I fell running about 6 weeks ago, right when COVID-19 hit Houston. I bruised my left hip and fell on my left hand. I decided I would take care of it myself, after all I AM A NURSE. I wrapped my wrist and took some ibuprofen, applied ice and kept going. The swelling did not resolve and the pain was minimum.
Last week my left wrist started throbbing and the pain moved from my wrist to inside my palm with an increase in swelling. After talking to a friend, I agreed to go to urgent care because I thought I might have a hairline fracture.
Urgent Care
I arrived at urgent care and to my surprise the door was locked, and I was instructed to call them on the phone and wait in the car. I completed registration over the phone and waited in the car because they were seeing one patient at a time. The wait was not long. Once I was called, the clinic door was unlocked, and I could enter. My temperature was taken at the door and I was questioned about my current state of health and asked to take a seat. I was placed in a room where I met the provider, a physician’s assistant (PA).
The PA examined my hand and sent me to have an x-ray because it was visibility swollen and painful. After the x-rays she stated no fracture was note but said I had arthritis and referred me to a hand specialist because of the swelling and the pain. I asked her what the trade name of the drugs she was prescribing. She said one drug was Flexeril and she did not know the trade name of the other but because of MY AGE it would be good for arthritis.
The paperwork she gave me stated the diagnosis was swollen left wrist, contusion and a sprain, but she told me I had arthritis. I was given a brace and sent home with instructions and a referral. The prescription was called in and I picked it up on the way home. The side effects were shocking, warning of a stroke and heart attacks. I thought if she is worried about my age why would you prescribe such a drug to someone who she thinks is old.
I tried to call and get an appointment with the hand specialist that was referred. After several attempts, I reached out to my provider who gave me an appointment for June 18, 2020, which was a month away. I declined and decided to take care of my hand myself, because of the time factor. What would be the point, the wrist should be healed by then.
Lord and behold, my providers’ nurse called me back and offered an appointment for the following Wednesday. Dealing with the healthcare system is challenging. I feel badly for those who do not know how to manage the system or their health issues.
Please stay well!! As you can see, it can be frustrating even for those who work in healthcare as well.
Just keeping you informed.
Dr. Marilyn Crosby
All Things Health and Wellness 
I enjoyed reaading this
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Thanks so much!
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I went into a Urgent Care at a local Walgreens about 3 years ago for a mild cold . I was treated and given some medication for my ailments , I was In & Out and back home in a hour.To my surprise my symptoms were gone by the end of the week.To keep it real with everybody this Covid 19 pandemic is a different monster we’re dealing with these days.. Stay Safe!
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Hi Marilyn,
Our healthcare system has really gone down the drain, I agree. Dale was having abdominal pain a few years back. He went to urgent care. They said he had gas. Mind you he was so sick he was throwing up. Then he went to another urgent care about 6 months later. They couldn’t figure it out. Then about 6 or 8 months after that he was awake all night with pain. He finally agreed the next morning to call his gastro doc. They told us to go to the ER. We went in and about 5 hours later he was diagnosed with a gall bladder full of stones. That night he had surgery to remove it. Because of these two incidents I don’t go to urgent care unless I just need stitches or something. I’m appalled that his condition had been misdiagnosed twice. What if his gall bladder had burst?!? One of urgent care was in Fresno, CA and the other was in Ashland, OR.
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I know how you feel its for minir incidences..I hope you subscribe
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