Golden Rule: Always get a second or even third opinion!
Walking out of the ER, my head was spinning. I know the dr had just said that it was a bad sprain, but what if it was something more? My parents were on the same thought process. We were all in agreement, I needed to see an orthopedic specialist. However, when I explained my concern and plans to see a specialist, two very influential people in my life hated the idea. My coach and the PT.
Remember, a good PT is cautious when treating new injuries, crossing all the t's and dotting all the i's, but most importantly listening to the patient's symptoms.. cause after all YOU know YOUR body best.
The head PT for softball was pissed I went to the ER and spoke to an outside doctor. There was little concern for how I was physically feeling and how I was mentally dealing with my injury. Instead of a wave of support for a scary night, I got in trouble for not following his instructions or diagnosis.
So, I did what I needed to do for my own well-being. I found myself an orthopedic specialist at the renowned Loma Linda University, only a short drive from the dorm on campus. They were very happy to set me up with their hand and wrist expert, Dr. Wongworarot. They were even more ecstatic that I had gone to the ER for imaging on my wrist. This made me feel 100 times better hearing from a nurse that having prior imaging done was the most efficient way to see a dr without the prolonged wait for an appointment. (side note: I didn't have my own car my freshman year on campus, so coordinating with friends for drop-offs and rides was a headache and a half! )
Dr. Wongworawot was able to see me within a week of calling to schedule. I was both nervous and excited to hear what he had to say. The entire time waiting for him in the room I was on the phone with my parents trying to fill out medical forms, plan out questions, and last but not least stay calm. When he entered into the room, he first asked for the initial date of injury, an explanation of the incident and if I had seen anyone else about my wrist. I told him everything. Afterwards, he twisted, turned, poked, squeezed and stretched my hand/wrist into many uncomfortable and painful positions in order to assess the extent of my injury. Most importantly, he asked me to describe the sensations of pain throughout all of it. He used this as his roadmap to the area of the wrist that I know now is called the ulnar bone. Ding Ding, he found the problem. The next words out of his mouth made my stomach drop, "you need to be fitted for a cast".
diagnosis: major dissociative sprain of radial and ulnar bones; patient needs to be fitted for cast to ensure right positioning of bones to heal; timeline: 6-8 months in cast, no softball.
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