Now I really did it :((

[missy]

Wow Missy, that's a nasty set of scars & purple foot!!

Glad to hear you are slowly getting back on your feet. Take it easy, sweetheart

Thank you Alex. I know it doesn't look pretty but believe me compared to how it did look a few months ago it is beautiful lol. Well, not really but I am making progress though it is slow. I am walking and that is the main thing right now. Thank you for checking in with me and I hope all is well with you and your family.

 

[missy]

Somehow our messages crossed and me I am very stupid at IT things and can never find how to use emoticons here. I wanted to wave to Missy! Sooo glad you went to the lunch and had a great time and great food! I am not happy that you are exhausted and could not sleep at night though. Can you perhaps take a nap with the kitties?

On a sidenote, never dared to alter boots, I might try sometime, it was recommended to me by high end brands but always thought they would be ruined. Now I may rethink that.

Well, I tried with my store again, although I am only going to Vienna Friday morning this week, I tried to order something from this store online and tell that I am picking it up Friday, we will see, they may think I am a difficult customer by now.) So, then I might just have to buy something as I hate being a pain.

Hi Ovi, you are so sweet. Big wave and hug to you.
If you find a good cobbler they can usually take your boots in no problem and I have had at least half a dozen pairs of boots altered successfully. Of course if you go with SW you may not need to alter that pair as they do fit many different size calves pretty well.

Do not buy from that store if there is nothing you really want just because you feel obligated. Promise me please. That is their job and you are a good customer and there is no need to feel guilty.

 

[azstonie]

Hi Missy--love the pic of you and Greg, good looking couple!!!!

I think the pics show great improvement in the incisions. It looks really good.

The red leg? I had that !!!! The surgeon never seemed to 'see' it but I sure did. It goes away I promise.

You've done amazing job, you and Greg and Victor.

If your insurance won't cover PT at the intervals you deem best, consider negotiating a discounted rate for the extra sessions. There is nothing better, no jewels and no clothes, better than having your musculoskeletal health and function restored. It's also time to start looking into other types of therapy to complement what Victor is doing.

HSS never put y o u with a physiatrist? I'm extremely disappointed if that is the case. It's not too late for that.

 

[Sunstorm]

Missy, thanks, you are a very nice person, no wonder everyone cares about you so much! I know I can be bullied into buying because I always try to be nice but when I have enough I just never go back again. I sometimes wonder if Austria still has problems when it comes to foreigners because of course as you know I am not Austrian, in most cases the people there are very nice but now it has become such an International city with so many people from abroad, a big Russian community among others and I think the salespeople here are not Austrian themselves either, in fact I saw online that the owner had a Hungarian last name, may have been born there but still. You are right that they are there to help and if they do not want to then I can go elsewhere. I loved that store for among others their great customer service, I guess that because I always try to treat others in a nice way, I would hope that they are nice to me too but it is not always the case.

Take it easy today please Missy. I hope you are able to relax, read and take naps with the kitties during the day, I think that there is nothing more comforting than being in bed with the kitties especially on a rainy day and listening to them purring, best sleeping pill around though I am not sure if they can help the pain, are you experiencing that a lot still? How is your stomach, are you able to eat well these days? Hope your mom is not nagging you about weight anymore, you look so pretty.

 

[missy]

Hi Missy--love the pic of you and Greg, good looking couple!!!!

I think the pics show great improvement in the incisions. It looks really good.

The red leg? I had that !!!! The surgeon never seemed to 'see' it but I sure did. It goes away I promise.

You've done amazing job, you and Greg and Victor.

If your insurance won't cover PT at the intervals you deem best, consider negotiating a discounted rate for the extra sessions. There is nothing better, no jewels and no clothes, better than having your musculoskeletal health and function restored. It's also time to start looking into other types of therapy to complement what Victor is doing.

HSS never put y o u with a physiatrist? I'm extremely disappointed if that is the case. It's not too late for that.

Hi Kristie! Thank you.
HSS never got back in touch with me after I left a message and emailed them the form they asked me to fill out regarding finding a recommended physiatrist. It is disappointing and I have been meaning to call them again about that. I have been tired these last few days but tomorrow I am going to call HSS again and see if I can get a recommendation. I also want to figure out if I need to be concerned about my painful big toe. Walking is difficult enough with my ankle and I hope whatever is causing my toe pain is not serious.

