Now I really did it :((

[missy]

INCISIONS NOT HEALED? No pool. NO. And no pool unless it's at a certified rehab facility either and you will have a lift or the motorized chair I n/out of the pool. Two person assist I n/out of chair thingie..

Are the edges of the incisions completely approximated? Until they are, you aren't ready for rehab at all.

ROM, yes I was very stiff. We had X-Ray showing fracture healed so we knew ROM was safe.

Thanks azstonie.I don't think I am near healed re the incisions. I am now making a list of questions for Greg to ask the surgeon. Let's hope the doctor won't be too busy to return the call because he is going away next week so I am guessing this might be a super busy 2 days in the office this week.

So even though you waited for 3 months to do ROM on the ankle you regained full (or almost full) mobility back so I am guessing waiting won't make it impossible just more challenging but it seems much safer.


ETA: And I am calling the Physiatry department at Hospital for special surgery tomorrow to see if and when I can make an appointment for an evaluation. I am thinking I should wait a few weeks till at least we have my first set of postop X-rays and I get the OK to really start PT.

 

[marcy]

Hi Missy!

The all body massage Jimmi posted looks amazing. I am FREEZING right now so I’d use it right now for both a massage and to crank on the heat!

What Azstonie said! Good idea she has to have Greg call the surgeon and have him ask at least all of her questions. That way you’d have confirmation of what to do and not do from the surgeon who operated on your ankle and leg. Regardless of what the surgeon says then that is what you’ll know to be working on and what to expect. We want your pain to go away!

I had a short day at work. Went in late. Then had to come home because the electrician setting up a box for the house they are building next door cut our phone / internet cable. They “said” they’d fix it by noon. About 12:15 I called the manager of the construction company who didn’t know a thing about it and said I should call my internet provider. I’m like “um no”. So then he refers me to his sales office. They are both at lunch. I finally hunt one of them down and she calls the electrician who says they are going to fix it. They promised to show up in 30 minutes. An hour later there they were. They did patch the cable, not replace it so I took pictures from the house with the construction manager out there so if anything comes of it down the road it’s not our dime. They have 22 house to build on our street. Aak. This is going to be a long process. I got back to work after 2. That made for a quick afternoon.

I hope you are having a pleasant evening and get some pain free sleep tonight. PS Dust coming your way!

Marcy

 

[azstonie]

I have full ROM and flexibility and you are going get every bit possible up to/including full. I did not start PT until 90 days plus a week to feel super sure.

 

[azstonie]

Passive work done by a PT at this time: electrical stimulation to your muscles, laser treatment of swelling and inflammation, and maybe massage of your upper leg (if no incisions) and your opposite leg (it's doing t he work o f two of).

 

[azstonie]

Acupuncture could lessen/eliminate your Pain, inflammation and swelling. HSS either has physiatrists who do it or work with someone in the community. I told you I worked at Mayo clinic, it's a conservative place and we had several physiatrist/acupuncturists.

I can't believe I forgot this! They use disposable needles now and electrical current. Quite a few patients have tremendous pain relief.

 

[missy]

Hi Missy!

The all body massage Jimmi posted looks amazing. I am FREEZING right now so I’d use it right now for both a massage and to crank on the heat!

What Azstonie said! Good idea she has to have Greg call the surgeon and have him ask at least all of her questions. That way you’d have confirmation of what to do and not do from the surgeon who operated on your ankle and leg. Regardless of what the surgeon says then that is what you’ll know to be working on and what to expect. We want your pain to go away!

I had a short day at work. Went in late. Then had to come home because the electrician setting up a box for the house they are building next door cut our phone / internet cable. They “said” they’d fix it by noon. About 12:15 I called the manager of the construction company who didn’t know a thing about it and said I should call my internet provider. I’m like “um no”. So then he refers me to his sales office. They are both at lunch. I finally hunt one of them down and she calls the electrician who says they are going to fix it. They promised to show up in 30 minutes. An hour later there they were. They did patch the cable, not replace it so I took pictures from the house with the construction manager out there so if anything comes of it down the road it’s not our dime. They have 22 house to build on our street. Aak. This is going to be a long process. I got back to work after 2. That made for a quick afternoon.

I hope you are having a pleasant evening and get some pain free sleep tonight. PS Dust coming your way!

Marcy

Oh my Marcy, that would have aggravated me as well having the phone/internet cable cut. I am glad it is fixed and is there any way you can speak with a supervisor to request that they be much more careful from hereon in? I mean this is just the beginning of all the work so I would want to do what I could to ensure that this doesn't happen again. 22 houses wow, that's a lot of homes being built. Hope the rest of the construction goes smoothly and without any other incidents!

Thank you for all your continued good wishes and I am sending lots of good wishes your way too!

 

[missy]

I have full ROM and flexibility and you are going get every bit possible up to/including full. I did not start PT until 90 days plus a week to feel super sure.

Thanks azstonie. I am like you in that I am super conservative with most things. That's why having this accident is ironic because I am not a daredevil type and a Pilon fracture is often seen in skiing accidents or other higher impact sports. Of course this can happen with high impact car accidents too so this can happen to almost anyone.

I am so happy for you that you regained full ROM and flexibility and I hope you are still doing well with those stairs!

Passive work done by a PT at this time: electrical stimulation to your muscles, laser treatment of swelling and inflammation, and maybe massage of your upper leg (if no incisions) and your opposite leg (it's doing t he work o f two of).

Acupuncture could lessen/eliminate your Pain, inflammation and swelling. HSS either has physiatrists who do it or work with someone in the community. I told you I worked at Mayo clinic, it's a conservative place and we had several physiatrist/acupuncturists.

I can't believe I forgot this! They use disposable needles now and electrical current. Quite a few patients have tremendous pain relief.

Thanks again. Neither my surgeon nor his PA mentioned any of these to me. It irks me because don't they know about this and aren't they doing all they can for their patients to ensure the best possible outcome?

I did not receive any word back from my sending the contact the physiatrist form yesterday morning so I am still planning on calling later and seeing if I can make an appointment sometime in the near future.

