My broken what? Wrist? Not Elbow? FUNNY!

Remember when I broke my elbow? January 31. Surgery Feb. 9. Saw the physician's assistant Feb. 20 and the orthopedist after that, 2 minutes. He's seen the original xrays, two post-op xrays, and a CT scan, all of my elbow. He operated on my elbow. So, I guess I broke my...wrist? I got a letter yesterday from the Rheumatology Dept., Osteoporsis Clinic, stating he had referred me because of my broken wrist. They went on and on...I left a phone message yesterday and wrote a letter today explaining a whole bunch of things, primarily that I didn't break the wrist, but I did a job on the elbow. I think I'll cancel the May appt. with him if he doesn't know after all this time what I broke and what he operated on. I think it's funny.

Funny how the docs who ought to know what's what often don't! When I got my surgery report, my gyn of 14 years noted that I had been pregnant once but had no children. Funny, because we often discuss my DAUGHTER at appointments... Go figure. Sometimes I wonder if it's the transcriptionist not the doc (or am I cutting them too much slack?)

Ellen, are you sure that maybe there wasn't a hairline fracture seen of the wrist at some point in all the x-rays? It might have stayed under the radar, in the initial flurry to get your elbow repaired, but x-rays are routinely reviewed, and might have shown something at that time.

Of course, then the question arises, "why didn't anyone call me??" but I can see that falling through the cracks (so to speak, sorry for the bad pun). I know that you said that all your x-rays were of the elbow -- but perhaps a portion of the wrist showed up on one of them???

Just my . It sort of fits into the same category as the assistant in my GYN's office, who knows that I had a hyst, asking me each time when my last period was ...



Audrey

My sister once encountered a similar situation but hers was really tragic and sad. She was pregnant twice. The first time, the baby had a very severe chromosomal disorder (one of those rare things that doctor's never see... she had to go to Yale Medical to be diagnosed). That baby died in utero at about 7 months. The second pregnancy was great, up until the day before her due date. The baby kicked mightily once and then stopped moving. Ultimately, they discovered that the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck. So twice (within perhaps a 3 year period) she had to deliver two dead babies. On her next annual visit, her gyn asked how the kids were?!

She walked out and never went back.

I'm sorry. Doctors get paid a lot of $$ to do what they do. This is what malpractice is all about.