SEVEN WEEKS for a lousy appointment with the podiatrist (rant alert)

[Systematic Chaos]

I have posted here before that I am currently suffering from a painful foot condition known as plantar fasciitis (more info here). I work as a casino dealer, which requires me to stand in one spot for about 5 1/2 hours a day.

I got a referral to the podiatrist a couple months ago. He gave me the usual treatment of cortisone shots and a regimen of stretching exercises and sent me to a place where I paid almost $100 of my own money for orthotic inserts in my shoes. Originally, both of my feet were hurting. After the treatment my right foot recovered wonderfully but my left foot has since gotten even worse. The other night I was in so much pain I literally couldn't lift my left foot off the ground while sitting here in this chair because the pain in the back of the heel and the ankle was that bad.

Yesterday I called my provider to set up a new appointment with the foot doctor and was infomed that the earliest opening they have is on the THIRTEENTH... OF DECEMBER! I could get called in earlier if there's a cancellation but I'm willing to bet that with a wait period of over 1 1/2 months just about everyone is trying to be expedited so what are the odds?

Anybody who still thinks our health care system isn't totally screwed is a complete idiot. I'm taking the day off and costing myself over $100 this week because my foot has been full of shooting, throbbing pains all night. Maybe by the time this appointment rolls around I will no longer be considered a full time employee and I'll lose my insurance benefits. Wouldn't that be fun? :eyes:

[amazona]

1. oh no what a mess

The thing they always hold over our head about "socialized" medicine is that people have to wait for appointments instead of getting service the same day. I always wonder what world these folks live in, where they can just walk in and see a specialist the same day without being delivered to the ER in an ambulance first!

Life never feels good when your feet hurt. I hope there is some way to expedite your care.

[Phillycat]

2. Ask for a PT script.

[baldguy]

3. You should be THANKFUL!

America has THE BEST medical system IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD! We CAN'T have a *SOCIALIST* system like Canada...you wouldn't be able to CHOOSE YOUR DOCTOR...DOCTORS WOULD QUIT...you would have to WAIT IN LINE...AND YOU WOULD PAY THROUGH THE NOSE FOR IT!

<sarcasm off>

[ima_sinnic]

4. tell me about it--exact same problem with a skin cancer clinic

--and by the time the appointment rolled around, 6 or so weeks later, I no longer had the money for it and had to postpone indefinitely. I do hope a suspicious patch of skin that has been itching for 6 years now, which has developed something hard under the skin, can stay small for a bit longer, "till my ship comes in."

[MissMillie]

5. I have suffered w/ this too

And so has my sister. In fact, she had to sleep in these special braces that kept her feet at a 45 degree angle from her legs.

I feel for you.

Keep doing your stretches. They will help.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. In the meantime.... read this.

Some "thing" is causing your condition. Inflammation is part of the problem. There are many "foods" that posess natural anti-inflammatory properties. The first site may seem a bit "quackish" to you.

Traditional MD site below.... with good info.

http://www.elixirindustry.com/Heel-Spurs.htm
Do You Suffer from Heel Pain?

Have you tried everything from Cortisone Injection to shoe inserts, from shockwave to heat or ice, from night splints to stretching ... Only to find out none of them really worked?

Have you been living on pain killers or anti-inflammatory drugs, and found out lately they no longer work for you?

>>Did your podiatrist tell you heel spur removal surgery is the only option left for you?
MIAMI, FL - "Who would believe those tiny little heel spurs could make my life miserable for over 10 years," said Marvin, a Financial Planner working for a large financial institution. "And I'm not alone - I know quite a few people who suffered from the same conditions for years."

Doctor's Advice Proves Fruitless

As the years passed, the bone spur pain became more severe. "I had to shift my weight towards the right foot," said Marvin. "On the left side I had to distribute my weight to the outside of the foot, which caused me to sprain the ankles several times."

"I was at a critical point in my career. I had no time for myself … I continued to abuse my feet by working on them for 10 hours a day."<<
Doctors Recomm. EZorb Calcium for:
Osteoporosis
Osteoarthritis
Bone Spurs
Heel Spurs
Fibromyalgia
Calcium Deficiency

http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic429.htm

Author: Leslie Milne, MD, Assistant Clinical Instructor, Department of

Emergency Medicine, Harvard University School of Medicine
Other Problems to be Considered:

Calcaneus fracture (stress or traumatic)
Heel fat pad syndrome
Atrophy of plantar fat pad
Sever disease (calcaneal apophysitis in children aged 7-15 y)
Foreign body
Entrapment of medial calcaneal branch of posterior tibial nerve
Entrapment of first branch of lateral plantar nerve
Tarsal tunnel syndrome
Ankylosing spondylitis
Psoriatic arthritis
Sacral radiculopathy
Infection
Tumor
Plantar fascial rupture





Then there is this, which I don't know if it is any help at all.
http://www.epodiatry.com/

[skygazer]

7. Ridiculous, isn't it?

My sister had what I knew was pneumonia at one time. I encouraged her to go to the doc since I've had it and know how bad it can be. They told her the earliest appointment they had was in a month! She could have been dead by then! I called back and chewed them out - there's no excuse for overbooking like that. Doctors must leave openings for emergency visits.

The health care system is broken. It must be fixed.

[radwriter0555]

8. ooo can I help? I too suffer from your ailment... and I have SOLVED it

without drugs, injections or surgery. I WENT that route, they threatened surgery, but I got no relief until one MAGNIFICENT DOCTOR prescribed, of all things, HEEL CUPS. I told him he was full of shit, and he told me to give it a chance. After all, it wasn't POSSIBLE that something so simple could solve the years of AGONY I'd been through.

Almost instant relief, and then, with the purchase of proper shoes, continued relief to complete resolution. I no longer have ANY PAIN at ALL.

Lose the inserts, they're useless. Please, spend a few dollars and buy the heel cups -- silicone if possible. They set the metatarsophalangeal joint into the proper position to relieve pressure, stretching and pain.

THEN spend MORE money, go to a birkenstock-type store and buy GOOD SHOES. Danske clogs (they make them for men too) put me on the path to complete recovery and now I stick mostly to shoes by THINK!Stonefly and so on, to the point where I can occasionally wear sexy, strappy ass sandals once in a while!

This is where I started my search for the best quality shoes, that were still fashionable... http://www.birkenstockmelrose.com/Birkenstock-Think-shoes.htm

Luckily I live nearby, but some shops in your area should provide the same type of good quality, orthopedic, yet stylish shoes.. WORTH EVERY PENNY...

Good luck, feel free to contact me with any questions...