Unfortunately my poor mother had a fall yesterday and hurt her knee badly while watching my nieces (talk about incredibly bad luck and poor timing ) and my dad had to come by last night and pick up my travel chair that their neighbor had lent me. She needs it now because she has an appointment with her knee surgeon for this afternoon. It sucks on many levels (though she already had an October appointment with her surgeon for knee replacement and now it just may need to be moved up) and now I am without the chair that Greg retrofitted for me to elevate my leg so now we need to figure something out because I cannot go out without the leg elevated due to the intense pain when it is not raised. So I am homebound till I get another travel chair with elevated leg rest.

I am just hoping my mother's visit today goes well and that she didn't break anything!

 

[azstonie]

If your mom is not on a blood thinner, stress dose Wobenzym. Poor woman.

Bubble wrap for us all right now!!! Ankles to waist ought to about do it!

Yes, Missy, there is a lot out there that could be helping the pain and boosting the healing process. Your surgeon only thinks about surgery and once that is done, he's kinda done with ya unless something goes wrong prior to being completed healed bone. The PA, their job is to keep you contained in terms of meds, etc., so no help there.

The 'best' docs are frequently ones who have had an enormous injury or illness and understand pain and know what their patients go through. they look for things to do and that is the 'how' behind some of these things like e-stim to the muscles, ultrasound to the injury/surgical sites, acupuncture.

And Missy? So what your surgeon is on vacay, if you need input/advise/orders he has a surgeon acting in his capacity for him while he is gone and if the PA doesn't handle things. You have options and resources that way.

We have to get you into that Physiatry Department.

 

[Calliecake]

Re: Now I really did it

Hi Missy, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. I'm sure this really had your nieces shaken up. Did the girls handle your mom okay? It true what they say about when it rains it pours. This is one thing your poor family didn't need right now. Hopefully her injury won't be as bad as you are thinking it might be and nothing is broken. I'm also sorry this meant the loss of your travel chair. Can these chairs be rented? Are they difficult to find?

How was your pain yesterday? I read you were disappointed that you needed to take the strong pain meds the other day. I think that is all part of the healing process. Somedays will be better than others unfortunately. At this stage doing one small thing could cause you a little more pain then the day before. You seem to be handling everything very well. Things really are better than they were a few weeks ago. I'm sure everything feels like baby steps right now but you really are making progress in your recovery.

I'm so glad you were able to spend time with your friends the other day. I'm also glad you were able to spend time with the friends who dropped in. I don't think they meant to barge in on you. I do think they just really miss you and happened to be in your neighborhood. I'm sure there are many people you work with you who miss seeing you often.

Don't forget the Real Housewives of New York show is on Bravo tonight. It's going to be crazy tonight and surely will take your mind off things for an hour. Guess you know what I'm doing tonight. These shows are so addicting!

 

[missy]

If your mom is not on a blood thinner, stress dose Wobenzym. Poor woman.

Bubble wrap for us all right now!!! Ankles to waist ought to about do it!

Yes, Missy, there is a lot out there that could be helping the pain and boosting the healing process. Your surgeon only thinks about surgery and once that is done, he's kinda done with ya unless something goes wrong prior to being completed healed bone. The PA, their job is to keep you contained in terms of meds, etc., so no help there.

The 'best' docs are frequently ones who have had an enormous injury or illness and understand pain and know what their patients go through. they look for things to do and that is the 'how' behind some of these things like e-stim to the muscles, ultrasound to the injury/surgical sites, acupuncture.

And Missy? So what your surgeon is on vacay, if you need input/advise/orders he has a surgeon acting in his capacity for him while he is gone and if the PA doesn't handle things. You have options and resources that way.

We have to get you into that Physiatry Department.

Hi azstonie, Yes BUBBLE WRAP please for everyone!!! This year has been the very worst of my life and I hope nothing exceeds it because I feel at my very limit as I am sure my dear mom and dad do too.
My poor mom!!! She broke her patellar and her knee surgeon is pushing her off on someone else because this is not his area of expertise. So she has a call in to my Dr Wellman at HSS because hopefully he can treat her or knows someone who can. It's bad. And she has had more than her fair share of surgeries these last 5 years. My heart breaks for her and well to be selfish for me too because my parents were visiting me once a week and now that's over but I am over that because I just wish I could be there for my mom the way she is for me and now it is more than challenging for that to happen. I know there is never a good time but this is really NOT a good time for this to have happened. Sigh. I will ask her what meds she is on as she is on some heavy duty medications due to her RA. I know she takes Enbrel and I am not sure what else. I can give her my Wobenzyme since I am still on Lovenox for now. Thanks for that recommendation!

I agree with you that the best doctors are the ones who have personal experience of pain and trauma just like their patients. Dr Wellman is young and does not yet have that experience (from what I can tell at least). He is pretty matter of fact and straight with what he tells you with no sugar coating whatsoever and that's OK though I feel sometimes news can be delivered a bit more gently. But I would rather have a great surgeon with a not so great bedside manner than the other way around for sure!

The physiatry department called me back today and they don't actually have physiatrists on site at HSS but there are physiatrists associated with them.
Another alternative is that they have a PT department at HSS and my surgeon wrote out a prescription for my PT till I go back next month which includes ROM for ankle; strengthening exercises for quads etc for both legs and isometrics. So what I think I might do is the passive PT he is recommending (I confirmed this) and the strengthening and isometrics and then when I go see him August 27th start PT at HSS.

I am going to call the 2 physiatrists who are affiliated with HSS though just to see what that entails and when they would want to see me. It could be they would prefer to see me when I am allowed to do weight bearing since it seems that Dr Wellman has the next few weeks covered for me. It would also be easier for me not to go out for PT right now as I am exhausted in every way and whenever I leave the house I pay for it when I get back in terms of pain.

