Seeing the doctor
Aug. 17th, 2001 12:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
liralenIt was good.
I got there a bit before 10, had to go through registering as a new patient, and then went right on back. The nurse called me two minutes after I'd sat down in the waiting room and then she immediately got my vitals and then said that the doctor would be in. I got to write on my regular journal while I sat there, which was nice, and when he came in he asked me what was up and when I pointed at what hurt he asked, "How old is your kid?"
That was funny.
Of course, I'd told the nurse that I had a six-month-old son, but the doctor said that it's a very common thing for new parents to have sprained one of the tendons in that general area. I got lucky. I didn't sprain the one that's straight on into the wrist. I sprained the one that's at about one o' clock to it, on the right side of the right wrist. It turns out that that one is easier to heal than the straight on one, so that's good.
So we've splinted it, my old carpal tunnel splint won't work because it allows me to flex things the wrong way, so they gave me a new splint that Kathy would have pitched a fit at because it's lined and Velcro and would put pressure and heat on the areas that really shouldn't have it if you're treating tendon inflammation in the carpal tunnel. But it really immobilizes my wrist very nicely. Good thing I don't have carpal anymore. So I have a good splint that immobilizes the hurt parts completely, and I have a good prescription of anti-inflammatories, and the doc was very good about asking if I was breast feeding and going only with what drugs were safe with that. Given that Jet's now six months he can have and get ibuprofen through my milk and it's not a problem. Amusingly enough it might help him with whatever low grade teething pains he's having, too. So it might fix two birds with one stone, or pill, or whatever...
Dr. Bensen was also good with my questions, especially on the 'how long do I have to do this'? 'Until it feels good to you.' But he also cautioned me that I really should go full-speed with all the cures until it was really fixed. That I should wear the splint 23 hours a day (not in the shower :-) ), and take the prescription strength stuff four times every twenty four hours as long as I could stand it, and then cut back to three.
It was a very clear set of instructions with very clear result tests. Also it addresses things directly. He also said that I should pick up my son as much as I needed to and not worry about it now that the wrist is immobilized. So that solves that.
Whew.
Yay! Going to the doctor got interesting results!
I got there a bit before 10, had to go through registering as a new patient, and then went right on back. The nurse called me two minutes after I'd sat down in the waiting room and then she immediately got my vitals and then said that the doctor would be in. I got to write on my regular journal while I sat there, which was nice, and when he came in he asked me what was up and when I pointed at what hurt he asked, "How old is your kid?"
That was funny.
Of course, I'd told the nurse that I had a six-month-old son, but the doctor said that it's a very common thing for new parents to have sprained one of the tendons in that general area. I got lucky. I didn't sprain the one that's straight on into the wrist. I sprained the one that's at about one o' clock to it, on the right side of the right wrist. It turns out that that one is easier to heal than the straight on one, so that's good.
So we've splinted it, my old carpal tunnel splint won't work because it allows me to flex things the wrong way, so they gave me a new splint that Kathy would have pitched a fit at because it's lined and Velcro and would put pressure and heat on the areas that really shouldn't have it if you're treating tendon inflammation in the carpal tunnel. But it really immobilizes my wrist very nicely. Good thing I don't have carpal anymore. So I have a good splint that immobilizes the hurt parts completely, and I have a good prescription of anti-inflammatories, and the doc was very good about asking if I was breast feeding and going only with what drugs were safe with that. Given that Jet's now six months he can have and get ibuprofen through my milk and it's not a problem. Amusingly enough it might help him with whatever low grade teething pains he's having, too. So it might fix two birds with one stone, or pill, or whatever...
Dr. Bensen was also good with my questions, especially on the 'how long do I have to do this'? 'Until it feels good to you.' But he also cautioned me that I really should go full-speed with all the cures until it was really fixed. That I should wear the splint 23 hours a day (not in the shower :-) ), and take the prescription strength stuff four times every twenty four hours as long as I could stand it, and then cut back to three.
It was a very clear set of instructions with very clear result tests. Also it addresses things directly. He also said that I should pick up my son as much as I needed to and not worry about it now that the wrist is immobilized. So that solves that.
Whew.
Yay! Going to the doctor got interesting results!
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"How old is your kid?"
Date: 2001-08-18 11:51 am (UTC)Yay Useful Info! If only technical managers could always be so clear in their directives. ;)
Re: "How old is your kid?"
Date: 2001-08-18 12:49 pm (UTC)I really like doctors with good attitudes, and am very willing to glom onto one that shows it with good technical expertise as well.
no subject
Date: 2001-08-18 01:14 pm (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2001-08-19 01:46 am (UTC)And it's great that you can now pick him up and not *worry* about it.
Re: Yay!
Date: 2001-08-20 09:42 am (UTC)I think that the absense of worry is nearly more important, to me that is, than the simple absense of physical pain. The emotional thing has just made life that much better. There isn't that nagging thing in the background of my head saying 'well you really ought to look into this... what if it's getting worse?'
Yes. Answers and known possibilities are much better than shadowy 'what-if's.