Why Wont They Fix Me?

[desertammohunk]

I suffered a severe impact injury to the back of my heel about 5 years ago whilst on holiday. No breakages but I was on crutches for a few days and when I got back to UK, Lossie Med Centre gave me (yep you guessed it) Brufen & tubigrip!!! I also had a little physio and my pain subsided after a few weeks or so. Since then it has a habit of coming back 2/3 times a year and making it painful and difficult to walk.

My patience snapped this time so I demanded the Flt Lt Doc get me an X Ray. Of course she couldnt find anything wrong and gave me some painkillers and recommended more physio! Im so f**ked off. Just what do I need to do to get them to investigate this properly? My shift FS thinks I need to go to casualty in our local town to get it looked at? Any constructive ideas from professional medical types please...

 

[vim_fuego]

Listen to your shift FS...Doctor Grays is very good.

 

[MrMasher]

All I can say is good luck!
I have suffered for nearly 2 years now with some form of achilles/tendonitus.
I have seen 3 docs, the SMO, 4 physios and 2 "specialists". Apparently I have either achilles insertion tendonitus, hagglunds deformity, one foot toeing out which makes the other overcompensate, one heel not sitting in the correct place or a weak other ankle.
I've had massage, anti inflammatories, ultrasound, cortizone injections, stretching exercises, x-rays and an MRI scan.
I am "temporarily" downgraded and thoroughly fecked off with all of it.
I have been lately considering paying out to go private because it is beyond a joke now.
I'm in the forces ffs, just fix me up and send me out!

 

[penfold93]

DAH go back to the doctors and ask to see the doc (preferably the SMO) explain the whole problem and say that you feeling as though you are getting depressed, p1ssed off etc and you would like an orthopaedic referral. This may get things moving if not PM me and I will investigate you avenues of attack. An appointment may take a while but at least it would be a specialist.

 

[Tigger]

I had similar problems with my shoulder. Got hacked off being fobbed off, went to see the SMO and basically in a very polite way said FFS will you sort it out. That and the audible clunk it made helped. In a very short space of time I had an MRI scan which revealed the problem and shortly after I had surgery.

I would also recommend private medical insurance, you get a very substantial discount in the forces through BUPA. I had a problem with my knee and was able to choose the guy I wanted referred to through the SMO. Got lucky in the end, the locum physio was an Aussie who specialised in these sort of things and fixed it.

 

[Soon To Leave]

I empathise with you as I am in a similar position, with an ankle injury sustained 3 years ago. I too was given Brufen and Tubigrip by the first doctor (RAF civilian).

The 2nd doctor (RAF civilian) sent me to Physio which made my injury worse and an X-ray. twice. 3rd doctor (RAF civilian) gives me some anti-inflammatories . 4th doctor (RAF civilian) gave me anti-fungal tablets. The 5th doctor (army) gets me x-rayed again, refers me to to an orthopaedic specialist and I get orthotics to relieve back pain.

The 6th doctor (army-civilian) has been the most sympathetic to my situation. I expressed my dismay at having waited a long time for a proper diagnosis. She has referred me to a specialist and I now await an MRI scan.

 

[Defender of the universe]

Im in a similar situation only my problem is with my back. Have suffered for 4.5 years been downgraded for 2.5 years. Totally frustrating with no end in sight, have to see med boards and will discuss referal to my local hospital. I know what the problem is and so does the specialist only problem is no one wants responsibility of operating..... guess they are scared in case something goes wrong.
Spoken to lots of people in my local town who had similar back problems and were sorted in approx 6 months.
Just goes to show civilians are sorted faster than the forces guys who are required for operational effectiveness. We are not looked after at all.



Get an email to the chief of air staff this tends to stir things up a little and if like me you get a personal letter from T Blair at least you have something to show for your suffering at the hands of the med ctre. I sent an email and things rolled for a while but they could only fast track foot and leg injuries hope this can help.
If you choose to email the COAS good luck at least they will know that there is problems with service medical issues.

 

[Soon To Leave]

Yeah, but don't blame the Med Centre. They try their best with limited resources. If anything they have to work harder because we have to visit more often before things are resolved.

 

[hacked off in the farce]

how did you get on?

how did you get on?

hiya dessertammohunk...

just thought i would ressurrect your thread to see if you ever got your issue resolved...
i too have had problems with getting things sorted but there is light at the end of the tunnel at times... i had to wait nearly 10 months for a referral to a "specialist" to have a look at an alledged "sprain" i had sufferred to my right ankle which has resulted in 2 ops so far since the injuey in 05... its a long process getting appointments through the NHS but the med centre can't be held responsible for that really as long as they have sent the request for an appointment out initially that is... my advice is once you are seeing a specialist take control of the future appointments yourself by arranging the next one before you leave the hospital/clinic the med centre will still recieve a confirmation letter so its all above board still. The medics do bare the brunt of the irritations involved with the lengthy process of getting referred but its not there fault they are just the face of things and get the agro...

for the record i'm not a medic... just a guy who gives them hassle for my issues...

 

[MrMasher]

my advice is once you are seeing a specialist take control of the future appointments yourself by arranging the next one before you leave the hospital/clinic ...

That doesnt work.
Tried myself, you have to wait for an appointment chit which gets sent to your med centre. Then they tell you........
Sometimes you can phone to rearrange an appointment and you'll find your date out there and then, but mostly its waiting for the mail.
It is for me anyway.

This was posted 1 year and 4 moths ago by me:

All I can say is good luck!
I have suffered for nearly 2 years now with some form of achilles/tendonitus.
I have seen 3 docs, the SMO, 4 physios and 2 "specialists". Apparently I have either achilles insertion tendonitus, hagglunds deformity, one foot toeing out which makes the other overcompensate, one heel not sitting in the correct place or a weak other ankle.
I've had massage, anti inflammatories, ultrasound, cortizone injections, stretching exercises, x-rays and an MRI scan.
I am "temporarily" downgraded and thoroughly fecked off with all of it.
I have been lately considering paying out to go private because it is beyond a joke now.
I'm in the forces ffs, just fix me up and send me out!

I've seen more people since and I am still not fixed.
I have had extension to my my temp downgrade and am now facing a med board for a permanent one.
Now I'm worried. I dont want to get the boot, just 5 years left for the pension.
But then, can they boot me out if I'm broken?

 

[hacked off in the farce]

its working for me... i arrange all my appointments through the hospital itself and then get the slips through from the medical centre a few weeks later... i have been doing that for the last 3 years or so and have not had any problems as of yet...

i have just recently been reffered to specialist number 4 for a second opinion on the results of a CT scan...

 

[Albert Park]

i arrange all my appointments through the hospital itself and then get the slips through from the medical centre a few weeks later

That's how it works at the Edith Cavell Hospital, Peterborough.

 

[monobrow]

But then, can they boot me out if I'm broken?

They can upgrade you for a day. Well, thats what they did to a friend of mine...

 

[hacked off in the farce]

i'm with the Royal Orthopeadic Hospital in Birmingham and its easy sorting appointments out and rearranging them is just as easy as well... Rehab appointments aren't easy as you need more than a phone call to rearrange an appointment at headley court...

i have a feeling i will get the upgrade for a day treatment when i leave... robbing gits ain't they...