Second Opinion?? (Essay content)
Discussion
I've had knee problems for years and it all started with osgood schlatters when I was younger but when I was 16 I damaged ligaments playing football.
I haven't been right since and retired from my Sunday league football career at the age of 20. Now I'm 22 and still get issues. At the moment, it is the worst it has been since I was 16.
I can't sit still for too long, I can't stand for too long, my knee gives out more than ever, it hurts to go from sitting to standing, it hurts to walk up and down stairs, it hurts to crouch and worst of all... it hurts to use the clutch in my car!!
I saw a doctor yesterday and I'm generally pretty good with pain. He was a bit uninterested but did a little examination with some stability tests. I'm not one for screaming if in pain but I did have my hands over my face and screamed with my mouth shut when he pulled my leg about. He then said 'You don't seem to be in any pain or discomfort, so I don't think there is much of a problem'.
He then said I needed to come back and have a knee injection (cortisone I assume, I stupidly didn't ask). After my injection, I would apparently under go a physio session and a fitness test for my knee. I argued that this would just mask any pain but he disagreed.
I really think I should get a second opinion and so does my other half, but does anyone have any advice for me? I just want to minimise the pain as much as possible as it is getting too severe to just do day to day activities.
I haven't been right since and retired from my Sunday league football career at the age of 20. Now I'm 22 and still get issues. At the moment, it is the worst it has been since I was 16.
I can't sit still for too long, I can't stand for too long, my knee gives out more than ever, it hurts to go from sitting to standing, it hurts to walk up and down stairs, it hurts to crouch and worst of all... it hurts to use the clutch in my car!!
I saw a doctor yesterday and I'm generally pretty good with pain. He was a bit uninterested but did a little examination with some stability tests. I'm not one for screaming if in pain but I did have my hands over my face and screamed with my mouth shut when he pulled my leg about. He then said 'You don't seem to be in any pain or discomfort, so I don't think there is much of a problem'.
He then said I needed to come back and have a knee injection (cortisone I assume, I stupidly didn't ask). After my injection, I would apparently under go a physio session and a fitness test for my knee. I argued that this would just mask any pain but he disagreed.
I really think I should get a second opinion and so does my other half, but does anyone have any advice for me? I just want to minimise the pain as much as possible as it is getting too severe to just do day to day activities.
Edited by Donatello on Wednesday 26th September 12:40
Donatello said:
blah
I saw a doctor yesterday and I'm generally pretty good with pain. He was a bit uninterested but did a little examination with some stability tests. I'm not one for screaming if in pain but I did have my hands over my face and screamed with my mouth shut when he pulled my leg about. He then said 'You don't seem to be in any pain or discomfort, so I don't think there is much of a problem'.
He then said I needed to come back and have a knee injection (cortisone I assume, I stupidly didn't ask). After my injection, I would apparently under go a physio session and a fitness test for my knee. I argued that this would just mask any pain but he disagreed.
blah
I'm a knee surgeon, and unless you saw a specialist yesterday, those two paragraphs worry me somewhat. Particularly the steroid injection in a person of your age.I saw a doctor yesterday and I'm generally pretty good with pain. He was a bit uninterested but did a little examination with some stability tests. I'm not one for screaming if in pain but I did have my hands over my face and screamed with my mouth shut when he pulled my leg about. He then said 'You don't seem to be in any pain or discomfort, so I don't think there is much of a problem'.
He then said I needed to come back and have a knee injection (cortisone I assume, I stupidly didn't ask). After my injection, I would apparently under go a physio session and a fitness test for my knee. I argued that this would just mask any pain but he disagreed.
blah
Ask to see a specialist physio or knee surgeon.
The_Doc said:
I'm a knee surgeon, and unless you saw a specialist yesterday, those two paragraphs worry me somewhat. Particularly the steroid injection in a person of your age.
Ask to see a specialist physio or knee surgeon.
That is exactly why I wanted a second opinion. He just did not fill me with any confidence and made it sound like he was giving me this 'course of action' because it was what he thought I wanted to hear.Ask to see a specialist physio or knee surgeon.
I don't care what the outcome is, I just want some sort of help with it. As soon as he mentioned injections I did get a little worried. Like you say, if I start that at 22, where does that lead me?