I had a new home physical therapist today and I think he is heads and shoulders above the last guy. He seems to know what he is doing and Greg stayed home just to make sure this guy was competent. Greg fired the first guy and just wanted to make sure this guy was going to be helpful. And we both think he is so yay on that front. He gently moved my ankle back and forth and side to side and I have very limited (almost none) motion and flexibility but I know that is to be expected. The good news was my ankle did not hurt as he was moving it. I was pleasantly surprised because it hurts when I move it but we'll see how it goes later as I am supposed to do the ROM (10 sets repeated twice) 4 times a day. The surgeon wants me to have these passive ROM exercises done and he was definite about it. So though I am nervous I am trusting him as he is a good surgeon and hopefully doesn't want to mess up his work LOL. And then the PT showed me the strengthening exercises and isometrics and I am supposed to do them 3-4 times a day.

 

[missy]

Re: Now I really did it

Hi Missy, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. I'm sure this really had your nieces shaken up. Did the girls handle your mom okay? It true what they say about when it rains it pours. This is one thing your poor family didn't need right now. Hopefully her injury won't be as bad as you are thinking it might be and nothing is broken. I'm also sorry this meant the loss of your travel chair. Can these chairs be rented? Are they difficult to find?

How was your pain yesterday? I read you were disappointed that you needed to take the strong pain meds the other day. I think that is all part of the healing process. Somedays will be better than others unfortunately. At this stage doing one small thing could cause you a little more pain then the day before. You seem to be handling everything very well. Things really are better than they were a few weeks ago. I'm sure everything feels like baby steps right now but you really are making progress in your recovery.

I'm so glad you were able to spend time with your friends the other day. I'm also glad you were able to spend time with the friends who dropped in. I don't think they meant to barge in on you. I do think they just really miss you and happened to be in your neighborhood. I'm sure there are many people you work with you who miss seeing you often.

Don't forget the Real Housewives of New York show is on Bravo tonight. It's going to be crazy tonight and surely will take your mind off things for an hour. Guess you know what I'm doing tonight. These shows are so addicting!

Hi Callie, as I wrote above in response to azstonie's post my poor mom broke her Patellar and it's bad. Her knee surgeon cannot even treat her so she is waiting for my trauma surgeon to call her back to see if he can help her or recommend someone who can (he operated on her for another injury 2 years ago and she was the one who recommended Dr Wellman to me originally).
My nieces were very comforting to her according to my mom and handled it well. The little one (6 yo) ran to get the neighbor to help carry her up the stairs to their house so they were good in an emergency. I am so sad for her and there is absolutely nothing I can do. I am useless truly. Sure I can be there emotionally for her and chat on the phone but I know that's a poor substitute. Bad timing all around.

Today the pain isn't bad so far and I took no pain meds. I seriously cannot remember how yesterday's pain was but I think it wasn't too bad. I had a lovely visit from my friend who just had breast cancer surgery and she will be seeing her surgeon (Sloan Kettering) for the pathology report and treatment plan this Thursday. Fingers crossed they got it all and she is clear!

I am looking forward to RHONY (I am a big Real Housewives fan too lol) but not sure we are going to watch it in real time. We like to watch shows on TIVO and FF through all the commercials. I am behind on RHONJ as TV hasn't appealed to me lately. Imagine that lol. My beloved reality shows are just not doing it for me these days. No television is holding my attention as I am restless lately. What will help is having these exercises to do a few times a day. Gives me an important goal and breaks up the monotony of the day. The PT encouraged me to go outside (not alone of course) just to get out and I have been hesitant because I don't want people feeling sorry for me or staring at me if you kwim. My neighborhood is small enough that I know a lot of people and I don't really feel like on display but he's right. And no worries about the travel chair. Our building has a wheelchair for the residents as necessary and we borrowed it for as long as I need it and Greg retrofitted it so I can elevate my leg. And we just took a short wheelchair ride outside as per the PT's instructions and it wasn't bad. I didn't see anyone I knew which was good lol. Attaching a pic of my new chair. One day I hope to be attaching pictures of my new jewelry LOL and me standing and walking on both legs wearing it!!!

 

[azstonie]

Oh good, glad to hear you have a good PT, one who has ' the touch.' YAY!!!! KEEPER!!!!

Your surgeon's prescription for PT should be good with that PT.

One thing, you reference tired to exhaustion and nighttime pain. That is your sign to pull back a tiny bit, then go forward, evaluate your tired/nighttime pain level again.

Every day your fractures heal some more, your body is working in your favor and most importantly, your recovery team is being assembled by you and Greg.

're your poor mom, you two should get a family discount with HSS!

 

[marcy]

Hi Missy! After they get the house directly north of us done the construction shouldn’t impact our place directly. There will be a greenway path between our house and the house they build south of us. When I came home tonight I backed in to the garage. There are so many vehicles and people on the street when I leave in the morning I hate to back in to the street.

I am so sorry to hear your mom fell and broke her patellar. How awful! I know it will be hard for you not to be by her side, can you FaceTime or Skype with her?

That is great your building had a wheelchair to use and that Greg fixed it up to prop up your leg. I think it’s great you got to go outside for a while.

I am delighted to hear you and Greg liked the new PT that came by today. It sounds like he knows his stuff.

Woo hoo for your pain not being as bad today. I hope you sleep well tonight.

Take care.
Marcy

 

[Calliecake]

Re: Now I really did it

Hi Missy, I really should have read thru the posts you had written the past two days. I apologize for making you repeat yourself. I can only imagine how hard this must be for both you and your mom and how helpless you must both feel. I'm sure she is also worried that she won't be able to physically help you. What are the chances two family members would be going thru these serious injuries at the same time. I'll be sending lots of dust and well wishes your moms way.

I'm glad you will be able to get out of the house a little bit. I understand how you feel about seeing your neighbors. Please keep in mind, anyone who is fortunate enough to know you, cares about you. You are an extremely nice and sweet person. People are going to be concerned about you and what you've been through and I sincerely think they are going to want to help you. I don't think there is any escaping that Missy.

We will have to talk about the housewives once you get caught up. These reunion shows are unbelievable!

 

[Calliecake]

Missy, I also can't wait for the day you post a picture of yourself standing, wearing a new piece of beautiful jewelry, a great outfit and gorgeous Stuart Weitzman boots.

