How do you know?

Lucky for me, this last Monday morning I met with my third doctor for my third appointment and x-ray on my finger. Oh how I love consistency. This guy was no HOD, but I had to give him a chance.

He starts off the conversation by asking me, “What’s wrong with you?” I should have straight away asked for a second opinion.

“I broke my finger four weeks ago.”

“So you want x-rays?”

I am not sure doctor. What would you recommend when a patient is told to come back for a check-up in four weeks time? I was sent for round three of x-rays.

I came back and he started beating around the bush about whether it is healed or not. I explained to him that last week I had some extreme pain, and I wasn’t confident it was healed because of all the pain with it still in the splint. Then I told him that I was diabetic, which could complicate the healing process.

“Are you sure?”

“That I have diabetes?”

“Yes…”

“Yeah. I have had it for 17 years.”

“How do you know?”

I almost fell off my stool. I don’t know. Maybe I knew after drinking any type of fluids I could get my hands on and sleeping non-stop when I was a child. Or maybe it was when I almost died because it took so long to diagnose me. No, I think I really figured it out when I would get sick if I didn’t inject myself with insulin before/after eating. Yeah that must have been it.

Finally he gave me his opinion. It is not healed. He showed me the x-ray. Ok. Now what? Three more weeks of this splint?

He then proceeds to take off my tape and splint. I wish he would have let me do it.

He was not impressed with the angle the splint and talked as if I had shaped it. Then he pulls and moves my finger. Did you not just tell me it wasn’t healed? Of course it hurts. He surprised that I can barely bend my ring finger. Well sir, I haven’t moved it in 4 weeks. It has been taped to my pinky.

In the end he and the nurse decided together they would have a go at taping my finger. He wrapped this massive piece of gauze around my pinky, but it wasn’t tight. Then he put a piece of tape loosely around it, and then tapes the splint only to my pinky finger. I asked if I could put the tape on since I have ample experience doing it. He said no, and then asked me with a surprised face, “You have tape at home?” No, sir, I went 4 weeks doing all sorts of things without retaping my hand. Yummy…

Here are some pictures of what it looked like. It was a mess and offered no support. This guy was a reminder of why I hate doctors and try to avoid them at all costs. I arrived home frustrated and in a lot of pain. I had a nap before going to work, and the pain got a little better. Let’s just say it was not my finest teaching day.

Teri, what is that large white thing on your hand?

What a nincompoop. Not a chance this is going to do anything.

Fig 1 & 2: How a profession should tape a hand

 

So this got me a thinking. It is just a lil ole pinky. Why don’t we just cut it off? It serves very little purpose. I would save myself from arthritis when I am older, and I may even be able to get a discount on custom made mittens for using less material.

Here’s to three more weeks.