He also told me he had no need to refer me to the hospital to see a knee specialist. His actual words were 'Well I'm guessing you want to be sent to hospital, but there is no reason for me to do that'.
Do I just speak to the surgery again and ask to be referred? I genuinely have no idea how this works.
If you are unhappy with the care you have received from your GP then the practice will have a very robust method of rectifying this.
Usually you will be offered an appointment with one of the other partners, unless your complaint is personally against a doctor, in which case they will investigate it.
I can't comment on your case and whether you should see anyone else, but a second opinion either within the GP surgery or at hospital is entirely reasonable on your part.
You can of course complain about the doctor you have seen, who by the way earns £100,000 for his hard work, and also ask to be seen by someone else.
Always be nice, never raise your voice, try and take the emotion out of the problem and smile at people who are helping you. You will get the best out of the NHS with this approach, s
t as it is.
Usually you will be offered an appointment with one of the other partners, unless your complaint is personally against a doctor, in which case they will investigate it.
I can't comment on your case and whether you should see anyone else, but a second opinion either within the GP surgery or at hospital is entirely reasonable on your part.
You can of course complain about the doctor you have seen, who by the way earns £100,000 for his hard work, and also ask to be seen by someone else.
Always be nice, never raise your voice, try and take the emotion out of the problem and smile at people who are helping you. You will get the best out of the NHS with this approach, s
t as it is.The_Doc said:
If you are unhappy with the care you have received from your GP then the practice will have a very robust method of rectifying this.
Usually you will be offered an appointment with one of the other partners, unless your complaint is personally against a doctor, in which case they will investigate it.
I can't comment on your case and whether you should see anyone else, but a second opinion either within the GP surgery or at hospital is entirely reasonable on your part.
You can of course complain about the doctor you have seen, who by the way earns £100,000 for his hard work, and also ask to be seen by someone else.
Always be nice, never raise your voice, try and take the emotion out of the problem and smile at people who are helping you. You will get the best out of the NHS with this approach, st as it is.
Thank you for the advice. It's a new surgery to us and my OH has had nothing but praise for them so far. I saw somebody completely different however and I don't actually know who my GP is yet.Usually you will be offered an appointment with one of the other partners, unless your complaint is personally against a doctor, in which case they will investigate it.
I can't comment on your case and whether you should see anyone else, but a second opinion either within the GP surgery or at hospital is entirely reasonable on your part.
You can of course complain about the doctor you have seen, who by the way earns £100,000 for his hard work, and also ask to be seen by someone else.
Always be nice, never raise your voice, try and take the emotion out of the problem and smile at people who are helping you. You will get the best out of the NHS with this approach, s
t as it is.I think I will phone them and see what they can do with another appointment and just explain that I wasn't overly happy with the previous appointment.
Thank you again.
Found out who my actual GP was and saw him today. Completely different appointment and completely different outcome. After a long chat he has referred me to a physio as a first step but warned me that I could need surgery if physio doesn't help.
I'm actually happier with that outcome. He seemed interested, pinpointed my problem to being anterior pain and a probable cartilage issue.
My GP is a shareholder at the practice and didn't like the notes from my previous appointment. His words 'an injection would mask the problem temporarily but not solve the under-lying issue'. Feel much better with a proper explanation and examination though.
I'm actually happier with that outcome. He seemed interested, pinpointed my problem to being anterior pain and a probable cartilage issue.
My GP is a shareholder at the practice and didn't like the notes from my previous appointment. His words 'an injection would mask the problem temporarily but not solve the under-lying issue'. Feel much better with a proper explanation and examination though.
I reiterate my comments about General Practice with reference to your experience, that first chap is taking home £100k to provide a service and an attitude to helping you as you have described.
How many other poor souls is he going to make a hash of before someone has a word in his shell-like?
It isn't jealousy over the pay, I'm a surgeon, it's just exasperation with some GPs
Rant over. Glad you have a plan now
How many other poor souls is he going to make a hash of before someone has a word in his shell-like?
It isn't jealousy over the pay, I'm a surgeon, it's just exasperation with some GPs
Rant over. Glad you have a plan now
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