I took my son to the dentist yesterday and since I was in that area, I went to the hospital because of my leg.

For the last two weeks, my entire left leg and knee has been in more pain than my back. I don't sleep much and usually don't until 4 or 5am and then am up early. On the way to my son's appt. I called my primary doc and made an appt for the 8th of next month - seems that he is only in the office on Mondays now. My leg has actually slowed down my recovery because I have to use a walker and not go very far because the leg will give out and hurts so much.

I told them this when I was in the hospital and they took an xray of the groin area before I left. Nothing showed so they told me that it was nerve damage from the surgery and "hopefully" would go away. Since then it has steadily gotten worse. The pain meds for my back do nothing for my leg at all. Ice packs and heat pads have also made things worse..........so I had to stop there last night and try to get some answers.

Of course, my husband would only stop if I put gas in his car, since he was driving............what a jerk. We went and sat for 3 1/2 hours in the waiting room. The hospital was packed, and they had no rooms available at all. They had people in the hallways lined up.

I had patience because I knew that there were more important injuries there ahead of me........my husband was not of course. In between yelling at me and complaining that he was tired, hungry, thirsty, etc. he went out and smoked constantly.

When I got taken, I was put on a bed in the hallway. They started an IV and took more blood and gave me a shot of morpheine to help with the pain. It did nothing for me. I was surprised because I hadn't eaten all day either. I was worried about my son as well because I knew he was hungry too.

They gave me another shot of morpheine and took me to get an ultrasound of my leg. They were looking for a blood clot - and thankfully didn't find one. The second shot worked for about 10 mins. until the tech kept pushing on my leg to get the pictures.

My husband & son went out to the waiting room to watch wrestling and came back during the commercials to check on me........that was ok because I didn't have to make small talk and act fine when they were gone. Then the docs took an xray of my knee, and still found nothing.

They ace bandaged my knee, gave me a dose of stronger pain killer than morpheine plus an anti-inflammatory injection and put me on crutches. They want no weight on that leg at all........and told me to call my primary doc today. They would send reports to him and my back surgeon (all at the same hospital).

By this time my head was fuzzy and I was extremely light headed. In between my husband's complaints, I gave him $$ for gas and got us dinner. We were at the hospital for 7 hours and didn't get out till after 10pm last night. I was worried about my son so I overdrew and paid for dinner at the drive-thru restaurant. That was about 11pm..........we didn't get home till midnight. The doc had also sent home a prescription for me to get filled.

For the first time, I slept most of the night - the normal getting up for the restroom not included. My husband went and got my meds for me (which, with my insurance only ever costs me one dollar). I have heard about that stupid dollar all day. Anyway, this med is oxycotin and is long lasting - I have 6 of them, 2 per day 12 hours apart. I have to take it with food.

I called both my docs today.........the primary won't be in till Monday and "he is booked solid that day and Wed.....so we'll see if he can fit you in". My back surgeon refuses to see me before the end of Sept. - told me to decrease my activities even more and use ice. Oh sure.........like I can decrease anything more. I have to use the crutches now, not the walker and wait till Monday to see if I can be fitted in.

Somehow I hope I can sleep tonight but I doubt it. I must have a high tolerance for pain meds because they had to keep increasing the dose each time. Amazingly my husband blamed me for that as well, that and screwing up his evening.........one day I hope he gets his.

Mary Alice