Wednesday 15 June part 2 What a difference a few hours makes! This morning I felt
very buoyant, that with the right medical help this could be an opportunity to
complete loads of ideas whilst my shoulder healed. Then I spoke to the
consultant. She was running 45 minutes late, which is not a problem to
me as she is dealing with people and all the quirks and variables that make us
wonderfully individual, but she seemed to rush through my treatment plan with a
sort of casual mundaneness as if this sort of injury happens every day, which
perhaps it does in her world. Surgery options were disregarded without
explanation, “we wouldn’t operate on that” and her statement “your shoulder
returned to full function” didn’t quantify how ‘full’ full function would be.
As you may appreciate my work is quite strenuous and my hobbies mainly involve
me being outdoors in the wild so ‘full function’ is very important to me. After
avoiding or side stepping Maxine and my concerns and repeating that they would
treat my shoulder “conservatively”, with sling support and physio for six weeks
and assess then if it had worked or not and if not perform an operation at that
point with another 6 weeks recovery, she offered a second opinion with the
“shoulder specialist” but he was not in clinic until a week Tuesday (13 days
away). I left the hospital feeling very cross and in a confused
and helpless state similar to Monday morning when I was on the cycle track.
Without an explanation of how rest and physio would re-stabilise the joint
while allowing full range of movement and strength I had no clear path or
support to manage my shoulder until the second opinion in 13 days. It crossed
my mind that she might have had an eye on her budget as conservative treatment
is probably cheaper. Maxine felt that she was trying to make up the time she
was over running and that she didn’t want to perform the shoulder surgery.
Whatever the reason I know that I would not be happy with her performing my
operation even if she decided to do one. After a few low and grumpy hours I discovered that the
“shoulder specialist” to whom I had been referred also worked at the Esperance
Hospital in Eastbourne and I now have an appointment with him on Monday. I will
have all the right questions ready this time! Things are looking up!! |