 

[missy]

Oh good, glad to hear you have a good PT, one who has ' the touch.' YAY!!!! KEEPER!!!!

Your surgeon's prescription for PT should be good with that PT.

One thing, you reference tired to exhaustion and nighttime pain. That is your sign to pull back a tiny bit, then go forward, evaluate your tired/nighttime pain level again.

Every day your fractures heal some more, your body is working in your favor and most importantly, your recovery team is being assembled by you and Greg.

're your poor mom, you two should get a family discount with HSS!

Hi azstonie, I think I am exhausted most of the day because I still am not sleeping well. At most 4-5 hours a night and lately that's a good night and this is week 6 I think of sleeping poorly. It is taking its toll and I don't know how to improve my sleeping quantity and quality.

I am not sure if it's because I am uncomfortable with the heavy boot and leg propped up and me sleeping on my back or just once I wake up for the first time (usually around 3 hours after I initially fall asleep but can be as little as 1 and as much as 4) I cannot shut my mind and hence cannot fall back asleep. It's probably a mixture of the 2 but the discomfort of sleeping on my back with that heavy boot is a big part of the reason. I tried the amazon pregnancy pillow and the boot is just too heavy for me to make it work comfortably. Another waste of money. I've been doing a lot of that lately trying to find things that help.

And LOL on the HSS family discount haha. So true. I don't think Dr Wellman called my mom last night because I last spoke with her at 10PM and he hadn't called yet. And he is going on vacation next week so I am very worried for her because she still doesn't have a good surgeon to help here. She is in of course a lot of pain and has nothing stronger than Codeine right now. I am going to see if my dad can pick up my Oxycodone pills if she cannot see a doctor to get an Rx today because she needs them much more than I do right now.

 

[missy]

Hi Missy! After they get the house directly north of us done the construction shouldn’t impact our place directly. There will be a greenway path between our house and the house they build south of us. When I came home tonight I backed in to the garage. There are so many vehicles and people on the street when I leave in the morning I hate to back in to the street.

I am so sorry to hear your mom fell and broke her patellar. How awful! I know it will be hard for you not to be by her side, can you FaceTime or Skype with her?

That is great your building had a wheelchair to use and that Greg fixed it up to prop up your leg. I think it’s great you got to go outside for a while.

I am delighted to hear you and Greg liked the new PT that came by today. It sounds like he knows his stuff.

Woo hoo for your pain not being as bad today. I hope you sleep well tonight.

Take care.
Marcy

Hi Marcy, I'm glad to hear the construction won't be a problem any more. Construction can be stressful even when it isn't your house undergoing it. Just seeing it and hearing it can be stressful. And I hear you about backing out into the street especially when it is busy. Much better to back into the garage and then get to leave your garage in the AM with the front end first.

My mom doesn't even have a smart phone and my parents share one flip mobile phone between them and are not internet savvy. They are stuck in the last century or even before that lol. I had been trying without success to give them my previous Macbook Pro which works just fine but they absolutely do not want anything like that. Heck they cannot even work a VCR or answering machine properly. My MIL OTOH who is almost 80 (will be 80 this coming December) is very at ease on the computer though she doesn't have a smart phone either. So there will be no skyping with my mom. And embarrassingly I do not fall from being among the internet clueless haha but I do the best I can. Never heard of Facetime so you can see I am not that tuned into popular culture. But at least I can use a computer.

Thanks, I am glad we were able to get a wheelchair/travel chair so easily and quickly and also relieved the new PT seems good. Now it's just dealing with the insurance who doesn't approve my visits in a timely fashion which is why I missed most of last week and this Friday is the last day I am approved for PT and we have to get reauthorization for more visits. It's a pain because by the time they approve it I have missed almost a week and then it is retroactive but too late for those lost visits and the approval usually expires a few days later. But at least I know what exercises I can do and how to do them so yay for small steps!

Have a great day and I hope it goes smoothly.

 

[missy]

Re: Now I really did it

Hi Missy, I really should have read thru the posts you had written the past two days. I apologize for making you repeat yourself. I can only imagine how hard this must be for both you and your mom and how helpless you must both feel. I'm sure she is also worried that she won't be able to physically help you. What are the chances two family members would be going thru these serious injuries at the same time. I'll be sending lots of dust and well wishes your moms way.

I'm glad you will be able to get out of the house a little bit. I understand how you feel about seeing your neighbors. Please keep in mind, anyone who is fortunate enough to know you, cares about you. You are an extremely nice and sweet person. People are going to be concerned about you and what you've been through and I sincerely think they are going to want to help you. I don't think there is any escaping that Missy.

We will have to talk about the housewives once you get caught up. These reunion shows are unbelievable!

Dear Callie, you have no reason to apologize at all! You are so lovely and encouraging and a huge support to me and I hadn't even posted the update about my mom anyway till you already posted. Please never worry about reading everything I write either. I imagine it's crazy boring for everyone and I only do it because it helps me to just write it down here and get it out if that makes sense. I am very appreciative of all the time you guys are taking to help me through this. Please know that (((hugs)))!

Thank you for sending dust my mom's way. I am now way more worried about her than me and this is an absolute nightmare. My poor 80 year old dad with his own mobility issues having to care for her basically by himself and now without our help in any way. Thank you for all your kind comments Callie. It means a lot to me.

And LOL I just caught up on RHONJ last night. LOLOLOL. Whenever I watch the NJ show I keep thinking how poorly NJ is being portrayed by these families. OMG. Thank goodness we know nobody like this IRL. They are over the top in a very bad way. Hair pulling, hitting, wow. Sometimes I cannot even watch what is going on and I need to look away or check out PS while the show is playing because it is too hard to watch at times. It makes for good entertainment but really sad.

Missy, I also can't wait for the day you post a picture of yourself standing, wearing a new piece of beautiful jewelry, a great outfit and gorgeous Stuart Weitzman boots.

Thanks Callie, let's hope that day happens and that it is not too far into the future. I am being realistic and trying not to get my hopes up and I would be happy if I could get there by January. And it would be even more awesome if my darling mom could be there standing right next to me at that time too!

