ON THURSDAY, NOV. 3RD I HAD LUMBAR EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTION

ON THURSDAY, NOV. 3RD i HAD LUMBAR EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTION AND WAS TOLD TO USE A BRACE FOR 5 DAYS... ALTERNATING WITH ICE PACKS FOR 20 MINUTES. THIS MORNING, TUESDAY, NOV. 8TH AT 8AM, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SIT DOWN THE CHAIR SLID AWAY FROM ME AND I LANDED ON MY BACK ...KABOOM! THE PAIN WAS INTENSE AND MY ANXIETY ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING FURTHER INJURY TO MY SPINE AND NEGATING ANY "GOOD" THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE OUTCOME OF THE INJECTION CAUSED ME TO CALL THE DOCTOR... A PAIN MANAGEMENT "SPECIALIST"... "LEAVE A MESSAGE"... YES IT IS ELECTION DAY... BUT "DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS " WERE PLACED IN MY HAND AND HAND WRITTEN "PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE WITH ANY CONCERNS...".... WELL I STARTED CALLING SHORTLY AFTER MY "LANDING" AT 9AM... AFTER APPLYING THE ICE PACK... AND I CALLED THREE TIMES DURING THE DAY... NO RETURN PHONE CALL FINALLY IN THE LATE AFTERNOON I WAS CALLED BY HIS ASSISTANT WHO SAID "HE'S IN SURGERY"... I ASKED IF HE EVER TOOK A BREAK - I JUST HAD AN INVASIVE PROCEDURE AND ONE THAT I AGONIZED OVER HAVING BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF AN OUTCOME THAT WOULD COMPOUND MY PROBLEM. HE NEVER DID CALL ME BACK TO GIVE ME ANY ASSURANCE OR DIRECTIONS. I AM A SENIOR, NO FAMILY AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE PETRIFIED THAT I HAD COMPOUNDED MY ORIGINAL SITUATION. THROUGH HIS ASSISTANT I WAS TOLD: "IF THE PAIN IS THAT BAD GO TO THE ER!! DID I EXPECT TOOOOO MUCH "HUMANITY" - A BRIEF CALL: "CONTINUE WITH THE ICE... LAY LOW TODAY... IF THE PAIN DOESN'T DIMINISH CALL TOMORROW AND PERHAPS YOU SHOULD COME IN." THE WAY HE PACKS IN PEOPLE A 5 MINUTE BREAK TO SEE ME AND HOPEFULLY GIVE ME SOME REASSURANCE THAT I WOULDN'T BE WORSE OFF AND NEED A WHEELCHAIR COULD HAVE YIELDED HIM MORE $$$$ AND ME SOME PIECE OF MIND AND MAYBE A PRESCRIPTION FOR SOMETHING TO ALLEVIATE THE PAIN. MY RESPECT AND CONFIDENCE IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION IS WANING RAPIDLY. IS THERE "ANYONE" OF YOU OUT THERE WHO TAKES INSURANCE AND IS NOT SO 'CAVALIER' RECOMMENDING THAT YOU 'JUST GO TO THE ER'... (WHERE YOU LIE IN A DARK CUBBY HOLE FOR FIVE HOURS BEFORE A YOUNG INTERN COMES BY.... HOW'S THAT FOR GENERATING CONFIDENCE???)