Thanks for your advice and also your suggestion re negotiating a rate if I have to private pay. I will definitely do that and the way Victor is talking I won't be stopping therapy anytime soon regardless of what the insurance company has to say. A PSer recommended I get a case worker but not even sure how to go about that though if I feel pushback from my health insurance company I will do whatever I need to do to continue PT. Plus my surgeon wrote the script for PT at least until I see him in January so hopefully that pulls some weight with them.


Ovi, thank you again. That is very nice of you to say. I am eating well, no problems with that and my friends today noticed I gained some weight and it was all good. Now promise me you will not let anybody bully you into doing or buying anything, OK?

 

[azstonie]

Missy, what kind of pain are you having in the big toe? Does it feel like bony pain? Or is it ingrown toenail pain?

Have you tried giving your feet a nice warm water/Epsom salts soak after therapy and activity? It might help the big toe.

Pain in the big toe can also mean gout, uric crystals in between the spaces. Having a low body weight would not exempt you from crystals, its diet (which being vegan I'm sure you have 0 animal fat) and metabolism centered.

Oy. I hope its just pain from being all outta whack from your baseline musculoskeletal positions.

The fun just never stops, RIGHT?

Google the phyisatrist's association in NY, call them and go from there, if you get nothing from HSS. I'm sure your surgeon would supply the order for the visit, the PA would write for it.

http://www.aapmr.org/patients/findphysician/Pages/default.aspx

I just googled and came back to this posting; I used "New York" as my search location,check it out. Read the home page, you'll get good information there.

I really do believe you're at the point that you need a physiatrist. You're getting just well enough to need the *right* therapy and intervention at the *right* intervals.

Finn, my 12 year old Westie, he hurt his knee Friday playing madly with his sister. I stress dosed him Wobenzym, he was fine by the next morning. Kept him on stress dose a couple days, he's good to go. It gets me out of bed pain free in the mornings, I love the stuff.

 

[missy]

Kristie, I think it could be joint pain. When I put pressure on the ball of my foot as I am walking the big toe hurts when it bends. Does that sound like joint pain? And if so would warm soaks help that? I haven't tried that but will thanks. And I will definitely be physiatrist searching tomorrow. Thanks again for the gentle reminder.

So glad Finn is better! I have been faithfully taking the Wobenzym 3 times a day now. Hugs to sweet Finn.

 

[marcy]

Hi Missy,

I am so glad you went to lunch today with your work friends. I am sure it wore you out but how wonderful you were able to go and have some fun. What a special treat!

I hate to hear the maintenance man at work was let go but it sounds like he has some nice plans to move to where his daughter lives. I hope they get the elearn program working for you. That is nice they want you to take a class to get some basic understanding on something new. I prefer elearn classes better than live ones. Mostly because I’m not a fan of the touchy feely fill in times they often have in those classes and I can work at my own pace.

You can vent to me anytime about work, life, your ankle, pretty earrings, whatever!

Marty claims he only bought himself a mouse for is laptop and a new jacket but there is one more charge he hasn’t explained. It was probably lunch and he put it on our card instead of his work card.

I met a friend for pizza after work today. We met at a sports bar and it was really loud so didn’t set and visit very long. It was nice to catch up with her though.

Tomorrow I am sneaking off work early so I can watch the partial solar eclipse. Something fun to do and a good reason to leave work early. Sweet.

I hope you have a great day tomorrow and that your toe isn’t hurting anymore. Like you need another spot to be going “Yo, Missy! Here I am!”

Speaking of pains, I’ve been getting some pains in my hips and lower back. I finally measured the depth of the cushions on our couch versus the love seat. The couch is deeper so I must be setting funny on it. I usually set on the loveseat. I moved to Marty’s spot because it’s in front of the TV rather than to the side. Tonight I put a pillow behind my back and I feel fine. Too funny.

Take care!
Marcy

 

[missy]

Good morning Marcy. It was nice seeing my friends yesterday. Going to lunch yesterday was the right thing to do since my friends were so happy I made it. I am not sure what I want to do yet regarding returning to work especially since almost everyone I am close with there is leaving. Either now or relatively soon. One of the young ladies at lunch yesterday is 7 months pregnant and she is not returning to that job after maternity leave. She is looking for another opportunity since she doesn't want to deal with the nonsense the chief administrator puts her through.

