How have you come to find your doctor?
Through friends? Through referrals from other doctors? Searching online?
All of the doctors I spoke to didn’t really know any AVN specialists to refer me to. I was forced to go online and do some research of my own. Through this experience I’ve really found that medical doctors will diagnosis you, but it’s up to you to find the solution for yourself.
In this day patients really need to be “empowered” patients. YOU need to be informed. YOU need to be on top of your own health. No one is checking up on you. No one is proactively making sure you’re getting the right care. Half the time doctors are missing signs to the real diagnosis and just treating your symptoms.
To the computer I went looking for an AVN specialist. I found one in Cleveland, my aunt referred me to one in Pittsburgh and my ortho referred me to one in Columbus, Oh. I was going to schedule other appointments, but once I started attending the appointments everyone was having the same reaction. There was something else causing irritation to my knee (the CRPS) and that needed to be addressed before any AVN solutions would be discussed. Stay off of it, rest it, get rest, don’t be stressed and try to get your pain under control.
Easier said than done! Basically that meant get in bed and stay there for me. So that’s what I did! For many months. I would do simple physical therapy exercises on my own to try to help it, but I didn’t push it because it was still majorly swollen. I wasn’t convinced I was on the right path to recovery, but I kept being told to rest and wait. So rest and wait I did!
In the hospital I had been referred to my rheumatologist and my pain doctor. They had suggested two other orthopedic doctors, but neither of them specialized in AVN. I was lucky to have been referred to two great doctors in the hospital, but how is it you come to find your doctors? Months after this occurred I was opened up to the wonderful forums and twitter parties that go on, but at the time I was looking for an AVN specialist I had no idea where to look! (I’ll be writing a post about this don’t you worry!) I’d love to hear your tactics in finding the right doctor!
Wishing You A Pain Free Day!
