Update on my Shoulder
By momalisa65
@momalisa65 (1971)
United States
July 19, 2008 7:37pm CST
My Insurance won't cover the MRI that the Doctor requested to find out the real reason my shoulder is hurting, but they are paying for Physical Therapy to see if that works first.
I told the doctor I would like to know what to tell my clients is the reason I can't lift my left arm to clean their houses! She told me to tell them she suspects it's a tear in my muscle.
I've been to physical therapy twice and they put some kind of electro-things onto my shoulder and it vibrates at different intervals to try and relax the muscles.
After that, they use ultrasound along with some kind of vibration and they run that all over my shoulder area.
The second visit I had a panic attack as soon as they touched the ultrasound to my arm, because I knew there were two spots that it was going to hurt really bad. I was so embarrassed because I jumped up out of the chair and couldn't catch my breath.
Both days I came home from there totally exhausted and I can't figure out why.
I mean I could not cook supper or anything. All I could do is sit and rest.
It felt like I ran a marathon, and all I did was sit in a chair having my shoulder muscles relaxed.
I still cannot lay down because it hurts around the back of my shoulder sooooo bad when I try.
So I've been getting little bits of sleep by sitting up in the recliner, leaning slightly to the side on a pile of pillows.
I sleep for a couple hours at night and a couple hours during the day. That's it.
This is SO not me! I used to be a total sleepyhead.
"Sleepyhead" was my very first computer nickname. I could sleep all night and have a hard time waking up in the morning.
Now I've been just sitting on the couch all night waiting for it to get light out.
I know what you're thinking....Why don't I Mylot all night?!! Well, although I can't sleep, I still don't have enough energy to DO ANYTHING!
I can't wait to get better!!!!!
4 people like this
7 responses
@julievy (593)
• United States
20 Jul 08
I have a bad shoulder too, I dislocated it as a kid and it didn't get fixed right away. Now I'm paying for it in my older years.
Please, give the PT a chance. I finally went to see a physical therapist and it really did help. The first several treatments were extremely painful but I stuck with it and did all the exercises and eventually it started to work. It made a huge difference!
That was a few years ago, now it's time for me to give it another try, it's getting painful again. But, it is worth the effort. Keep it up if you can!
@fluffnflowers (1594)
• United States
20 Jul 08
Ugh! That's terrible! It's all fine and dandy for doctors to tell you to not use your arm, but that really isn't helpful when you HAVE to in order to get the money to pay them. I've only had one doctor that actually understood that.
I hope that the physical therapy helps some, and I'm assuming that the insurance will pay for an MRI if you're not showing decent progress. Physical therapy isn't exactly cheap, either, so it really confuses me that they're opting for that rather than an MRI.
I hope you're able to get some decent sleep, soon, and start feeling better.
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
20 Jul 08
Thanks!
I know. It's not the Doctor's fault though. She tried to get the insurance to do an MRI first but couldn't succeed.
I go to Physical Therapy 3 times next week and then to back to the doctor the following Tuesday. I guess that's when they'll decide if the Therapy is working or not. So far, it's not. But I've only been there twice.
@GardenGerty (169474)
• United States
20 Jul 08
I think you are exhausted because they have relaxed you so very much. Of course you do not have any energy, you have not had any sleep. You are a zombie. I sure hope you get to feeling better soon.
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
20 Jul 08
Lol, yea, you're probably right. I forgot to mention, they gave me a portable thing to bring home for the weekend. (I forget what it's called. A thing that tapes onto my skin in 4 different places, that has wires that lead to a belt clip with the controls on it.)
I just turned it on a few minutes ago. I hope it relaxes me as much as they did at the office. I'll get a good night's sleep in that case!
@gitfiddleplayer (10362)
• United States
24 Jul 08
So sorry to hear that mom. I hope you can find enough sleep to keep you regular. Time will heal you, just take it easy, you don't have to do everything you know.
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
24 Jul 08
I'm glad you're back. I always miss your comments when you're away.
I've been able to sleep in my bed 2 nights in a row! Yipee!
