****WARNING!!*** Gross and disgusting shots of my foot and leg ahead! Proceed at your own risk!
I had my second follow up to my leg procedure today. It was a bust. I arrived on time, but had to wait about 30 minutes before being called back to the exam room. And then I had to wait an additional 10 minutes or so before the doctor arrived.
I had my second follow up to my leg procedure today. It was a bust. I arrived on time, but had to wait about 30 minutes before being called back to the exam room. And then I had to wait an additional 10 minutes or so before the doctor arrived.
While I think that the procedure helped a little bit, there is still something horribly wrong with my feet and legs. I'm still experiencing pain and numbness in the feet, it's hard to walk, etc. I know the doctor has a lot of other patients, but I had to remind him again what was going on with my feet/legs, how I'd been to the neurologist and cardiologist before coming to him...and how I was STILL waiting to get a referral to a podiatrist as he recommended. It was a bit exasperating as, while he remembered it all once i told him about it. he had neglected to contact my neurologist for his reports.
So---there is NOTHING to report. He wants the neurologist's report and the podiatrist's report before we continue further. That means the left leg's getting done is on "hold". I go back again in two months.
But what, if anything, did he tell me about my leg/foot?
My thigh is looking better. It doesn't look like hamburger like it did right after the procedure. However, the various holes are still evident and will take weeks/months to heal.
I still have the never-healing bruise on my ankle. It's been there for years. Maybe it will fade eventually? (The striation is from my compression sock).
This is my foot before the procedure. Again, the striation is from the sock. The discoloration of my toes and brown spots on my feet are from burst blood vessels ---so I've been told. So unattractive looking.
This is my foot today. Not much difference. (You can also see a big patch of discoloration on the side of my foot below the ankle bruise in the previous picture.) The doctor said that the blood from the broken blood vessels "stained" my skin, like a tattoo...and will take months to years before they will fade away---if they ever do. God, they are so ugly. I used to like my feet. Eew.
As for the podiatrist referral, I have called my doctor and left several messages about getting a the referral on the referral line. I haven't heard back. I called again today and FINALLY reached someone. They said that they had NOT received a referral request for the podiatrist from the vascular surgeon. Swell. She called them and called me back. She didn't reach the doctor, but spoke to the receptionist or someone else in the office. No where in his notes does it say anything about a podiatrist. HUH!? He's the one who told me to go and my not having gone is holding up getting the left leg done. Jeepers. What a pain. The vein doctor's people were supposed to leave him a note to call my general practitioner about the referral. I'll also call myself tomorrow. This is ridiculous.
BONUS medical news update...
I got my bills from my trip to the ER while in Bend, Oregon. I owe $2,000 (after my insurance). UGH! It's so fun getting old and falling apart. NOT!
That's all for now.
Comments
Hang in there!
C