My other girlfriend at the lunch yesterday (the one who visited/visits me often during these past 4 months) is leaving as soon as she either finds another job or gets pregnant. I will miss her terribly if I return. And then there's my friend Zu who is the one retiring. Next week is her last week at work. I have worked with her for 13 years and always looked forward to seeing her every week. We became so close during the past decade plus. Her life story is such a romantic one. She is a Muslim from India married to a Jew from Iran. Like Romeo and Juliet. And they have such a strong and close marriage still.

I'm glad you figured out how to ease your back and hip pain. It looks like when Marty arrives back home he needs to find a new spot on the sofa.
Perhaps that extra charge on the card is really a surprise gift for you? Hoping it is because it is always nice to receive an unexpected gift.

The e-learning was supposed to teach me some of what I need to know before the webinar November 12th but the IT guy called me yesterday and said that he found out that it is not mac compatible. So now it remains to be seen how I will be able to complete all the hours of e-learning I need to do before the webinar (which is Mac compatible) in a few weeks. I am not going to be able to go into work to do it. If they want me to be able to take the prerequisite learning they are going to have to get me a PC to borrow and even then I am not sure I will be able to do it on my own having no skills whatsoever on a PC. I am technologically challenged on the devices I am familiar with LOL.

I am glad you were able to catch up with your friend last night and despite the noisy environment enjoyed yourselves. I hate noise when I am trying to have a a conversation with people and for that reason avoid certain restaurants despite the good food. Greg is especially sensitive to noises so we are careful about that.

Good for you leaving work a bit early to view the partial solar eclipse! Wish I could join you. Enjoy.

 

[Begonia]

Hi Missy! Coming in for my hug fix

How are you doing today? How is it feeling? Any changes with the weather I'm wondering?

Back is slowly improving Thank you! It's going to take a few more weeks, and I'm getting physio but oh my gosh nothing like 3 weeks ago. It was so therapeutic to talk here about that and get all of the feed back and well-wishes...

Gotta go, but I'll check back later
Love Begonia

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Missy, How is your toe feeling today. I'm sorry to hear it's been bothering you. Is this something new? I don't recall you mentioning it bothering you in the past. Does Victor have any idea what could be causing this?

I'm so happy you were able to get out and meet you friends for lunch. It sounds like you all had a good time. I do have to wonder if you really want to continue working at this clinic. The administrator seems like a piece of work. It is rare that you hear of someone the whole office can't stand. Its usually just a couple of people who may not get along with someone. You are describing something completely different with this person. I would think long and hard before putting myself in the position of having to deal with him on a daily basis. The girls I used to work with get together all the time and I feel bad because many of them aren't happy with their new jobs. I was so lucky to get to work with great people when I was working. I can't imagine having a job I dreaded going to everyday.

ORvinzce, Please, please don't make a purchase you don't really want. I apologize, I really thought that maybe she was just having a bad
day but after reading your other posts, I don't think this is the case. You should never feel bad for not making a purchase everytime you walk in a store. If I was treated like this I would seriously make my purchases online. Do you notice other stores sales assistants acting the way this person did? I hope this isn't the norm. You should never be made to feel bad for not making a purchase. I know Missy told you same thing.

I'm so happy I'm not the only one buys something and then who saves it. I'm really going to quit doing this. I know it's crazy if me to do. It would be so much better to save the money for a nice piece of jewelry. My husband has even told me he would rather I save the money for a jewelry purchase that I would wear and enjoy often.

 

[Calliecake]

Missy, I forgot to mention that I'm so happy you were able to take a cab to go to lunch. Remember two months ago when this would have happen impossible to do? See what great progress you are making! Your getting so much better and are one step closer to getting back on your bike Sweetheart!

 

[Sunstorm]

Hi girls,

How is everyone doing? I am sorry about your toe hurting too Missy, when is your next PT and can you make an appointment to check it out? I have been reading the thread with interest of course, just less time today as I have been working from home and tomorrow I am going to Vienna to work and it is always tiring, getting up early, etc. but a lot of fun too, I love that city in general, the atmosphere, the people, how it became so international.

