Remember my disappointment with the “nothing burger” visit to the knee surgeon in August? Aside from being given a cortisone shot (which did absolutely nothing) I was also sent down for updated x-rays so they could see the state of things now, and I was reassured that my next appointment wouldn’t take so long as I was now “in the system” as priority. Then I was sent home with a new set of pain killer prescriptions and was told to lose weight, go to the pool, ride a bike, etc. BUT at least I thought I’d be seeing the surgeon again as soon as the new x-rays were ready.

A month later there was still no news, and for some reason the doctor’s report was not on the Clic-Salud website, so I went down to my health centre to request a copy. This is what I got… 

History: 68 years old. Referred for right knee pain lasting approximately two years. Reports mechanical pain, with limited ability to walk long distances and work (tour guide). Does not take pain medication.

Examination: Overweight. Right knee with negative brush test. Pain in medial compartment, BA 0°-120°. Stable. Additional tests: Last x-ray 2023: incipient gonarthrosis.
MRI of right knee: Grade II femoropatellar and internal femorotibial compartment gonarthrosis with internal meniscus tear and chronic overload of the internal collateral ligament. Joint effusion.

Action plan: After signing the informed consent form, I performed infiltration of the right knee with mepi + trigon. No incidents.

Treatment: paracetamol 1 g every 8 hours, tramadol 50 mg every 12 hours, arcoxia 60 mg every 24 hours during periods of increased pain. Weight control and exercises. Follow-up in 3 months with X-ray.

FOLLOW-UP IN 3 MONTHS. There was never any intention of seeing me sooner. And according to the Defensor del Puebo, for follow-up appts to specialists, 3 months is the maximum wait time allowed. So they went for that. 

Also… limited ability to walk long distances?? How about ANY distances, like I told her, and not without extreme pain. I mean, she saw me hobble in there on my crutches. Well I guess this is how it feels to be “just a number” in the system. I am not being treated as a whole person but as a jumble of symptoms and they are simply following protocol without, well, caring. Just get me in and out asap, fill out the report showing they followed protocol, and push the next appt to the maximum time limit. It’s very hard for me to accept that this is my life now and to feel so helpless.