Pain

 About ten days ago I began having pain in the middle of my back.  Jim went to our small group from church alone while I stayed home tethered to my heating pad.  Happily, the pain went away after two or three days.  But it came back the following Monday.  I went to the small group and chose a seat where there was a pillow behind my back.  I was not comfortable but I did it.  I went to Grace Notes Choir the next day as well--with some tension, but I did it.  

Thursday I sent a message to my primary care physician on our portal.  Sadly, he was out until November 18.  I was told to call to see someone else or to find a back doctor.  I went to United Health Care and looked for a doctor who would take our insurance.  The first one I called sent me to another practice and that practice said they couldn't see me until late November and then they would no longer take our insurance after December 1.

I called our primary care people at Montgomery Internal Medicine and they gave me an appointment with Sylvia Okoji,  a nurse practitioner,  for Friday, the very next day.  Jim had seen Sylvia before and respected and liked her. 

I was asked how bad was the pain on a scale of one to ten with ten being the worst you ever had.  It was not a ten--that was my ruptured disc pain in 1986.  I said 6 or 7.  Earlier that morning I told Jim that it reminded me of labor pains--intense, squeezing pain.  Some of those were tens!  Especially my last labor with a nine pound baby! 

Sylvia was kind and thorough.  She eliminated shingles and a urinary tract infection.  She gave me  prescriptions for a muscle relaxer and an x-ray.

I called Penn Medicine Radiology to schedule the x-ray and they said to come in at 3 pm--in just a few hours! 

The waiting room at Radiology was packed with folks and I despaired but I was called very quickly and Kyle, the technician, was also very kind and helpful. Because it was Friday afternoon, I didn't expect results over the weekend.  But to my surprise, when I checked the portal Saturday am, there was a message from Sylvia that the x-ray was negative.  So the pain probably was muscular as she thought. There was no disc problem and some arthritis showed up.  

I was so grateful to be able to get care quickly and with kindness and compassion.  However, it is now Sunday and the pain is still there--and I have had a couple of rough nights trying to sleep while getting the heating pad positioned for relief.  I have taken four out of the five muscle relaxers pills and am hoping that today is a better day.  It's not excruciating pain, it is just gnawing and can't be ignored.  Fortunately, the heating pad and lying down helps but that is not a good way to live. So if I am not better tomorrow, I will contact Sylvia again on the portal.   Last Thursday, I didn't know which way to turn to get help.  But now I have someone caring for me and am trying to hope for relief--along with prayers for healing.

----------November 11--a good night of sleep without any need for the heating pad! Hooray!

November 12--No pain today and it is such a relief.  I thanked Sylvia on the portal and received such a kind message from her in response.  I told her about this blog and I hope she reads it and feels my gratitude!

November 19--I did a survey from Penn Medicine but decided to call their customer relations and leave a more directed compliment for their prompt reading and response.  First thing Monday morning I got a phone call from them thanking me for my compliments and saying they would pass them on to their Leadership Team along with the specific names of the people who had helped me. 

December 12--I got a bill for $30 from Penn Medicine this morning.  I saw that the charge for the x-rays was $3361. Thank God for health insurance!   Many are complaining about United Health right now after the murder of its CEO but we have no reason to complain.  Our co-payments have been low thus far.