Yes, you girls are right and so nice to me, thanks Callie too! This time I reserved a dress online with the store and will try it on tomorrow, one more chance and we will see. If they treat me badly then as much as I love the store I will either not go there or order online. Thing is that in most cases I do need to try dresses on as my upper body is pretty strong for my figure. Normally, I would say that customer service sucks compared to the US both in Hungary and Austria, certain stores are better like Burberry as I mentioned, they are great, the outlets are great but a lot of the salespeople there are Hungarians. It is weird that as international as Vienna has become you can find such nationalist a-holes there. When you make a purchase they are all nice but otherwise forget it if you are not buying right away or sometimes I feel that they size you up but honestly what makes them think I cannot buy something there I have no clue as I am always dressed up when I am working, have nice shoes, coats, jewelry, makeup, etc. In Europe it is very typical that you just cannot walk in a store in a casual outfit and get the same treatment but I do not so no clue what it is. This store I like is quite high end too so not sure what the issue is though some of the people there are great, maybe it was only that one instance. Will report what happens tomorrow. I will not let them make me run away after that one bad experience but if it keeps happening then I will take my money elsewhere.

What is new with you Callie? How was your night and how are you today Missy?

 

[missy]

Hi Missy! Coming in for my hug fix

How are you doing today? How is it feeling? Any changes with the weather I'm wondering?

Back is slowly improving Thank you! It's going to take a few more weeks, and I'm getting physio but oh my gosh nothing like 3 weeks ago. It was so therapeutic to talk here about that and get all of the feed back and well-wishes...

Gotta go, but I'll check back later
Love Begonia

Hi Begonia, I am so glad your back is getting better! And as you know I completely agree that venting/talking about how we are doing is helpful in numerous ways.

I don't feel any different with the rain and the cool temperatures yet regarding my leg that is. My face is another matter as I have a patch of itchiness that I am sure is related to the change in temperature.

I am sending you the biggest yet very gentle (((hugs))) and just know there's an endless supply of those big hugs for you from me. (((Hugs))) and lots more healing dust being sent your way.

 

[missy]

Missy, I forgot to mention that I'm so happy you were able to take a cab to go to lunch. Remember two months ago when this would have happen impossible to do? See what great progress you are making! Your getting so much better and are one step closer to getting back on your bike Sweetheart!

Thank you Callie! I appreciate all your encouragement and cheering me on and it's been so helpful. It really has. There are times I don't want to do something and I think what would Callie tell me lol and then I go ahead and push myself to do it because I know it is the best thing to do. So thank you.

My toe isn't hurting much today but I haven't been walking much either as it is raining and windy and cold outside and there is no one to go for a walk with anyway. When I walk inside with my Merrell clogs my toe feels fine. I gave that clue to Victor on Wed but he wasn't sure why that is. I feel that the shoes I wear outside don't have a lot of support whereas the Merrell clogs are cushioned more. I am not giving up my boots so don't even think it lol.

Just got interrupted with a phone call from HSS (finally) and the woman who called to give me physiatrist recs that are HSS endorsed told me that they are mainly for hip and back rehab and she instead gave me the phone numbers for foot and ankle specialists...oy now I am so confused. Kristie see what I am up against here. I also checked out your link but there was no NY recommended/affiliated physiatrist.
I am going to email Andrew (PA) and ask him about a physiatrist rec and what he thinks.


Hi Ovi, My toe feels OK today but as I wrote above it could be that I am not walking outside today and also wearing my cushioned clogs inside. Thank you for asking. My next PT session is tomorrow so we shall see how that goes.

I am glad you are not going to let anyone push you around. If the dress fits and you love it great but there are too many great options to shop where you don't care for the people there and if they are not polite and professional. Shopping should be fun and a stress reliever. Not a stress inducer if you kwim.

 

[Sunstorm]

Missy, I am glad that you are looking into physiatrists! I am just sorry about the problems you are experiencing when it comes to getting one, you should definitely have one and start it when you can and they should be more supportive than this. Hopefully, it will work out for the best very soon. Let us know how it goes at PT tomorrow.

Well, those clogs sound comfy, I just wish that we lived closer so that we could visit you and cheer you up, spend some fun girlie time together and with the kitties, have coffee and maybe do some online shopping together.)

 

[missy]

Thanks Ovi, that would be nice! And if you were in the area we could do real life shopping instead of online.

 

[Sunstorm]

Oh, yeah! I sure wish but hopefully pretty soon I get to go back to the US to visit, last year I almost went on a trip to NYC but cancelled it at the last minute. I really want to go to the PS get together in LV next year, I have always loved LV. It would be so nice if we were all able to go and meet up and have fun but at the moment I am sure this is not high on your list, you just need to get well first.