Fingers crossed.

 

[missy]

Oh and I almost forgot. I should have realized that my work situation would not be as easy to resolve as it seemed after my friend so generously offered to fill in for me.

My friend met the chief administrator after work last night at my clinic and in typical J* fashion he lowballed her. He offered her 40% less than what I was earning there. I mean he had the perfect situation with her offering to fill in while I was not able to work. She is a good clinician with over 20 years experience and reliable and hard working. She would be an asset to any clinic. And then he lowballs her and not just by a little! And it's not as if I was earning a lot. It has been 5 years since I had any pay increase and even then I wasn't earning a lot.

So maddening. I am pissed at him, really pissed. I don't know why I was surprised because this is typical J* behavior. He is a horrible leader and the only reason he has survived in his position is because he is keeping the clinic profitable. He's too focused on the pennies and saving a dollar to the clinic's detriment. Good care is not first and foremost in his mind. Pathetic. He is treating his staff and consultants unfairly in many ways. I did the work for him and found a great replacement and look what he did. Messed it up royally.

So now he has to find someone on his own and with no reference from me. Goodbye and good riddance and I just hope my patients are well cared for because I don't foresee my returning in the future. If he is looking for someone to earn 40% less than what I was getting he certainly won't want to hire me back at my rate. He is such a poor excuse for a health care administrator who is running this type of clinic. We need someone who has common sense, good business acumen and a heart. Patients come first no matter what and the rest will follow. It's not as if he is overpaying anyone there believe me. The clinic is still making a good profit. He is just so greedy.

 

[Calliecake]

Re: Now I really did it

Good morning Missy, I hope you were able to sleep well last night and that you are feeling pretty good pain wise today. How is your mom doing this morning? I can hear in your words how stressful this is for you. I can't even imagine what you have been thru the past few days. It's hard enough when our parents are having medical issues but now you have the added burden of not being able to physically be there on top of it. I'm so sorry you are going thru this. Does your mom have a lot of common sense and will she be diligent about doing what the doctors tell her to do? Please know I'm sending many hugs your way Missy. If I lived closer I truly would be pitching in to help you with all of this.

Regarding your Chief Administrator, what can I say but the man will definitely be reaping what he sows. You handed the man a very workable solution on a silver platter and this is how he responds? UNBELIEVABLE!!!! I know you loved your job but working for him would be too much for anyone to put up with. Maybe this was how it was supposed to play out. It sounded like it may have been a bit difficult for your friend as she already had a lot on her plate to begin with. You also got some amazing insight to the type of person he is. It would be nearly impossible to have any respect for him which would make working him extremely difficult. I was really so fortunate when I was working. For the most part I truly worked for fantastic people for the 30+ years I worked and I loved working.

Too funny you were catching up on RHONY last night. I feel most of these shows are scripted. I can't imagine women treating each other the way these people do. The woman all pretty act the same on every housewives show. I tell myself that most of this acting and they are doing this for a paycheck and yes there are times I too have to look away. Although last night Ramona was pretty much put in her place if this isn't acting.

 

[azstonie]

Oh and I almost forgot. I should have realized that my work situation would not be as easy to resolve as it seemed after my friend so generously offered to fill in for me.

My friend met the chief administrator after work last night at my clinic and in typical J* fashion he lowballed her. He offered her 40% less than what I was earning there. I mean he had the perfect situation with her offering to fill in while I was not able to work. She is a good clinician with over 20 years experience and reliable and hard working. She would be an asset to any clinic. And then he lowballs her and not just by a little! And it's not as if I was earning a lot. It has been 5 years since I had any pay increase and even then I wasn't earning a lot.

So maddening. I am pissed at him, really pissed. I don't know why I was surprised because this is typical J* behavior. He is a horrible leader and the only reason he has survived in his position is because he is keeping the clinic profitable. He's too focused on the pennies and saving a dollar to the clinic's detriment. Good care is not first and foremost in his mind. Pathetic. He is treating his staff and consultants unfairly in many ways. I did the work for him and found a great replacement and look what he did. Messed it up royally.

So now he has to find someone on his own and with no reference from me. Goodbye and good riddance and I just hope my patients are well cared for because I don't foresee my returning in the future. If he is looking for someone to earn 40% less than what I was getting he certainly won't want to hire me back at my rate. He is such a poor excuse for a health care administrator who is running this type of clinic. We need someone who has common sense, good business acumen and a heart. Patients come first no matter what and the rest will follow. It's not as if he is overpaying anyone there believe me. The clinic is still making a good profit. He is just so greedy.

Unbelievable!! WOT?

Sheesh. Well listen, you have a profession, people *like* you, and you exude competence. You will reenter the work force by your plan and it will work out, I really believe that. You will get a job and environment you like more, its definitely something to aim for. In the meantime, unemployment insurance for you if/when your employer terminates you?

 

[marcy]

Hi Missy. How are you doing today? My day went well, thank you.

I hate to hear you aren’t getting much sleep yet. That is too bad the pregnancy pillow doesn’t work well for you now but I bet after you get out of your boot you’ll find it more helpful.

You have lots of internet experience on Pricescope. Well darn it that your mom isn’t tech savy. FaceTime is Apple’s version of Skype. Marty and I talk on it when he travels. We both like it better than talking on the phone.

What a hassle to keep struggling to get approval for PT. I wish I had some good ideas to help with that but I have no clue. Can you call the insurance and ask them for suggestions to make the process more smooth and more importantly more consistent.

My heart goes out to your parents. Can they get some in home caregivers to help out?

I am looking forward to the picture of you and your mom standing side by side.

I hated to see how things turned out for your friend offering to fill in for you at work while you are out. I don’t think I’d want to go back there either and I’m sure you’ll find a more appreciative employer when you go back to work.

I spent time on the phone with Verizon tonight. They keep calling Marty in the UK then putting him on hold. Of course since I’m not the owner of the account they couldn’t tell me why they called him. I finally answered enough of their questions so they’d tell me what they wanted. They were concerned the roaming and international charges were his. Of course I believe they were concerned that the extra $305 charges would be paid. I did ask “what in our payment history would make you think we wouldn’t pay our bill?” She sure got apologetic then. She at least put a note on the account to call the other cell phone on the account (me) to verify that yes the phone is out of the country and the phone’s owner is in the same place.

