Frustrating Afternoon .....

Let me start by thanking you for praying this afternoon for the gait test. I was calm, ready to go, had typed out a bunch of notes in bullet format to make it easier for the person to "come up to speed," etc., but the test was a total bust today!!! My experience w/medical care at Wash U has always left a lot to be desired and unfortunately today was no different.

I spent an hour driving to get to the appointment .... waited 20 minutes & filled out the usual paperwork. Describing surgeries for over 4 yrs. is enough to give you a headache alone. There was construction happening in the building where the office was located and it was so much that I had to escorted to the area (never would have found it by myself).

I was told that this office did the gait test through their physical therapy dept., but they were clueless as to what test had been ordered from my doctor's office in Chicago. Supposedly there are several different "gait tests." Some they do and some they don't. I firmly said, "Do them all!" They didn't go for that.

I attempted to explain that we were trying to see what was happening with the nerves/muscles, etc. as I was walking & the test was supposed to tell what was firing, wasn’t firing, etc. The pt gal told me three things:

a. She didn’t know which gait test we wanted …

b. They had new equipment that she didn’t know how to operate it
(don’t you love it!)

c. Exercise will not correct my problem (heel and toe issues)

She watched me walk and took a short video to send to a neurologist, but that was all that occurred. Honestly, I’m not sure if this office is the right place or not. Obviously I need to go back if it is the right place, but I need to see what exactly they should be doing & then figure out if they can do it or not.

Needless to say I left the office a 4:30 and was more frustrated than ever. I went and got an iced-tea and chocolate chip cookie at Bread Co. across from the hospital and attempted to calm down before driving home in rush hour traffic. You almost have to laugh about it or you'd be crying about it ..... I've NEVER heard the "new equipment" line before!! Chuck up that $35 co-pay & taking 3 hours off work. All I can say is that if this is the best we have in STL, I need to go back to Chicago. The medical "process" to everything is just so frustrating .... nothing happens fast or is truly imporant to anyone else.

Going week after week with no measureable improvment or progress is what upsets me the most. Weeks turn into months very quickly. I e-mailed my Chicago orthopod and explained the situation and asked for advice on what to do next ... I'm sure the rest of this week will be lost.

Thanks again for praying and thinking about me this afternoon ... keep believing that we'll get it figured out one way or another at some point.

je

P.S. If there is ever equipment that you don't know how to operate, don't tell
anyone.