Health Update:

My doctor's appointment was at 1:30pm this afternoon, I needed to be there at 1:15pm to fill out the paperwork first, since it was the first time I've been to that office. The previous insurance plan I was on at work allowed me to keep seeing my old doctor, but that plan was cancelled after 2006, requiring me to pick a new doctor. A co-worker said she'd been happy with BCBS HMO Illinois, and she lives in the same city as me, so I went ahead and switched to it. Since I soooo hate doctors, I haven't made any attempt to go in for a physical or anything since I joined the HMO.

Anyway, this shoulder problem forced me to do it, therefore, paperwork about me and my insurance. I was hoping it wouldn't be some three page list of every ailment or medical problem I've ever had and when. I've done those, and they are a PITA! This was just basic name, address, phone number, emergency contacts, insurance info, etc.

I was pleasantly surprised to be called quite promptly. I was taken back to an exam room, weighed, BP measured (134/84) and told the doctor would be in shortly. I changed into those stupid paper shirts that are open in the back, and waited probably less than 5 minutes for the doctor to come in. He took a basic family history, asked me about my problem, examined my shoulder by pressing on it in different areas, asking if it hurt (which it didn't.)

He had a sheet printed out for me to go get a shoulder x-ray done, a prescription for 800 mg tablets of Ibuprofen, a referral for PT, and a photo-copied picture of some exercises to try for my shoulder. I'm not sure if I'm going to try them or not, since from what the pictures show, I can't put my shoulder in the correct position to do the exercises. I was out of there by 2pm. Since I still had most the afternoon to kill, and one of the locations to get an x-ray was about 10 minutes down the road, I decided to go right then and get that taken care of. The sooner I do that, the sooner they get the results, and the sooner I know if there's something wrong with my shoulder.

I walked in, gave the sheet explaining what I needed, and in about 5 minutes I was called back by the technician. I changed into the robe like gown, walked back to the x-ray room, he put me in position with a lead shield around my waist. The first picture was with my palm facing back, the second picture was with my palm turned facing front, and the third picture he wanted me to raise my arm over my head. I said, "I can't, that's why I'm having the x-rays done." He asked me to raise it as high as I could, I even used my right hand to lift my arm a bit more, then told him to take it quick cause it was hurting and I didn't know how long I could hold it up there. A few seconds later, he was done, and I was done. Whew!

It was now about 2:30 or so? I decided to stop at Target on the way home (the same one I took you to, Kerry) to get my prescription filled. I wandered around there for about 15 minutes, and was out of there by 3:20. Wasn't I getting a lot done today? LOL Next stop was the grocery store, since I needed some food. Especially something to eat when I take the Ibuprofen, since even I should take it with food for that high a dosage. I don't really need to get an ulcer. Came home after the store, at about 4:10. Not a bad afternoon after all.

I'll update when I hear back from the doc on the x-ray results. I also have decided to wait to call for a PT appointment until the doc calls me with the x-ray results. Might as well see if it's something that PT can help with before I start trying to make time for it.