again on 6/5/11 to correct a spinal fluid leak due to the first surgery, then again on 8/1/11 because my wound did not close and became infected.
After the August surgery, I spent 8 month on antibiotics. I had started feeling pretty good, despite the antibiotics, by the end of September, and when I went to see the doctor treating me for the infection (a 2 hour drive from my house) I was told that I could now start making this weekly 5 hour round trip every other week, and they would call me with my next appointment.
They never called. I had a 6 month supply of the antibiotics, and kept taking them, but forgot about the follow up when they didn't call. I was feeling pretty alright.
I forgot about it until April, when I called them and made an appointment. The doctor acted as if she could not be bothered with me, told me that she was not going to treat me anymore, to stop taking the antibiotics, and that I had to follow up with my primary care doctor.
My primary care doctor will not follow up. She wants to refer me to someone else for treatment. She will not even give me a blood test (because she said it is not covered by my insurance).
So, I am left not knowing if the infection is gone. As soon as I stopped the antibiotics the pain returned, leaving me nearly crippled at first. She would not even give me pain killers.
I spent 2 weeks in agony, going to the doctor's office twice to try and get help, and was given medication that did not work at all (muscle relaxants and alleged pain killers) and sent me home, no better than before. On the 3rd week I was finally able to walk without the cane (because I do physical therapy at home), and she sent me to the physical therapist.
After 1 session with the physical therapist last Monday, I was nearly crippled on Tuesday, Wednesday, and most of Thursday. Friday I called to cancel the appointments that they had set up for this week and next.
I got a call from the doctor's assistant offering to refer me to a "pain center" located an hour drive from my house, so I told them (because I am feeling better) to forget about it. There is obviously nothing that this doctor can (or is willing to) do to help me.
I'm better off doing my own physical therapy (which works).
I'm also better off finding another primary care physician, as this one is pretty useless.
Wish me luck!
After the August surgery, I spent 8 month on antibiotics. I had started feeling pretty good, despite the antibiotics, by the end of September, and when I went to see the doctor treating me for the infection (a 2 hour drive from my house) I was told that I could now start making this weekly 5 hour round trip every other week, and they would call me with my next appointment.
They never called. I had a 6 month supply of the antibiotics, and kept taking them, but forgot about the follow up when they didn't call. I was feeling pretty alright.
I forgot about it until April, when I called them and made an appointment. The doctor acted as if she could not be bothered with me, told me that she was not going to treat me anymore, to stop taking the antibiotics, and that I had to follow up with my primary care doctor.
My primary care doctor will not follow up. She wants to refer me to someone else for treatment. She will not even give me a blood test (because she said it is not covered by my insurance).
So, I am left not knowing if the infection is gone. As soon as I stopped the antibiotics the pain returned, leaving me nearly crippled at first. She would not even give me pain killers.
I spent 2 weeks in agony, going to the doctor's office twice to try and get help, and was given medication that did not work at all (muscle relaxants and alleged pain killers) and sent me home, no better than before. On the 3rd week I was finally able to walk without the cane (because I do physical therapy at home), and she sent me to the physical therapist.
After 1 session with the physical therapist last Monday, I was nearly crippled on Tuesday, Wednesday, and most of Thursday. Friday I called to cancel the appointments that they had set up for this week and next.
I got a call from the doctor's assistant offering to refer me to a "pain center" located an hour drive from my house, so I told them (because I am feeling better) to forget about it. There is obviously nothing that this doctor can (or is willing to) do to help me.
I'm better off doing my own physical therapy (which works).
I'm also better off finding another primary care physician, as this one is pretty useless.
Wish me luck!
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