Aloha, I bled out in February. Lost almost all my blood, but was saved because my husband was home and heard me fall when I passed out. I am trying diligently to get off disability and get back to work. Mean while, I am sharpening up my crochet skills. I have made over a hundred hats. Maybe I am hording. LOL
Well, passing out and the resulting fall to the floor caused a 100% tear to the rotator cuff in my right shoulder which prevented much crocheting. The doctor I went to said the pain was due to the stroke and ordered therapy to strengthen the shoulder. The therapy did not help the pain and when I told this too his assistant she said that he suspected a tear and would want an MRI now. I was fuming. Why put me through all that therapy? Well, the MRI report suggested a small tear. This felt torn in two. But, pain can be a funny thing. When I saw the doctor, he said he felt the tear was perhaps 75% and that it would require an open incision. I was sent back to the primary care physician for release for surgery.
When I saw my primary care physician he refused to sign off on the surgery. He said that due to the blood thinners he did not feel the surgery was necessary. What the hell? This pain was out of control and no one would prescribe pain killers. Most of the time it was necessary for my right arm to be above my head, especially while I was attempting to sleep. Sleep eluded me most of the time as lying down, for some reason, irritated my shoulder. Because he considered me a whiner, my primary care doctor sent me to a hematologist in a bigger town not to far away.
This hematologist took a look at my records and told me I was too special for him to make a call on a blood disorder he did not understand. Therefore, he referred me to a doctor in Birmingham Alabama to make the call as to how to wean me off the blood thinners for the shoulder surgery. Within weeks I was in Birmingham Alabama seeing a young female doctor very familiar with the blood disorder I had been diagnosed with and she like all other doctors felt the need to do the dozens of tests that had been done before. However, she did assure me that no matter what problem I had I would never be refused any surgery just because I have a clotting problem. The procedure would be to come off the pills and get on shots. The shots would be taken for two weeks before the surgery and then I would go back on the pills the night before the surgery and all would be well. And given the doctors in the small town feared my clots, she felt I should have my surgery in Birmingham where she would be close by and the surgeons at this medical school would not fear my conditions. OK then!
Within one week I had an appointment with the lead professor on shoulders. He looked at the CD of my MRI I brought with me and said it looks at least 75% torn and maybe more and said we should schedule the surgery soon. He stated I should never have had the therapy since it was due to an accident and shoulder problems don't appear 3 years after a stroke.
