I miss the good old days when I could just walk in jump up on the x-ray table lie back and let them rip. The x-ray machine that is. When I called to make my appointment for x-rays I explained I needed a lift as I am unable to transfer on my own. They told me they don’t have a lift and they’re not required to have a lift. I explained that the ADA says any medical building/facility should have ADA compliant equipment. Not according to them at Renaissance imaging Center. They said they could get four guys to lift me out of my chair and onto the table. 😳 Are you kidding me? Not only is it dangerous for the patient, me, but it’s dangerous for the people lifting me as well. I wonder how many people have been dropped or how many of the medical personnel have hurt themselves dead lifting a patient. Realizing they weren’t going to help me, they explained I would need to go to the hospital for my x-rays because they have a Hoyer lift. So after my doctors appointment on Monday we went to the antelope Valley Hospital to have my x-rays done. Easy Peasy right? Not so much.
When I got to the radiology department I explained I would need a lift for x-rays. She said they didn’t have one and got me her supervisor. He comes out and says, “aren’t you able to stand up and transfer to the table?” I calmly explained to him that I would love to be able to stand up and get on the table but unfortunately I can’t. He got a little nervous and apologized. Then he proceeds to tell me only inpatient clients can use the Hoyer lift. WTF!! So basically because I’m disabled I can’t get the same care as someone who is not. So again I explained about ADA compliant hospitals and rolled away. Within five minutes into our drive home I got a phone call telling me that they could use the Hoyer lift. Well no shit Sherlock! I figured they would fix their fuck up. 😏 We turned the van around and went directly back to the hospital.
Once we got back, the tech came with the Hoyer lift and we went into the x-ray room. My wheelchair can recline in to a bed position, so I asked if we could possibly do them in my chair. Renaissance imaging had told me no, but now these guys said yes they could. I proceeded to recline my chair to an almost flat position and she hooked me up to the Hoyer lift. So all she needed to do was lift me few inches so he could slide the film underneath my back. Easy enough. For those of us that have had a child, think contraction. 😮 That was the pain I was in when I was lifted. I let out a silent scream and had tears streaming down my face. The poor girl working the Hoyer lift and the x-ray tech felt awful and I explained to them, it’s not you it’s just my back. 😥 I let them know that what we were doing was going to help find out why am in so much pain, so it’s a good thing. And thankfully after being lifted three times, he got great x-rays and just like that, it was over.
Yesterday, Thursday, I had my pain management doctor appointment to discuss the x-rays. The doctor walked in and the following dialogue ensued:
Doctor: well aside from your fracture at L1 everything else looks pretty good.
Me: my fracture what, where? What? 😲
Doctor: you didn’t know your back has/had a fracture?
Me: um, no 😢
So now I’m getting an MRI. It has to be done to the hospital because of the pain it causes me so that they can sedate me for it. The minute he mentioned an MRI I started crying because I know how bad it’s going to hurt. (refer to x-ray appointment above) So that’s why they’re choosing the outpatient route.
We are thinking it may have happened when I fell in November 2013 and everyone assumed it was the MS that stopped my legs from working. But we don’t know yet. The MRI will give us more of a timeline of the break. I’m trying to pinpoint any time in the last five years that could’ve caused trauma to my back. 🤔
And while physical therapy was awesome for me the reason the pain has been so intense since then is because it aggravated my already fractured back. In my humble opinion. 😳 Ya think!? So I’m kind of in a daze right now and trying not to overthink anything because it’s making me crazy. I just have to be patient and hope the MRI will give me a clear picture of what’s going on in my back.
But honestly, it’s all good. I’ve got this! ♥️
** for those that had to read some of this already on Facebook, I’m sorry. 😘
Have courage and be kind.
Making it Through the Rain 