Still Unhappy Camper, but Better

[archangle]

OK, I'm late here.

One useful hint for those with similar problems. If you have a pulseox, check your SpO2 and pulse.

If it's really bad, it's another indication you may have a more serious problem. It's also useful to write this info down.

However, don't assume good SpO2/pulse means you're not having a heart attack, either. You can do a lot of heart damage before you have blood flow problems.

Glad to hear you seem to be OK, Maddy.

[Lazer1234]

OK, I'm late here.

One useful hint for those with similar problems. If you have a pulseox, check your SpO2 and pulse.

If it's really bad, it's another indication you may have a more serious problem. It's also useful to write this info down.

However, don't assume good SpO2/pulse means you're not having a heart attack, either. You can do a lot of heart damage before you have blood flow problems.

Glad to hear you seem to be OK, Maddy.

It depends on where the problem is, I had no decrease in oxygen what I know.

[jdr999]

I always find it to be such as shame when people are afraid to go to the ER because of the expense. So many people task risks and delay getting checked out and receiving the appropriate care because they typically don't want to pay the high co-pay

Well, I can certainly understand not wanting to go to the ER. Most hospitals are full of the nastiest germs known to man. Unfortunately you're lucky now if you leave the hospital with less problems then you came in with. And certainly individuals with compromised immune systems should keep away as much as possible.

Many doctors will tell you that if you need to go to the emergency room you should call an ambulance. This is not just for liability reasons this is also to make sure you get the prompt attention you require. Generally if you are well enough to drive yourself to the ER the triage nurses may believe you are well enough to wait in line like everyone else. On a busy night you can easily wait for a few hours before being seen. The only other option is an ambulance, paramedics, and police. And this is one heck of a spectacle!

In my area there's a large medical group which also offers urgent care services. They have all of the same diagnostic equipment the hospitals have as well as experienced physicians and technicians. The even have an in-house surgical center. I've had a much more pleasant experience here than in the hospital. Generally everything was cleaner, there were less sick / contagious individuals, and they were able to perform all the necessary bloodwork and imaging on the spot.

[jdr999]

OK, I'm late here.

One useful hint for those with similar problems. If you have a pulseox, check your SpO2 and pulse.

If it's really bad, it's another indication you may have a more serious problem. It's also useful to write this info down.

However, don't assume good SpO2/pulse means you're not having a heart attack, either. You can do a lot of heart damage before you have blood flow problems.

Glad to hear you seem to be OK, Maddy.

Remember the expression a watched pot never boils?

Your pulse doesn't work that way at all. If you check your pulse while under stress and notice your pulse is in fact high then just knowing that may make it even higher! Sometimes the less information the better (But I agree keeping an eye on your pulse can be a good thing.)

Usually when you start focusing on a problem it no doubt gets 10x worse. Murphy's law?

[jamiswolf]

Madalot wrote: With Medicare reimbursements being what they are, its not unexpected to have doctors do the minimum they feel they can get away with and see if it works out okay

So true Maddie. Awhile back I went to an ENT Doc for a deviated septum. My whole nose was angled off but the septum was centerline (car accident). The doctor couldn't get approval from Medicare to fix it properly because it then fell in the "cosmetic surgery" category. So she had to break my septum and move it off-center so it matched my crooked nose. I breathe better but still have a crooked nose. Thanks Medicare.

Feel better soon,
Jamis

[Stormynights]

When I went to the ER for my DVT I sat for about an hour at our small local hospital. They gave me the shots in my tummy and sent me with a packet of papers to a large hospital about 40 miles away. I sat in that ER for about 3 hours before anyone even opened my packet of papers. Another lady came in just after me that had a runny nose and was sneezing. She was seen and left before my papers were ever looked at. By that time I was so miserable I would have gone home if I had been able to drive. I was throwing a hissy fit. That didn't speed anything along a bit.

[archangle]

OK, I'm late here.

One useful hint for those with similar problems. If you have a pulseox, check your SpO2 and pulse.

If it's really bad, it's another indication you may have a more serious problem. It's also useful to write this info down.

However, don't assume good SpO2/pulse means you're not having a heart attack, either. You can do a lot of heart damage before you have blood flow problems.

Glad to hear you seem to be OK, Maddy.

It depends on where the problem is, I had no decrease in oxygen what I know.

Like I said, if it's too bad you have a problem. If it's not bad, it doesn't necessarily mean you don't have a problem.

Like many other warning signs, just because they're not there, it doesn't mean you're OK.

[Madalot]

If it's not bad, it doesn't necessarily mean you don't have a problem.

Like many other warning signs, just because they're not there, it doesn't mean you're OK.

This is true, but I have to go based on all the information available. I said right from the beginning I thought it was a pulled/strained muscle. I know that I way overdid it physically the weekend before all this started (my son was gone and I had to do more than I usually do). The worst pain is in the middle of my upper back. Yes, it is radiating around to my chest and hurts like an SOB -- but I still believe it is coming from my muscles. I saw my doctor yesterday who took all my vitals, looked at me, asked me questions and poked and prodded the muscles all around my back, my side & my chest.

It is his opinion as well that this is pulled/strained muscles in my back. We also are going on the knowledge that pulled/strained muscles in a person with a neuromuscular disease are sometimes more painful and take a lot longer to heal.

