8am: Go to doctor at the clinic across the street. We are seen immediately. She is nice and offers to give him an anti-inflammatory injection, but also says we need to get x-rays, which they don’t do there. We will have to go to the military hospital instead. Aaron decides not to get shot because he is afraid his foot will feel better and he will hurt it worse by using it.
8:20am: Take taxi to military hospital. Ask where x-rays are. Go to x-rays, get directed to appointment desk/waiting line. Get told to get x-rays first, then make appointment, but first pay for x-rays at other window. Go to other window, get bill, go to another window to pay. Return to x-rays. Taken immediately.
8:50am: Return to appointment desk/line and show that I have Aaron’s x-rays. Told I can’t have appointment with doctor recommended by first doctor, but I can come back at 7:30am tomorrow to get in line for an appointment. Eventually I am told that I could see a different doctor, or rather I can get Aaron a number in line for the 3pm doctor. I leave to ask Aaron what he wants. He says whatever is fastest. I return to appointment desk/wait in line and talk to a completely different person. This person tells me that I could see the doctor who is currently there, which is neither the 3pm doctor, nor the doctor I initially asked to see. I am told to go pay at the pay window (no stop at the intermediate window this time) and they will give me my number (for my place in line.) I do this and get number 9. It is now 9:15am.
9:16am: Find office of doctor and ask everyone else who is waiting what number they are on. Two. Take kids to get snacks while Aaron waits.
11:15am: Beyond happy when it is finally Aaron’s turn. Tell doctor about Aaron’s feet, show him x-rays, he checks out Aaron’s feet and determines he needs some nerve help. I don’t fully understand all that he says, I am thinking Aaron is getting an injection like the first doctor says, but then we are sent to the pharmacy down the hallway. We wait outside the doctor’s office while he sees 3 more patients.
12:30pm: Doctor gives Aaron some “nerve treatment” in his mouth, wherein he pokes him several times with a needle filled with some sort of anesthetic. This gives Aaron no relief, but makes us all smile when Harmon instructs “be brave dad! Don’t cry!” (He didn’t cry.) Next the doctor wants to see Aaron’s foot again and proceeds to jab him over 20 times in the leg, ankle, and foot. Each time he asks “does this hurt?” and Aaron says, “yes it stings” so the doctor keeps going, because he is not looking for stinging, he is looking for nerve pain! The doctor runs out of juice in the needle setup and decides this “randompuncture” as Aaron has termed it is not working. We are sent away with no concrete diagnosis, but an order for fasting blood work tomorrow.
Tomorrow we will get up first thing and get blood work done, followed by a trip on Wednesday morning back to the same doctor. Really, I can’t imagine why Aaron doesn’t like doctors. It’s not like it was a big deal or anything…
As you can see, it’s a fairly efficient system. You know what the ER would cost back home? (Hint, it’s more than $39.) And do you think you’d get any real consideration from the doctor (even if it’s quack consideration.)
No, I don’t think a US doctor would have come to a better conclusion. It was probably only my stubbornness and Kelsey’s Dr. Google pre-diagnoses that interfered. With them helping me (viz a pain killer or cast.)
We determined about the only thing that could be determined, and that’s that my feet aren’t fractured.
I still think it’s pyschosomatic, but that’s what quack treatments are supposed to cure. I think I have a mental allergy to placebos though.
Kelsey says that if I know it’s all in my head than than why does it still hurt (and swell up so that I can’t put my shoe on.) I reply simply that you can know you’re crazy but that doesn’t mean that you can cure yourself. Obviously there’s some deep-seated insecurity about getting old that I’m suppressing by exhibiting phantom symptoms.
But she really think’s I’m just faking.
And I think she likes that the doctor is turturing me into admitting it, or else why would she insist we go back to see the same guy?
His best guesses were gout or sciatica, but that’s because that’s what she offered. I’m leaning towards pulled tendon, but that doesn’t explain it switching feet every week.
oooooh I was totally gonna say gout!
They think I have some stretched tendons on outside and torn on the inside but my insurance stinks so i just let my ankle swell…but now I can’t run (or walk some days) and I’m getting fat, cause I still eat as though I still ran.
My official guess as playing House (the dr) is gout. excess amounts of uric acid!
Not good. Momo no like.
I don’t love the doctor, but I’d never go again if I had to do that. Does sciatica travel that far down? I’ve never heard of anyone complain about it past their hamstring (but I’ve only heard my family complain of it).
If it is gout, my brother has it and he swears by cherry juice, but in capsule form. Do a little googling.
Think it might be worth adding these to ur diet.
Mayo Clinic info: Cherries. Cherries have been associated with lower levels of uric acid in studies, but it isn’t clear if they have any effect on gout signs and symptoms. Eating more cherries and other dark-colored fruits, such as blackberries, blueberries, purple grapes and raspberries, may be a safe way to supplement your gout treatment, but discuss it with your doctor first.