First published in Cat House & Shooting Society in Medium on 01/31/2024
Well, it seems I am too fat for the doctors who I was told had no issues with replacing knees for fat folk.
It would have been nice to have been told this before we drove 90 miles to another city, it was a total waste of my time and energy. They had all my information, so they could have emailed me saying they wouldn’t do it.
Oh, wait, I forgot they wouldn’t be able to charge insurance an arm and a leg for the visit. Silly me.
We now have a call into the original practice who referred me to let them know to not refer larger people to the one in Spokane. No need to completely waste someone else’s time just to have their hopes crushed.
After the usual, “You need to either undergo rearranging your internal organ surgery so you’ll be bulimic or submit to chemical anorexia before we’ll consider it” suggestions, both of which I did not tell him to take an airborne indecent assault at a perambulating, perforated pastry for suggesting them as the answer was an emphatic NO.
After we got back to the car the hubby said he was proud of me for not going off on the doctor. But that was because I was in too much pain at that point, I had no energy to start screaming at the twit.
He then said there was an injection that would lubricate the joints. It is different from the cortisone shots, which didn’t work worth crap when I had one.
The new stuff is called Synvisc One. He said we could go home and think about it, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste more time driving up to Spokane again, much less step foot into that clinic ever again. So we went with it.
I wish I’d looked into it a bit more. The literature they give out is pretty dismal regarding the studies they did for effectiveness. They proudly list medical studies that list their pool in the three-figure range. Less than 500 no less. One was only 167 people.
SIGH!
Studies like these should use crap ton more people before they are allowed to publish.
If I am lucky, I might have some pain relief in a month, maybe a month and a half. Plus, if I am lucky I might have pain relief for six months. Maybe.
I am not holding out for any hope. At least I didn’t have to pay out of pocket.
They sent me a text yesterday, asking me to give them feedback. I deleted it, they don’t want to hear my feedback. I’m sure the support people are very nice and they don’t need to be caught up in the middle.
I have discovered there are several other practices in the area within 35 miles. So I have emails and messages asking what their weight limits are so I don’t have to waste my time and energy just to get shot down again. I am rapidly approaching a “fuck it with all doctors, I refuse to deal with any of them again!” attitude.
In the meantime, I have picked up the double-strength version of the topical pain relief ointment I like for half the cost I got it elsewhere, so I can get immediate relief when my knees wake me up screaming in pain at night. It’s a roll-on, so it is easy to apply.
So, for the moment I have accepted that I most likely never will get my knees fixed. I really can’t afford to fly out to Pennsylvania to a doctor who was recommended on a medical list I am on. Maybe once, if we max out the credit cards, but not several times. Unless there is someone out there who wants to be my fairy godparent and grant me my wish and provide the funds.
Well, gardening season is rapidly approaching. Have to see how many more neighbors will freak out when they come across me lying out in the middle of my gardens. Maybe will have bonus points earned with someone calling the paramedics.
I was so looking forward to being able to the top of Kamiak Butte again :(
------------
If you like my writing and want to read more from me and other writers on Medium, click here to upgrade to a Medium membership for unlimited access
Comments