Sports medicine clinic

[chickenfeet]

W00t! I have an appointment to see a sports medicine specialist at a stand alone clinic tomorrow. I just can't express how frustrated I am with hospitals. We pay people huge salaries to run the damn things (almost all the highest paid people in the public sector work in hospitals) and they absolutely suck. And there are still people who think that if only they had bigger budgets everything would be fine. It beggars belief.

Comments

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

It is an interesting question (and presumably one for when your arm doesn't hurt as much) to ask what kinds of changes one could make to improve things that would be politically feasible.

Good luck tomorrow...

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

I've written about this before. No improvements are politically feasible. The system is owned by the OMA and the OHA who are in favour of the status quo. They have an amazing track record of crucifying any minister who tries to take them on.

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. That's more or less my understanding, too.

Ironically, most of the doctors I know don't really like the system they're working under, either.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

The OMA is as representative of its members as, say, the Teamsters is of its.

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

At least their leaders don't get murdered...

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that's an improvement

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

Glad you've got into the clinic, and hope they have constructive suggestions.

[glitterboy1.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that you've managed to get an appointment - and so quickly. Hopefully, they'll have someone you can have confidence in, and who actually takes some time over it.

[unblinkered.livejournal.com]

Yay! Hope they prove to be more useful than the last bunch. *fingers crossed*

I think healthcare systems everywhere are f**ked...our speciality in Ireland is leaving casualty patients on trolleys in corridors for days on end because there are no beds available. Gah. At least we always have the option of waving lots of money at someone and hoping that they'll be of use. Although that's only feasible for those lucky few that have money to wave!

Yippee!

[shezan.livejournal.com]

I'm glad for your shoulder's sake!

[pshtaku.livejournal.com]

Great news! Let's hope this gets you moving again.

Btw - did you dislocate it or what did you actually do to "separate" your shoulder?

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

It's an acromioclavicular separation

[pshtaku.livejournal.com]

looks like it would have been less painful just to dislocate?! Yikes!!!

I think those were the bits I "strained & bruised" when I turned over a go-kart about 10 yrs ago! That hurt like f**k so I can not imagine the level of pain you have had! I landed on my shoulder, but with my right arm slightly behind my back...

Are you going to get them to look at the rest of you whilst you are there!?

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

I think those were the bits I "strained & bruised" when I turned over a go-kart about 10 yrs ago!

That seems highly probable

Are you going to get them to look at the rest of you whilst you are there!?

That would be a bit too holistic for our system. 1 visit, 1 condition, 1 billable visit

[pshtaku.livejournal.com]

I have got a funny bump on my right shoulder that I don't on my left.

Is that exactly where if we pushed we could get you to jump to the ceiling!!!

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

Is that exactly where if we pushed we could get you to jump to the ceiling!!!

I imagine so. A bump is a often left after a separation has healed.

[pshtaku.livejournal.com]

I think I was just grateful at the time that I hadn't broken anything and it wasn't dislocated!

All I had was TENS treatment and then lots of stretching exercises to do for weeks!

I didn't get a sling or anything, so it must have been just a straining, and not an actual separation.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

There are degrees of separation depending on whether and how badly the ligaments are torn. It sounds like your ligaments were strained but not torn. I've got partially torn ligaments but not a complete rupture which would likely require surgery.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

In the worst cases the bone ends end up poking through muscle. Ick!

[pshtaku.livejournal.com]

I remember them saying that because I was female and had stretchy ligaments, I was lucky that it wasn't worse!