Old Woman Does Steroids

I will never play professional baseball again...or bike race in France.  Today I took the plunge:  a steroid shot in my right arm, the dominant side.  The hope is that the pain in shoulder/arm will subside.  It has been a very long time since picking up a small grandchild was either possible or painless.  Knitting has been less frequent.

Steroids suddenly are moi.  Last Saturday I visited "Immediate Care" (a walk-in facility connected with Providence Hospital) because my primary physician is Monday - Friday except for emergencies.  Seems to be style here; classier than emergency rooms of NYC hospitals. Desperate after two weeks of dramatic coughing plus nose running (hoping it would disappear), and missing a baroque chamber concert.

Seen by a Nurse Practitioner, I left with prescriptions for a five-day regimen of steroid tablets and an antibiotic.  Though less coughing when I laugh (have to rush to bathroom), reduced nose action, generally improved.

 Sunday I went to OHSU (Oregon Health System University) just up the hill from us.  Much attractive art in halls.  MRI scheduled for shoulder, very efficient, back to D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy) in a local orthopedic practice.  Yes, there's a tear in my rotator cuff.  A quick steroid shot in the arm as defense (my word) against the dreaded arthroscopic surgery. 

This Saturday, I began 8-sessions of  physical therapy for "scapular stabilization."  An aside, to note  why "Feminism" is a category for this post.  Checking out my history, the young therapist asked, "Is it alright for me to call you 'Naomi?'"  Pleased, I agreed and answered, "First time a health care provider has asked in a long time."  And shook his hand.  When I posted here about "10 Questions to Ask Your Ob-Gyn," the 1977 Baltimore NOW effortI neglected to mention that one of the very non-radical requests we were making was not to be called by our first names unless the doctor was ready to do the same.

Has this changed in your life?  Rhetorical question:  Might physicians have moved more quickly toward single-payer if we'd demanded more interactions of equality in the past 40 years--for male patients too and with the help of men too.

Comments

[Claude]

I hope the steroids and the physical therapy help you. Nothing more awful than aches and pains. I haven't been around for a long time, but am thinking of you quite often. Great photos, Naomi.

[Hattie]

I'm worried about you and steroids. But I can't judge your pain and what you are willing to do to stop it. I hope the injections are not painful.

[Kay Dennison]

Hope all this helps!!!!

[Anne Gibert]

I have had steroid shots in my shoulder twice, quite a number of years ago. They worked, and while my shoulders are not by any means perfect, they are okay. Knitting is still hard for me, but that's because of my hands. I hope the shot works as well for you.

I agree entirely about first names. I hate it when the Dr. walks in and says, "Hello, Anne, I 'm Dr. So-and-so. The fact is that most of them are quite ignorant, even of some areas of medicine. And I actually have a Ph. D., so I could be addressed as Dr., though I haven't been for many years now.

[Freda]

I'm a firm believer in looking health professionals in the eye and shaking their hands. Hope the steroids work for you.

[Lydia]

Naomi, this is weird...I had a steroid shot in the bum today at my wonderful doctor's office. He is in his 80s now and I'm trying to find specialists to attend to specific issues rather than bothering him (in an attempt to slowly ween myself from his care because he will retire someday...no plans yet, thankfully). Since December I have had eruptions of painful blister-like sores that began on my legs and then moved to both arms (not shingles). I sought the help of a dermatologist in Salem, who biopsied and determined I don't have cancer, then he transferred my file to one of his partners. That doc did a skin patch test that took four miserable days, and the determination was I am highly allergic to nickel. He actually told me that I had my work cut out for myself in figuring out where I was getting the nickel exposure, while prescribing steroid cream for the spots, then his assistant told me to come back on an "as need basis." I hated the steroid cream; it's dangerous in that it can thin the skin and besides its wasn't offering relief. So I threw it away and have been using topical ointments when I had new eruptions. Until last week, that is, when my arms and inner thighs broke out in a horribly itchy welty rash. I finally broke down and begged my doctor's office in Silverton to let me see him today. He was visibly shaken when he saw my condition...all the rashes, bumps, and each bruise representing where I'd scratched myself silly. He was irked at the whole story (asked, "Did he offer you nothing for relief?) but we joked together about the list of items the dermatologist gave me that could be sources of my nickel poisoning.

Long story short...his nurse (a real RN) gave me the steroid shot and I'm to call him in a week to report the level of healing in that time. He looked in my chart and said I'd had one of these steroid shots in 2003 for some allergic reaction. I asked what it was at that time and he said he was working from my second chart with key info, as I've been his patient since 1989 and my original chart had become just too big to use easily. In all that time he has called me by my first name, and many of his patients call him by his first name. My husband and I were even invited to and attended his wedding to his long-time girlfriend/office manager five years ago. Still, I call him Dr. out of total respect. .....but I often throw him a kiss as he is leaving the room!

Sorry to go on for so long. Your post made me feel like commiserating! I'm wishing you huge success with the steroids and any procedures necessary to give you return you to pain-free mobility. Never knew you suffered like that...may it be in the past soon.

[naomi]

Thank you all for the good wishes...Lydia, your comment did not reach my email otherwise would have responded immediately. You seem to have a mystery afflication like one I had ten years ago: external hives turned out/into internal hives--still with me but controlled. Will write you more and share whatever might be useful.

[m.e.]

i'm very sorry to learn you've had such pain from the rotator cuff injury--plus a nasty longterm affliction (the hives)! that's too much misery for such a lively person. hope the steroids work. or hope something does.

do you consider homeopathy? acupuncture? chinese herbs? i know you have to pay for them out of your own pocket, but my experiences with them have been life saving, and the doctors back in the day charged only a pittance compared with the AMA-approved ones.

holding thee in the light....

[janinsanfran]

I really like your suggestion that we might be making more progress toward single payer if we demanded that doctors deal with us more respectfully. Will have to think about that. I see few doctors and so far the ones I do see at Kaiser seem trained to be respectful of patients. But I'm white and educated ... tho female.

I've had cortisone shots directly into an inflamed plantar fascia twice. Didn't do a thing to relieve the pain, but I know this treatment works for some people.