Other than that my day was uneventful. Those are often the best.

Take care and I hope you have a good night’s sleep.

Marcy

 

[missy]

Re: Now I really did it

Good morning Missy, I hope you were able to sleep well last night and that you are feeling pretty good pain wise today. How is your mom doing this morning? I can hear in your words how stressful this is for you. I can't even imagine what you have been thru the past few days. It's hard enough when our parents are having medical issues but now you have the added burden of not being able to physically be there on top of it. I'm so sorry you are going thru this. Does your mom have a lot of common sense and will she be diligent about doing what the doctors tell her to do? Please know I'm sending many hugs your way Missy. If I lived closer I truly would be pitching in to help you with all of this.

Regarding your Chief Administrator, what can I say but the man will definitely be reaping what he sows. You handed the man a very workable solution on a silver platter and this is how he responds? UNBELIEVABLE!!!! I know you loved your job but working for him would be too much for anyone to put up with. Maybe this was how it was supposed to play out. It sounded like it may have been a bit difficult for your friend as she already had a lot on her plate to begin with. You also got some amazing insight to the type of person he is. It would be nearly impossible to have any respect for him which would make working him extremely difficult. I was really so fortunate when I was working. For the most part I truly worked for fantastic people for the 30+ years I worked and I loved working.

Too funny you were catching up on RHONY last night. I feel most of these shows are scripted. I can't imagine women treating each other the way these people do. The woman all pretty act the same on every housewives show. I tell myself that most of this acting and they are doing this for a paycheck and yes there are times I too have to look away. Although last night Ramona was pretty much put in her place if this isn't acting.

Good morning Callie, thank you for all your good wishes for my mom. She is hanging in there. It turns out that Dr Wellman did call her that night (Tuesday night) after his surgeries but she didn't hear her mobile. LOL what did I tell you. Totally technologically clueless. She's expecting a call from the surgeon and she misses it but then again she never really got the hang of her mobile. OMG.

Anyway Dr Wellman needs copies of her X-rays because he wasn't in yesterday at all so he could not just have her come in and take the X-rays again or have and he is leaving for vacation tomorrow (Friday). So my dad had to fight with North Shore hospital to be able to get her X-rays yesterday because they claimed they needed 24 hours. You cannot make this stuff up yanno? If I was able to I would have marched over to North Shore myself and gotten those darn X-rays immediately. Instead after many phone calls and dealing with frustrating North Shore staff my dad was able to finally get them last night.

Today my dad is bringing the X-rays to Dr Wellman at HSS so he can look them over and decide the best course of action. My mom has just been staying in bed for the last day and a half and will not be going to HSS with my dad as it is not necessary. Hopefully Dr Wellman will be able to help her and hopefully it can wait till he gets back from vacation. As for my mom being good about following doctors instructions I would say not so much though she would disagree. She doesn't always show great judgment these days more so than in the past but she's older and we all know that sometimes happens. I am just hoping Dr Wellman will take on her case and be able to help her and that she can wait till he returns from vacation. Thank you for asking!

As for the chief administrator I already had that insight into his character (or lack thereof) yet still I was surprised. I guess I really do want to believe in the best in people despite it all. But in any case I agree with you. Whatever happens it could be for the best and we shall see how this all plays out. I am very glad you were fortunate in your career in that you worked with such a lovely group of people. We spend such a large part of our time at work and it really adds to the quality of our lives when we enjoy what we do and the people we work with all day. Despite the Chief Administrator I do love where I work because my colleagues are amazing and the rest of the staff is pretty great too. I have little interaction with J* so it never made much of a difference to my workday when he took over though his presence was always felt if you kwim. I am disappointed the way this played out but I tried my best and that is all I can do and I am not wasting any more energy on this situation.


LOL on the RHONJ and NY! We just watched part II of the NY reunion last night and these women are nutty. I don't think it is scripted though I just think they edit it to show the very worst sides. And their tag lines always make me go especially Kristen's tag line ""I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm pretty!" Sigh. I know she said it's an inside joke with her dh but well we have all seen the way her dh treats her (on TV yet so supposedly he would be on his best behavior) so enough said. Still I do enjoy these guilty pleasures as they are entertaining. Looking forward to Part III of the reunion. As for the NJ housewives they are even more OTT IMO and I am glad I know no one IRL remotely like any of these women.
BTW if you never watched Live with Andy Cohen on Bravo check it out. He has all the housewives on his show at one time or another and well you cannot make this stuff up. I love his show.

 

[missy]

Oh and I almost forgot. I should have realized that my work situation would not be as easy to resolve as it seemed after my friend so generously offered to fill in for me.

My friend met the chief administrator after work last night at my clinic and in typical J* fashion he lowballed her. He offered her 40% less than what I was earning there. I mean he had the perfect situation with her offering to fill in while I was not able to work. She is a good clinician with over 20 years experience and reliable and hard working. She would be an asset to any clinic. And then he lowballs her and not just by a little! And it's not as if I was earning a lot. It has been 5 years since I had any pay increase and even then I wasn't earning a lot.

So maddening. I am pissed at him, really pissed. I don't know why I was surprised because this is typical J* behavior. He is a horrible leader and the only reason he has survived in his position is because he is keeping the clinic profitable. He's too focused on the pennies and saving a dollar to the clinic's detriment. Good care is not first and foremost in his mind. Pathetic. He is treating his staff and consultants unfairly in many ways. I did the work for him and found a great replacement and look what he did. Messed it up royally.

So now he has to find someone on his own and with no reference from me. Goodbye and good riddance and I just hope my patients are well cared for because I don't foresee my returning in the future. If he is looking for someone to earn 40% less than what I was getting he certainly won't want to hire me back at my rate. He is such a poor excuse for a health care administrator who is running this type of clinic. We need someone who has common sense, good business acumen and a heart. Patients come first no matter what and the rest will follow. It's not as if he is overpaying anyone there believe me. The clinic is still making a good profit. He is just so greedy.

