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First appointment at CCO and Jesse... major curveball


It helps to have friends. Fortunately in my career at CarilionClinic I was the support person for Accreditation for ambulatory sites and I spent hours (and I mean hours) in orthopedics. I think it is fair to say they were one of my favorite sites despite the size, number of people, etc. I love Mindy, Carrie, Kim (dude) and their VP Don. In fact when I left Carilion, Don sent me one of the nicest emails. It meant the world to me to know I made a difference for them and that they truly appreciated me.

So when I was laying in the hospital in TN, I thought I wonder if Mindy will answer this text message? I had previously called in a favor (while still working with them) to get in with them when I broke my hand a few years ago (mountain bike crash). Sure enough. Not long after I texted she replied and said Carrie would be calling me. Carrie was able to get me in to see Jesse as an add-on. I was thinking it will be good to have a young, home-grown surgeon for follow up. I remember him coming through as an ortho resident from UVA. He was different than the others because he was humble and polite. Never got out of line with us at all.

The morning of May 31, I managed to get myself dressed. Mom helped me put on some silly socks. A smile on my right leg and a frown on the left. I was determined to make the best out of this entire ordeal.  It took me a bit to get down the two steps and out to the car. It truly was painful, and I kept getting light headed. I knew once we got to Riverside we would have access to a wheelchair and I wouldn’t have to walker it up the ramp and to the office.

Little did I know how this was going to turn out. I can’t remember if I saw the doctor first or went to X-ray first at this appointment. Anyway. At some point Jesse comes in and sits down. He’s got this look on his face like he’s not so sure what to say. He keeps flipping through the X-ray. So he chats a bit. I relay to him what happened to me. He asks about other stuff I tell him about my calf pain to which I got a serious "uh oh" face. Back to X-ray I go to look for lower leg fracture "negative, but you will be going to ultrasound when we are done here." But first...

“I’ve looked at your x-rays; the stuff from TN is not helpful. I talked and showed this to Dr. C and Dr. O who are also here today, we don’t think this is right. The bones are not lined up. I don’t think this will heel.”

Meanwhile I’m not feeling so hot. I’m looking at this cute doctor tell me that all I went through in TN and up to this point is wrong?! I felt like I was watching a TV show and soon got very, very light headed. I looked at Mom and him and was like I need to lay day. He was like “oh crap are you ok?” 
Uh no, nope definitely not. So I got to lay back down and soon had a cold cloth, juice and crackers. My mind was racing a mile a minute - “what the fuck are you saying? Not right? Won’t heal?" This can’t be happening!!!

So once, I calmed down and could pay attention again. He was showing me my X-ray but from where I wasn’t sitting I couldn’t see exactly what he was pointing out. A stat CT was ordered, a stat Vascular Ultrasound and another appointment to see the surgeon again on Monday 6/4

Soon the nurse came back and said I called CT they can’t work you in today. Tomorrow will be ok though. I thought sure. I can’t get vascular ultrasound to answer so just go to Crystal Spring and they will work you in. They always do. Great a different building and another long walk.

Once I got my wits about me, we headed off to Crystal Spring. Got there - parking sucks, Mom was hungry because we had been at Riverside for hours already. She dropped me off. I assured her I’d manage ok. Guess what. No wheelchair. So I stuck my wallet in my bra and walkered to Vascular US where they literally met me at the door. Soon they had my scan done. (They wound up remembering me from my past job; they too were one of my sites). These gals saw to it that I was taken by wheelchair back to where Mom was waiting in the car with food.

While I was in Vascular, they confirmed the presence of two superficial blood clots in my left lower leg and called the office. Meghan, the awesome ortho nurse was calling in Eliquis to the pharmacy.

The next day we had to come back to Riverside where my past coworkers stuck me in the CT scanner. Fun experience when you have done those for years. It was painful, but quick. Then the wait until Monday began. What were the results going to be?????

I was mad, nervous, sad, and it was a long weekend. I kept thinking the CT was going to be great. Boy was I wrong.
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