Could he be wrong? Of course. But he knows me well enough to know that if anything changes in the pain, location of pain or severity, I will seek additional medical attention.

With all things being equal and considering being on Medicare, this is the best we can hope for. I appreciate everyone's support and concern that this is more serious than just pulled muscles.

I took the muscle relaxant and as expected, it pretty much knocked me out. I went to bed about 8:30 last night, was sound asleep by 9 and slept reasonably well most of the night. I woke up and flipped to my back and slept despite whatever pain I was feeling.

When I woke up this morning, it didn't hurt much UNTIL I started moving around. The pain is back but as is typical in the mornings, it's not as bad. It's worse later in the day and evening.

[chunkyfrog]

It's good to know you are in good hands and we can feel optimistic. Worry is something I'm very good at.
Sorry that healing tends to take awhile for you. we'll be praying and sending good thoughts your way.

[Madalot]

One thing I wanted to respond to and forgot is the opinion that arriving in the ER by ambulance guarantees immediate attention. At least where I live, that isn't true. When I went to the ER for my gallbladder, I watched person after person arrive by ambulance only to be left on the gurney, in the hallway. This when the person in the area next to me was either a drunk or an unstable person that was causing a ruckus, seemingly (I don't know for sure) with nothing seriously wrong with them.

I know that hospitals try to do the best they can with what they have to work with and I have a lot of respect for the issues they have to cope with.

Unfortunately, a lot of people use ER's as their Primary Care Physicians. Nothing makes me angrier than seeing someone come into an ER with a cold. It's such a horrible waste of resources. And I get there IS a line -- like in my case -- you're not sure if it's serious or not. And in those cases, erring on the side of caution IS understandable.

And Stormynights story about sitting in the 2nd ER waiting room for hours, watching someone with a cold come and go. That kind of thing makes me very angry, both at the patient & the hospital. We're lucky Stormy is still with us after that.

And I assure you if my situation changes and I feel it necessary, I WILL be at an ER, either by ambulance or by my husband. I just don't feel it warranted at this point.

[Madalot]

It's good to know you are in good hands and we can feel optimistic. Worry is something I'm very good at.
Sorry that healing tends to take awhile for you. we'll be praying and sending good thoughts your way.

Thanks, CF. It's the nature of the beast with a Muscular Dystrophy. The muscles are already damaged and further injury just makes it that much worse.

On the bright side, the muscle relaxant DID allow me to get some good sleep last night. I slept long and hard (on my machine of course).

My back and side still hurt like an SOB, but at least I got some sleep. The glass is half full today.....

[jdr999]

I took the muscle relaxant and as expected, it pretty much knocked me out. I went to bed about 8:30 last night, was sound asleep by 9 and slept reasonably well most of the night. I woke up and flipped to my back and slept despite whatever pain I was feeling..

Glad you're feeling a bit better. So many things can cause pain in that region. Rib injury, muscle/tendon injury, thoracic or any other spine injury or degeneration, etc. And many times a combination of all of the above. Stay smart and take it easy

[Madalot]

I took the muscle relaxant and as expected, it pretty much knocked me out. I went to bed about 8:30 last night, was sound asleep by 9 and slept reasonably well most of the night. I woke up and flipped to my back and slept despite whatever pain I was feeling..

Glad you're feeling a bit better. So many things can cause pain in that region. Rib injury, muscle/tendon injury, thoracic or any other spine injury or degeneration, etc. And many times a combination of all of the above. Stay smart and take it easy

One of the things that is so hard for many people to understand is how having a neuromuscular disease affects even the smallest activity. My left side is my stronger side and I use it in ways that most people couldn't imagine, doing the most mundane tasks and compensating for the right side weakness. Just getting dressed requires the use and exertion of muscles that most people don't have to worry about. I could feel the strain on those muscles this morning, almost like my body was warning me -- "Be careful, stupid. We're already pretty pissed off!!!"

Unless I stay in bed, laying on my RIGHT side for a couple days, there's no way to give these muscles they time they want. All I can do is be aware of it and be as careful as possible considering my circumstances.

And of course, be on the lookout for any worsening pain or symptoms and be prepared to take action if needed.

It's all I can really do.

[jdr999]

One thing I wanted to respond to and forgot is the opinion that arriving in the ER by ambulance guarantees immediate attention. At least where I live, that isn't true.

Oh, maybe I wasn't clear enough. All hospitals will have very detailed triage procedure which they are required to follow. You will still be assessed by first responders but if there is a potentially life-threatening condition present they will start treatment on the spot and you will be seen quickly by ER staff.

So yes, a sprained ankle via ambulance does not warrant immediate action.

But a potential myocardial infarction should be taken very seriously. That may not always happen, but it's supposed to. All hospitals should have very specific procedures in place for evaluation of chest pain.

If things go bad and hospital policy was not properly followed they may be held liable.

[BlackSpinner]

{{{Hugs}}} (carefully) Maddy.

I didn't post before because I have no experience there and since my sister has something similar and un defined (but no where near as bad) I knew what little knowledge I had was probably invalid. And yes she is as stubborn about subjecting herself to medical attention as you.

Take care of yourself and remember we all care and want to see you not suffering. It is hard, sitting in front of a screen and unable to reach out except with words, to people we care about, who are in pain.