Unbelievable!! WOT?

Sheesh. Well listen, you have a profession, people *like* you, and you exude competence. You will reenter the work force by your plan and it will work out, I really believe that. You will get a job and environment you like more, its definitely something to aim for. In the meantime, unemployment insurance for you if/when your employer terminates you?

Thanks azstonie, I appreciate that. When the time comes I hope it all works out. I am trying not to look ahead too much and just take it one day at a time. Healing and getting stronger is my only real goal at this time and I am trying to keep me head in a healthy place but not worrying about the future (too much) which is a challenge for me LOL. Not worrying that is.

No unemployment insurance because I am not an employee but rather a consultant (1099). But that's OK it's the nature of my field. Thank you for your encouraging words.

Ouch! Dh just gave me my Lovenox and it hurt more than usual. I think I should start giving it to myself perhaps.

 

[missy]

Hi Missy. How are you doing today? My day went well, thank you.

I hate to hear you aren’t getting much sleep yet. That is too bad the pregnancy pillow doesn’t work well for you now but I bet after you get out of your boot you’ll find it more helpful.

You have lots of internet experience on Pricescope. Well darn it that your mom isn’t tech savy. FaceTime is Apple’s version of Skype. Marty and I talk on it when he travels. We both like it better than talking on the phone.

What a hassle to keep struggling to get approval for PT. I wish I had some good ideas to help with that but I have no clue. Can you call the insurance and ask them for suggestions to make the process more smooth and more importantly more consistent.

My heart goes out to your parents. Can they get some in home caregivers to help out?

I am looking forward to the picture of you and your mom standing side by side.

I hated to see how things turned out for your friend offering to fill in for you at work while you are out. I don’t think I’d want to go back there either and I’m sure you’ll find a more appreciative employer when you go back to work.

I spent time on the phone with Verizon tonight. They keep calling Marty in the UK then putting him on hold. Of course since I’m not the owner of the account they couldn’t tell me why they called him. I finally answered enough of their questions so they’d tell me what they wanted. They were concerned the roaming and international charges were his. Of course I believe they were concerned that the extra $305 charges would be paid. I did ask “what in our payment history would make you think we wouldn’t pay our bill?” She sure got apologetic then. She at least put a note on the account to call the other cell phone on the account (me) to verify that yes the phone is out of the country and the phone’s owner is in the same place.

Other than that my day was uneventful. Those are often the best.

Take care and I hope you have a good night’s sleep.

Marcy

Hi Marcy, I could see where Facetime or Skype is preferable to just chatting on the phone especially with your dh when he is away for a while. Much more personal and you feel like you are almost there with him. I am sorry Verizon gave you a difficult time. Could it have been because they wanted to make sure it was really Marty using the phone and that they weren't fraudulent charges more than being concerned about if you guys would pay the bill? I know AmEx calls us occasionally to verify that charges are ours and I appreciate that because 2 times our CC number was stolen and we had to get replacement cards and AmEx canceled the fraudulent charges. It's amazing what criminals can do these days. They unfortunately are very internet savvy.

Thank you for the suggestion of getting a caretaker for my parents. I doubt they would go for it (unless they needed a nurse for some reason) but I will suggest it as it is a great idea IMO so thank you. I will feel much better if Dr Wellman can help her and she doesn't have to start all over again with another surgeon.

So far PT is going well. The therapist came again yesterday and really helped me. He moved my ankle much better than I can and watched me do all the strengthening exercises too. I am hoping the insurance will approve the visits next week before it is too late. Thank you for your suggestion of calling them. I was thinking about that and if I have the energy I will do that today to see if there is anything I can do to make this process more efficient. I know the therapist said they have 72 hours in which to approve each couple of visits and I think that is inefficient especially when it comes to having these PT sessions in a timely fashion.

I agree uneventful days are good days most of the time. Have a good day today and thanks for your helpful suggestions!

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Missy, Sending lots of dust to both you and your mom. Our moms sound so much alike regarding technology and doctors. The whole X-ray thing seems crazy to me. It probably took someone all of 2 minutes to get copies of the X-rays for your dad to being to the doctor. Sounds like maybe someone was having a bad day. Hopefully the doctor will be able to take her case and the delay due to his vacation won't be a problem. Has she been able to get a relief with the pain or is it still bad. Is there anyway your mom would let you talk to the doctor for her? My mom is terrible about talking to doctors and is so stubborn about having me help her. She refuses to write down questions she has before her appointments and of course forgets half of them when speaking to the doctor. I've also found that people their age dont question the doctor. She seriously acts like they are some supreme being and she shouldn't question anything they say no matter how many times we have discussions regarding her being her own advocate. It can be extremely frustrating so I hope your mom views this differently.

I'm so glad your not stressing over the job situation. In the whole skeam of things it really isn't the most important thing. It truly sounds like it will play out the way it should one way or the other. And you know business, a lot can change in the coming months. It does you no good to get worked up.

I also watch Bravo's Watch What Happens Live. I love that show. I just have such a hard time believing these housewives could be so cruel to each other. I know a lot of it is editing but I can't imagine ever acting the way they do under any circumstances. Don't even get me started on the physical abuse. It's just crazy. I do find it interesting the way Ramona is acting regarding her marriage. She was on a daytime talk show right after she filed for divorce and acted like everything was fine. Kathy Lee Gifford pointed out she was only asking how she was doing because she had just filed for divorce. Ramona went on to say everything was fine. She also was so nasty to LuAnn when she went thru her divorce. Do you watch the Beverly Hills housewives? I could not believe how some of the women treated Shannon when she came to them with her marriage problems. They showed no compassion and went onto gossip about it to people in her neighborhood. After reading what I just wrote maybe I need to get a life haha.