 

[Calliecake]

Missy, I'm really confused now. Do you need therapy for your hip and back? If not, what the heck???? Does the insurance company listen to what Victor says is needed as far as your coverage is concerned? Do they only pay for a set number of physical therapy appointments? It would seem if additional appointments are needed and both your doctor and Victor agree, at least a portion of the cost would be covered by insurance? Am I wrong?

Please know I would never tell you not to wear your boots. You are too funny. Heck if I looked like you in those boots, I'd NEVER take them off! You know I'm telling the truth.

I was thinking of you last night. A friend of mine and I went out to dinner to celebrate our birthdays together. We had something called flaming coffee. They put a rim of sugar and cinnamon around the coffee cup. Then they put Grand Marnier in a wine glass, light it on fire, add Baileys Irish cream and pour it in the coffee cup along with some coffee. Top with whipped cream. Talk about a delicious cup of coffee. It was well worth skipping dessert for.

ORvinzce, It's funny you mentioned how sales assistants treat people. When I was shopping on Saturday, another woman was looking at bags when I was. The sales assistant pretty much ignored the other woman. We were both close in age. The only difference was the other woman was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. She was very nice. We were speaking to each other as we were looking at bags. I felt the sales assistant was rude to her. Another Sales Assistant finally came over to help her. The woman ended up buying an expensive Fendi bag. Not many people get dressed up to go shopping on the weekend anymore. I was so glad she made a purchase.

 

[missy]

Callie, that flaming coffee drink sounds amazing. I'll take 2 please. Sugar, cinnamon, Grand Marnier and Bailey's Irish Creme OMG.
When I was younger I loved the Frozen Mudslide which has Bailey's Irish Creme and coffee liqueur in it. Come to think of it I would still love it haha.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/frozen-mudslide/

My back and hip are fine. The woman at HSS who called me was telling me that the physiatrists specialized in back/spine and hip issues and that really wasn't something that would be helpful for me and my ankle/leg rehab. I did some investigation and she is right at least regarding the HSS physiatrists as they all specialize in spine and hip and some also do knee rehab. But not a one did ankle/foot/leg. So then I did a search in my area and nobody there either. Next week I am emailing Andrew to ask his opinion. He is off now until Monday so I will contact him then.

 

[Sunstorm]

Yumm! Me wants some of that flaming coffee. Ah, see big difference, here people do not even really shop on the weekends, stores are mandatorily closed in Austria on Sundays and not many people shop on Saturdays except for tourists. I have no clue how people do get to shop, maybe like me running out during lunch break or because many finish work early or they shop online but actually even that is less common in Austria. I think it is bad for business for the stores to be closed on Sundays but research in Hungary has shown that most people only look on Sundays (in Hungary the stores are open). This is entirely different from the US, there I was used to hitting the malls on Sundays and a lot of people did the same especially on rainy days.

Hahaha, good for the salesperson that did help that lady not that it was nice of them to treat her like that, I may have just left taking my money elsewhere although you see it can be very common here in Europe to be ignored and you having to almost beg people to help you. Strange thing is that it does not even seem to matter that I go in wearing a Burberry coat, nice, often high end shoes, nice bag and a cute dress, of course along with bling but they probably think that is Swarovski.) Point is I should get the same help no matter how I dress.

One time we were in the jewelry store and a very badly dressed father and daughter were looking at the shop window and we never thought they would come in. We treat everyone the same way of course but we are probably used to how in Europe apparel matters so much. Not only they came in, they bought an expensive ring in five minutes that the mom had on her wish list for her birthday. Like your example of the lady who ended up buying an expensive Fendi bag. When I worked at Macy's Stanford during Uni, the CEO used to come in undercover intentionally dressed very badly to see what service he gets but of course we always passed with flying colors, I know that especially in the US it really means nothing if someone does not dress up for shopping, a weekend outing or whatever occasion.

 

[azstonie]

Missy, I went to the link and got 50 pages of physiatrists in New York (state, I didn't know your zip code).

I know t h ere are physiatrist s who do ankle and leg, HSS does mostly hips and knees so they are not bothering themselves with your case

Hips and knees and shoulders are the 'usual' for ortho surgeons, certainly for elective. So you had a traumatic injury, they need to get off their as$es and pick up the p h one.

This is so ridiculous. If your surgeon's wife had your injury and surgery, they would ask around the Physiatry Div there to find out who does ankle/lower leg.

 

[missy]

Missy, I went to the link and got 50 pages of physiatrists in New York (state, I didn't know your zip code).