I'm not totally comfortable, but it's a start.
My physical therapist went on vacation and a different one saw me yesterday.
He thinks my rotator cuff is sprained. He said if they can't get me 50% better by next week (Huh?!) he will have the doctor order a test to see if I have a spur.
I hope that's the time the insurance will finally allow an MRI to be done.
I know....I have been telling myself the same thing. "I don't have to do everything."
Even if I know I can do it better than someone else, I've been asking myself "Do you think you could allow it to be done imperfectly to save yourself some pain?"
@Desierra1004 (1213)
• Malaysia
20 Jul 08
Hie Momalisa, I am sorry to hear you are going through so much of pain and wish you do get much better soon.
I have worked in healthcare centres and taken care of patients with problems with Cold Shoulder or muscle tear, I understand the pain can be very excruciating and especially at night despite painkillers taken.
Perhaps you could ask your doctor to liase with your physotherapist in loaning you a Shoulder Cryocuff with Cooler system where it can continuiously circulate cold water to the area of injury and could reduce your pain for hours. It might help you to get a better sleep at night
Check out this site on the Cryocuff http://www.physioroom.com/product/Aircast_Shoulder_Cryo_Cuff_with_Cooler/2272/35984.html
Cheers and have a good weekend.
Check out this site on the Cryocuff http://www.physioroom.com/product/Aircast_Shoulder_Cryo_Cuff_with_Cooler/2272/35984.html
Cheers and have a good weekend. 
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
20 Jul 08
I am sorry that you are having so much trouble still with that shoulder. It angers me that the insurance company will not let you have the MRI, but will send you to a physical therapist. I know this person it happened to and this person was hurt in physical therapy and ended up having to have an operation. It doesn't seem like you should be in so much pain if the physical therapy was really helping you. You should be able to use your shoulder more, but it seems that you are probably hurting worse. I wish it was up to the doctors, not the insurance companies, to say what you get. If that were so, you'd already have had the MRI and may be getting the help you really need.
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
20 Jul 08
Lol, You are madder than I am!
I'll be mad if I go to therapy all next week and still feel as miserable as I am now.
In that case I'll start a Mylot Shoulder Update #2!
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
20 Jul 08
Wow, that does sound like a good backup insurance you have. Good for you!
I go back to the doctor in 10 days, so I'll find out more about what they will do if therapy doesn't work. Hopefully by that time I will KNOW if therapy worked!
1 person likes this
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
20 Jul 08
Well, I wouldn't want it to happen to me, either. The insurance companies go up in premiums, and we get less for our money! I don't know what medicare pays for, which is what my husband and I have, but we also have his annuitant insurance for a back up. And it has never failed us no matter what has happened. I had a hip replacement from a fall and they usually give you 5 days. They gave me 8. My husband had to go in the hospital for a gall bladder operation when he had a bad infection. It is usually an outpatient operation, but they paid for 10 days, so we kept this insurance as our back up rather than taking any other insurance out when we went on medicare. But not everybody is that lucky to have a good backup insurance or even their primary insurance company isn't as good as ours was.
I hope that you do start getting better. But what will you do if you don't start getting better, that is, if they won't allow the MRI? Could your DR not intervene with them? That's what they did for my husband and me. Actually, the insurance company gave me 8 days, but the hospital wanted to discharge me in 7 days. But the DR said, no, she's been given 8 and we will give her 8. But I could have come home the day before. It wouldn't have made any difference in my case.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
20 Jul 08
hi monalisa 65 It could well be a tear in the muscle or a
partial tendon tear. I had partial tendon tears in both legs'from doing a strange bed exercise without warming up first. I had the same therapy as you are having. the electro stuff and the ultra sound then they had me sit with mylegs in a whirlpool bath thing with quite warm water. then I was sat in a chair and got more electro stuff with padson both my legs. that felt really good and for the time I was in that chair I didnt hurt. It did take about two months of therapy to heal the partial tendon tears in my legs. I kept working all the time but my legs hurt badly until the last therapy then the pain was completely gone.good luck hope your therapy works for you too. God 'bless.