 

[missy]

Hi Missy, Sending lots of dust to both you and your mom. Our moms sound so much alike regarding technology and doctors. The whole X-ray thing seems crazy to me. It probably took someone all of 2 minutes to get copies of the X-rays for your dad to being to the doctor. Sounds like maybe someone was having a bad day. Hopefully the doctor will be able to take her case and the delay due to his vacation won't be a problem. Has she been able to get a relief with the pain or is it still bad. Is there anyway your mom would let you talk to the doctor for her? My mom is terrible about talking to doctors and is so stubborn about having me help her. She refuses to write down questions she has before her appointments and of course forgets half of them when speaking to the doctor. I've also found that people their age dont question the doctor. She seriously acts like they are some supreme being and she shouldn't question anything they say no matter how many times we have discussions regarding her being her own advocate. It can be extremely frustrating so I hope your mom views this differently.

I'm so glad your not stressing over the job situation. In the whole skeam of things it really isn't the most important thing. It truly sounds like it will play out the way it should one way or the other. And you know business, a lot can change in the coming months. It does you no good to get worked up.

I also watch Bravo's Watch What Happens Live. I love that show. I just have such a hard time believing these housewives could be so cruel to each other. I know a lot of it is editing but I can't imagine ever acting the way they do under any circumstances. Don't even get me started on the physical abuse. It's just crazy. I do find it interesting the way Ramona is acting regarding her marriage. She was on a daytime talk show right after she filed for divorce and acted like everything was fine. Kathy Lee Gifford pointed out she was only asking how she was doing because she had just filed for divorce. Ramona went on to say everything was fine. She also was so nasty to LuAnn when she went thru her divorce. Do you watch the Beverly Hills housewives? I could not believe how some of the women treated Shannon when she came to them with her marriage problems. They showed no compassion and went onto gossip about it to people in her neighborhood. After reading what I just wrote maybe I need to get a life haha.

Haha, yes I watch Orange County and Beverly Hills so maybe I need to get a life too. When I saw Ramona on Watch What Happens Live she said she and Mario are still together...or perhaps that's back together but that's all I know. I never read the tabloids or watch any other entertainment "news" shows so I have no clue what happened to them besides what Andy alluded to. Ramona has gotten nastier at least that's how she seems on the RHONY show. As far as RHOOC I like Shannon. She's quirky and seems good natured. And I agree with Andy. I cannot believe Vicki is now the "voice of reason" LOL.

I am sorry you have difficulty with your mom too. Stubborn behavior seems to be abundant in older individuals. I look at it this way. Whatever traits you have when you are younger often gets magnified as you get older. That's how it seems to me from personal experience anyway. My mom wouldn't let me speak to the doctor on her behalf unless I accompanied her on her visit. As it is though she is not seeing him in person at least for the next week and a half. So we will see what he says. Thanks for all the good wishes for my mom (and for me too). My dad dropped the X-rays off before 7AM this morning and now they are just waiting for the doctor to check it out and call them. It probably won't be before this evening and let's just hope they hear the phone this time LOL.


ETA: fun question...what would your tag line be if you were one of the "Real Housewives"?

 

[missy]

Good news update: The surgeon from HSS called my mom after he viewed her X-rays from Northshore and though she has a bad break of the patellar she will most likely not need surgery!!! Woohoo!!! It seems to be lined up correctly so she just needs to wear a brace for 6 weeks or so. He is having her come in to HSS next week to see his PA (since the surgeon is on vacation next week) and get another set of X-rays to make sure. So hoping that is the case and I am (as are my parents) very relieved!

I went out for a little outing with one of my girlfriends this afternoon and I am exhausted. It's not as easy as you might think sitting in a wheelchair. We were only out for an hour and a half but my leg is aching and I think I am skipping my exercises tonight. But I am glad I got out.

And of course I ran into someone I didn't want to while I was out LOL. Murphy's Law and all. The person I ran into is lovely and sent me 4 cards thoughtfully written out over the last 6 weeks when she found out what happened to me. She has been wanting to come over and keep me company when I am up for it but I haven't been in the mood since though she is a very nice and sweet woman (and the Board president) we aren't friends. I like her but we are just acquaintances so I would feel the need to be "on" if you kwim and I don't have the energy for that these days. I just like hanging with people who know me well and with whom I am close friends at least while I am still vulnerable and not feeling 100%. So we saw her while we were strolling/wheeling and stopped and chatted because we both know her and I know she was thinking if I am up to being outside why I didn't call her to have her visit me. I feel badly because she is so nice.

Speaking of close friends I have some more great news!!! My girlfriend who visited me a few days ago and who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer is now cancer free Woohoo!!! She saw the oncologist today and got the pathology results. They got it all during the lumpectomy and she doesn't even need radiation. Such amazing news!!!

 

[MissGotRocks]

Hi Missy!

Sounds like you are feeling better with less pain with each passing day! I am so happy for you!

Glad to hear the good news about your mother and your friend - nothing as uplifting as good news about those we love.

Hope your progress continues and I'm sure it will. I know it's still a long trek but you've come SO far - hang in there!!

 

[marcy]

Hi Missy. How are you doing this evening? It sounds like you had a busy day.

That is good AmEx caught the fraudulent charges on your cards and stopped them for you. Marty’s work credit card had fraudulent charges in Brazil a few months ago and his card company issued him a new card. He hadn’t been to Brazil for almost a year either. It is nice they watch out for their customers. The reason I think Verizon was also concerned about the bill is because the extra charges were listed online as due now. Marty’s data usage on roaming really adds up quickly and once the bill reaches $666 dollars they start emailing us to pay the bill. They must have a cut off where they ask for payment. I agree it’s nice they make sure something isn’t going on with your phone or credit cards.

Trust me I’ve been there on parents being stubborn and not asking for help. They want to do it for themselves but so hopefully they will consider getting some help. That is awesome your mom might not need surgery. Good news indeed.

How wonderful your PT session went well today.

You are welcome for any help or suggestions I can give. I wish I could do MORE!

Woo Hoo for your friend getting cancer free results from her pathology tests. I am excited for her.

That would be my luck running in to someone I didn’t want to see. Hopefully just seeing you and having a short visit is enough.

One more day until the weekend.

Take care.
Marcy