I know t h ere are physiatrist s who do ankle and leg, HSS does mostly hips and knees so they are not bothering themselves with your case

Hips and knees and shoulders are the 'usual' for ortho surgeons, certainly for elective. So you had a traumatic injury, they need to get off their as$es and pick up the p h one.

This is so ridiculous. If your surgeon's wife had your injury and surgery, they would ask around the Physiatry Div there to find out who does ankle/lower leg.

Finding a physiatrist who does foot/ankle/lower leg rehab is proving to be difficult. There is no physiatrist at HSS does that type of rehab which explains why my surgeon just wrote an Rx for PT. I am however going to a PT facility that is among the list of HSS recommended PT places so that's something.

I checked out Rusk institute at NYU as I know they have a well respected rehab division and found one MD who does ankle rehab. What do you think of this guy?
http://www.med.nyu.edu/biosketch/stokew01

I appreciate your advice as always Kristie and will see if Andrew has anything useful to add on this subject when I contact him on Monday.

 

[marcy]

Hi Missy,

How are you doing today? Are you sleeping okay now or is your therapy aches and pains keeping you awake? Where is the fast forward button on PT, huh?

That would be kind of weird if it turns out you go back to your old job and no one you liked is there anymore. It is strange how things work out sometimes. There are usually really nice people that replace our co-workers so then you will have new work friends.

That is pretty crappy the elearn you need to take doesn’t work on a Mac. These days more and more Mac’s are out there. Hopefully they can bring you a laptop to use for the class. I am sure the IT guy can get you started on the course; then you usually just arrow to the next page and some of them even just run like a video. Sorry if you know that already; I don’t know if you’ve taken any elearn classes before. They usually have self-tests as you go along which kind of help me remember things.

I left work about 2:30 and picked up mile and juice since Marty will be looking for his skim milk almost as soon as he walks in the house.

I got home about the time the eclipse was starting. I set up 2 telescopes and couldn’t get pictures with either one of them so I hunted down our little sun spotter which projects the image of the Sun on papers and got some great pictures with it. I watched it until about 5:15 when the Sun went behind a big cloud. It was a fun way to spend my afternoon.

Have a great day tomorrow. I love mudslides too.

Marcy

 

[Calliecake]

Missy, I went to the link and got 50 pages of physiatrists in New York (state, I didn't know your zip code).

I know t h ere are physiatrist s who do ankle and leg, HSS does mostly hips and knees so they are not bothering themselves with your case

Hips and knees and shoulders are the 'usual' for ortho surgeons, certainly for elective. So you had a traumatic injury, they need to get off their as$es and pick up the p h one.

This is so ridiculous. If your surgeon's wife had your injury and surgery, they would ask around the Physiatry Div there to find out who does ankle/lower leg.

Wow! Sounds like sheer laziness on their part. How difficult can it be for them to do a little research and make a few phone calls to help their patients. Thank you Azstonie

 

[azstonie]

Missy, I went to the link and got 50 pages of physiatrists in New York (state, I didn't know your zip code).

I know t h ere are physiatrist s who do ankle and leg, HSS does mostly hips and knees so they are not bothering themselves with your case

Hips and knees and shoulders are the 'usual' for ortho surgeons, certainly for elective. So you had a traumatic injury, they need to get off their as$es and pick up the p h one.

This is so ridiculous. If your surgeon's wife had your injury and surgery, they would ask around the Physiatry Div there to find out who does ankle/lower leg.

Finding a physiatrist who does foot/ankle/lower leg rehab is proving to be difficult. There is no physiatrist at HSS does that type of rehab which explains why my surgeon just wrote an Rx for PT. I am however going to a PT facility that is among the list of HSS recommended PT places so that's something.

I checked out Rusk institute at NYU as I know they have a well respected rehab division and found one MD who does ankle rehab. What do you think of this guy?
http://www.med.nyu.edu/biosketch/stokew01

I appreciate your advice as always Kristie and will see if Andrew has anything useful to add on this subject when I contact him on Monday.[/quote

Missy, he sounds great. Consultation, what could you lose? Pain free return to function sounds good to me!!!!

 

[missy]

Hi Missy,

How are you doing today? Are you sleeping okay now or is your therapy aches and pains keeping you awake? Where is the fast forward button on PT, huh?

That would be kind of weird if it turns out you go back to your old job and no one you liked is there anymore. It is strange how things work out sometimes. There are usually really nice people that replace our co-workers so then you will have new work friends.

