Today I was running, and I pushed myself further than I intended. I was only going to do half a mile at most since my doctor doesn't want me doing much physical activity right now. But I got caught up in enjoying it, and the music I was listening to got me all excited, and before I knew it, I had accidentally ran 5 miles (which isn't much for me because I'm used to running over 10 every morning). At the end of the run, I stopped when my body just physically gave out and I collapsed. It took me a minute to even figure out what happened, I didn't like trip and fall, it was more like my legs just literally gave out. When I collapsed, I heard a really loud pop and had pain shoot through my shoulder. It's been hurting extremely bad ever since, and getting worse. I've been icing it, taking NSAID's, etc... I have limited range of motion in the shoulder, if I try to take my other arm and force it to move more, it keeps clicking and hurts so much I feel like I'm going to puke.
I have enough bills piling up and can't afford to go to the ER. I'm not sure what to do for it though. Should I try stretching it more? I don't want to move it cuz it hurts so bad, but I know if I immobilize it too much, that it can just stiffen up. It's a bit swollen but not too bad, and not bruised or anything. And am I doing the right thing by icing it, or would heat be better?
If you get rid of the pain before you have answered its questions, you get rid of the self along with it.
--Carl Jung
You need to get it x-rayed or have an MRI done. You've hit just about every criteria for a major injury, including hearing it pop, extreme pain, limited range of motion and continued popping/clicking.
You want to stick with ice for now. If you don't feel you can afford an ER you need to call your doctor ASAP in the morning. If they can't help you, you need to do something because you can't just leave it for the weekend. Yeah, the bills suck, but bills are better than possibly never being able to use your arm the same again.
Well it breaks my heart to see you this way,
The beauty in life, where's it gone?
And somebody told me you were doing okay,
Somehow I guess they were wrong.
My doctor's office isn't open on the weekends, or else I'd call them... I was hoping it would be feeling better this afternoon, but it doesn't seem to be. Even just to type, I have to type one handed, cuz typing is enough to make my shoulder start hurting more... I'm still icing it, I'm assuming like 20 minutes at a time, once every 2-3 hours should be good for putting ice on?
I guess I'll try looking up to see if there's a urgent care in the area that might be cheaper than an ER, or trying to see what else I can find. I don't even know how it would work with going to the ER, because I don't have insurance right now and I really can't afford to pay anything at the ER, and I know MRI's would get really expensive. The eating disorder has gotten way worse this past month, and my doctor is trying to help me get in to a residential program, him and my therapist say that's the minimum level of care I need if I want to live through the summer, but it's hard enough with insurance, let alone without it... luckily I found a residential program that is trying to see what they can work out with me and has cut the cost a lot, and is going to see if they can cut it even more and possibly just let me come without paying a bunch up front... generally it'd be about 15-20k they'd make me pay up front, but the director said she may have more financial help for me, and she is thinking about it over the weekend to consider letting me just come and pay it off a little bit every month once I have gone through the program. If I have to be paying a hospital for an MRI, that's really going to make it hard for me to go... but I understand what you're saying about permanent shoulder damage too.
I know ER's have to treat you if you go in with something life-threatening, regardless of if you can pay it or not. But how does it work with just a simple injury, like my shoulder? If I go in and tell them I don't have insurance and any bills would have to be paid off in very small amounts (like seriously small, probably $100 a month at most since I have rent and phone bills and what not, and am spending $300+ per week on therapy and doctor visits and such since I see both my therapist and doctor 3 times a week right now just to keep me medically stable enough to make sure I can enter the residential program as soon as it's worked out), would they still have to treat me and work out some type of reasonable payment option with me, or could they turn me away saying it's just an injury and not a true "emergency"?
If you get rid of the pain before you have answered its questions, you get rid of the self along with it.
--Carl Jung
Just as long as you pay them even a small amount ($5) a month they can't say anything. You really need to get it looked at. A couple of years ago I separated my shoulder and it never healed right. Please get it looked at!
it is better to have it looked at. most hospitals in my area have charity care. your may too. they do have to treat you if you walk in to the ER. just because your shoulder is an appendage doesn't make it unimportant.
i tore my rotator cuff (shoulder muscles and ligaments) and had to have surgery. i waited too long and it ended up being waaaaaaaaaaay worse because of it.
Yeah..I did this swimming earlier this year
Didn't get it looked at
And now it dislocates on its own, often.
This is, repeat is a serous injury. It's not gonna just 'go away' in any reasonable period of time
You're in the US? I don't think our hospitals can deny medical care to ANYONE who can't pay them. Ever wonder why parents take their kids there to get vaccinated?
You are right, ERs can deny care to a point, but only in very select cases. For example, they can't bandage a wound, but refuse to stitch it. They are required to provide care up to and including "stabilizing". In the case of an orthopedic injury this will include diagnostic tests and at the very least a cast/sling etc. Surgery wouldn't be included.
Most, if not all hospitals have some sort of charity care and/or payment plan options. You usually have to go in and speak with a billing person, and provide them with a lot of information about your financial situation. You usually then sign a contract stating you will pay $xxx a month. You may also be able to negotiate a lower bill for your services too.
Well it breaks my heart to see you this way,
The beauty in life, where's it gone?
And somebody told me you were doing okay,
Somehow I guess they were wrong.
From my understanding, an ER can not turn you away completly without assesing you and talking to you about your financial situation.
Take with you any proof of income and financial manageablity, take your Drs and therapists details, as they may want them. You will need to talk to a billing person and I believe this is normally done as part of the 'waiting room' process.
However, this is not an injury you can ignore and most hospitals will point towards charity aid or medicaid should it be an option or a payment plan that is realistic for you. Yes, it is better to have insurance, but they can not turn you away just becuase you do not have it.
If the Human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we wouldn't.
