Missin The "Good Ole Days" .......

It just amazes me that in the medical field today, every doctor, (that is NOT a GP), is a 'specialist'. A specialist is a doctor who only has one particular field that he/she practices exclusively. There are literally thousands of different fields of medicine that one can go into nowadays.

If you are lucky enough to find a GP who still makes house calls, then you should consider yourself very lucky indeed. But I can still remember the days when there was pretty much one doctor who could do it all. They could do the tests, make the diagnosis, prescribe the medicine, and even perform the surgery, if needed.

A GP (general practitioner) is simply a go-between now.  The one who refers you to the one who specializes in whatever. In most situations, you won't ever see your GP anywhere but in his/her office. They order blood work, (tested and diagnosed in a lab somewhere else). The GP usually has an LPN or RN who records a patient's blood pressure, and pulse. Your GP is there for routine physicals, and follow-ups and that's about it.

But, the GP is also the most important doctor you see. They are the ones you trust the most with private and personal information. I've always been of the opinion that your GP should be someone that you feel comfortable with, someone you can confide in and trust implicitly. I'm sure ya'all would agree.

However, I'm getting away from the point that I was going to make here. As you might know from some of my previous posts, I am in the process of gathering information for a disability claim. I suffer from 24/7 pain, and I am under the care of a Pain Management Specialist, whom I was referred to by my spinal surgeon. I was referred to the spinal surgeon by my orthopedic surgeon, who was referred by my GP.

Are you confused yet??   I know I am!!!    

Anyway, I had an x-ray taken of my left ankle shortly after I moved back down South.  The x-ray still needed to have a written diagnosis, and an evaluation, and I needed an orthopedic MD, or so I thought. Since I had already seen the orthopedic doctor for a problem with my hip, I felt sure that he could evaluate the x-ray of my ankle.

After all, an Orthopedic doctor is a doctor who specializes in disorders of the skeletal system.  Isn't my foot a part of my skeletal system?????? 

WRONG AGAIN!

As it turns out, my orthopedic surgeon only (specializes) in hips and knees.  For an evaluation of my ankle I have to see a foot doctor!!  Sighhhhhhh.

Like I said before........I sure do miss the good ole days!!

Roberta Ogilvie-Fye (Julyjeanie22) Twitter stats

Roberta Ogilvie-Fye (Julyjeanie22) Twitter stats


Okayyyyyy, Hm???   Sooooo,  Should I be concerned with something like my "Twitter" stats??????  NOPE!  Not one bit!  Twitter is twitter.........and just because I don't tweet everyday, ten times a day, like some folks do - doesn't make me a bad person!  Or.......a lazy one!  Although, if someone who DID worry about their "Stats", and spent their whole day twitter-in, just so their stats would be higher........now that I would worry about! LOL.

Soooooooooo Tired of This!!

Hello All My Friends and Followers,

Yes!  I know its been a while since my last post, Sighhhh. Okay.......before I get to the reason for the length of time between posts, I just want to say a few words about the ladies from Shabby Blogs.

Oh My Goddess!  They are amazing! (no pun intended). You've probably noticed a slight change in the layout of my blog?  Well, it was provided by them! (huge grin here!)  Their backgrounds and stuff are beyond belief!  I was entranced by all of them.  They are all so pretty, it was a really tough decision as to which one I liked the best. However, I settled on this one.  Of course, that is not to say that I might change it from time to time. This is simply because I am a lady who enjoys changes, well...........GOOD changes at least!  LOL.




As you can see, they have many different little thingies that one can add to a blog to make it more homey.  Ahhhhhhhhh, home!!  Isn't it just dandy!  So, without further ado, I must say THANK YOU, to the ladies of Shabby Blogs!

Okay, so where was I......oh yes!  My lateness between blogs.  Well......last week, on Tuesday.........oh wait!  Maybe I should explain something before I get to that??

I'm sure you all should know by now, from reading some of my earlier posts, that I have a condition which causes me endless PAIN!  Most of which is centered around the neck and shoulders. The condition I speak of is called, Cervical Spondylosis.  Long name but the short of it is, I have developed bone spurs on my upper spine that cause no END of pain. Although I've had two surgeries and a plate in my neck, (which they, 'the doctors', assured me would end the pain).  NOT!  If anything it is worse. Oh, there are still a few days when it is less painful, but most of the time, it screams at me unrelenting. I suppose when the weather breaks and it gets a little warmer, it might ease up a bit. The cold seems to make it worse you see.

So, I am currently seeing a Pain Management Specialist who I've seen twice now. On my last visit I asked him about maybe integrating some physical therapy into the mix.  Dumb idea on my part, but at the time, I thought surely it would help! Boy!  Was I ever wrong!

Anyway, I went to my first visit with a physical therapist, and he gave me one, yes....just one, exercise that he wanted me to complete daily.  This exercise involves sitting up straight in a chair, holding two fingers to my chin and moving it back and then forward, all the time holding my position in the chair.  I thought, at the time, how ridiculous and easy it was to do.  This should be simple!....or so I told myself.  WRONG again!

It probably wasn't an hour later that the pain hit me like a knife stabbing me in the back! Right between my shoulder blades the knife was twisting!!  OMG!  I wanted to scream and cry at the same time. I laid in my bed the rest of that day bemoaning my decision to try physical therapy.  It took the greatest part of three to four days for the pain to lessen enough in order for me to function.  So, I hope this helps you to understand why I haven't been at my post, posting!!

I have an appointment tomorrow with my neurologist, and I am going to ask him for a brain scan.  I have an awful feeling that the interceptors, (or whatever they are called),  in my brain that signal pain are working overtime!!  I've read a great deal about Chronic Pain and also about RSD. I'm hoping that a brain scan will at the very least solve the mystery of my constant 24/7 pain.

Meanwhile I have a few pictures that I would like to share with you.  As you know I live in "Sunny" (most of the time very mild weather), South Carolina.  Well, if this is not proof of "Global Warming" then I don't know what is!

  

This is looking out from our front porch across the cul-de-sac.

This is looking out onto our back deck....notice the gas grill which I can guarantee you we weren't going to be using that day!

This picture is also looking out our front porch, but pointed toward the entrance to our cul-de-sac.

And..............last BUT NOT least!

Well.......What is a Snow Day without a Snow Lady!!  Boobs and all!!

I have read that from what the scientists say, global warming will cause those regions that normally don't see this kind of weather will start to get more of it!  All I know is........I'm sick of it!

I just talked to my physical therapy people and I have rescheduled an appointment with them for this Thursday, at which time I will tell my therapist what GodAwful PAIN one little bitty exercise caused me.  There has GOT to be a better way!

Laterz folks  ((waving bye bye))