That is pretty crappy the elearn you need to take doesn’t work on a Mac. These days more and more Mac’s are out there. Hopefully they can bring you a laptop to use for the class. I am sure the IT guy can get you started on the course; then you usually just arrow to the next page and some of them even just run like a video. Sorry if you know that already; I don’t know if you’ve taken any elearn classes before. They usually have self-tests as you go along which kind of help me remember things.

I left work about 2:30 and picked up mile and juice since Marty will be looking for his skim milk almost as soon as he walks in the house.

I got home about the time the eclipse was starting. I set up 2 telescopes and couldn’t get pictures with either one of them so I hunted down our little sun spotter which projects the image of the Sun on papers and got some great pictures with it. I watched it until about 5:15 when the Sun went behind a big cloud. It was a fun way to spend my afternoon.

Have a great day tomorrow. I love mudslides too.

Marcy

Ooh Marcy, that is a cool picture of the eclipse! Thank you for sharing it.

I never took an e-learning course. I am hopeless when it comes to technology but hopefully we can work it out. I have not heard back from the IT guy yesterday so perhaps today. I remember him saying it was not a good idea to go into the Webinar Nov 12th (re my clinic and template) cold and that the
e-learning was a stepping stone so to speak to give me a bit of a background on EHR.

Oh yes, I would love that FF button on PT and my recovery process please...

I bet Marty cannot wait to come home and I bet you cannot wait either...very soon now!

 

[missy]

Thank you Kristie. I will call the office today and see if I can make an appointment in a timely fashion and if I need an Rx from my surgeon to do so.

Thanks Callie. Just to play devil's advocate here my surgeon doesn't know I am interested in getting a physiatry appointment. Perhaps if he did he could recommend someone so that is why I will be emailing Andrew (PA to surgeon) to see what he thinks.

I would hope if Dr. Wellman thought it was something I needed he would have recommended it to me initially but as Kristie said he concentrates on doing what he does best and that is surgery and leaves the recovery process up to those professionals. It's just that I would think and hope he would know enough about that process being that he is a trauma surgeon after all to advise his patients if going to a physiatrist is important for maximum recovery yanno?

I know HSS is the "best" for orthopedic surgery and all but how could they not have an ankle/leg/foot physiatrist there? Perhaps Rusk is the best place for rehab whereas HSS is the best for surgery. One wonders though why the surgeon didn't recommend that as an option given that my traumatic injury was so severe (requiring over 21 screws and 3 metal plates!) vs just giving me a PT Rx with a physical therapist.

I think I need that flaming coffee drink about now please.

 

[missy]

Just got back from PT. Victor thinks my big toe has an inflamed tendon and so he wants me to stretch it and ice it and he did ultrasound on it at the end of our PT session. I am trying not to feel discouraged as it seems it is always something. Now walking outside really hurts because of my big toe (and ankle of course) and I just hope that I can recover from the inflamed tendon so I can concentrate on walking and improving my ankle ROM.

As an aside the PT cat gifts went over well as we gave them to the staff this morning. And I wore my cat insignia on my shirt today too so we all matched.

 

[Calliecake]

Hi Missy, I am in complete agreement with you needing a flaming coffee. I wish just one thing would go smooth and easy for you. You REALLY do need the flaming coffee. I know for a fact that would go down smooth and easy. On a serious note, hopefully Andrew will help you figure out what treatment you need and what will work best for your therapy going forward. Maybe it comes from years of working with engineers, but I would think they would have treatment plans readily available based on what has had the best success rates for patients in the past, based on the severity of their injury. I realize one plan will not work for everyone but it would seem logical that they would at least know which ones had the best success rates. I would hope someone would be compiling this type of data. I have never worked in the medical field so I could be completely wrong. It just seems logical that the doctor and therapists would also be communicating on a fairly frequent basis to ensure the patient was making the best possible progress, for the best possible outcome. I guess I don't think its in a patients best interest to have a doctor operate and then not be involved in additional treatment.

I'm sorry your having issues with your toe. Hopefully this will be something that gets corrected quickly. Does it seem strange to him that this has started to act up? Hopefully between icing and ultrasound you'll feel better quickly.

I'm glad everyone like their Francesca shirts. That really was a cute idea.

Do you have any plans for the weekend? I hope your toe starts feel better so you can at least get out and walk around. The weather in Chicago is supposed to be warm this weekend. Hopefully it will be coming your way.