Thread: Not so good news from the Doctor.

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Actually Roger I just opened up the computer to add to this post.


About 2 ½ weeks ago I was notified that I had an appointment with VA for the next step in the process which was an Electromyography (EMG) test to verify the original diagnosis. The appointment was set for 6 June. Because of the long wait VA referred me to the “CHOICE” program which lets you use an outside provider if there is an excessive wait time.

My experience with the Choice program so far has been reasonably positive…..remember it is another Government bureaucracy (and a fairly new one at that). For the most part the people I talked to were helpful in getting me thru the system with the exception of one employee who acted like she couldn’t give a damn about straightening out a paperwork problem getting my records to the Dr who would do the EMG. If there is anybody else that is referred to the Choice program my advice is to remember you’re your own best advocate…….don’t wait for them to call you back, after an appropriate amount of time YOU make the call (advice actually given to me by the first Choice rep I talked to).

Anyway I got a call from a Dr in Tucson on Monday that set up an appointment for yesterday afternoon. When I asked I was told it was for an initial consult for the test, not the test.

So anyway I filled the El Camino with gas and headed to the Drs office. I left an hour early just in case (old GPS....... Drs office in a new subdivision that couldn’t be programmed into the GPS) and between construction and a wrong turn, I made it to the Drs office with 5 minutes to spare.

I was very happy to find out that the appointment was for the EMG test rather than just being a consult for the test. If you’ve never had an EMG it basically measures the electrical impulses of muscles at rest and is used to help find nerve problems. Basically they shock the muscles. It's pretty much equivalent to grabbing a spark plug wire…….then doing it about 30 more times (yeah let’s see how high we can make the patient bounce LOL).

Anyway the diagnosis confirms what the Dr at VA originally suspected, Ulnar Nerve Damage and also what I had suspected…..carpal tunnel. The Dr wasn't very positive that the damaged to my hand would be reversible even with surgery but the surgery would at least keep it from getting worse.


The test results now go back to VA, and depending on when they can schedule surgery possibly being referred back to the Choice program to actually have the surgery done by an outside Dr. If you want a glimpse at what Government provided single payer health care looks like this is pretty much it.


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