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Had knee MRI - "erosion of meniscus" results (sm)

Posted By: Oldie on 2005-09-24
In Reply to:

as I was told by the nurse who phoned in the results.  I will be referred to an orthopedist for further new.  Anyone had this or any info on it? 


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DH tore his lateral meniscus, had MRI

and doctor recommended surgery.  Got the bill for the MRI today and it was $1200.00.  The bill for the radiologist to read the thing was $225.00.    We have a low insurance premium and they only pay 70%.   We've had this insurance 2 years and this is our first claim, so we still come out cheaper this way than paying a higher premium with better benefits, but goodness.  Of course it doesn't help that our homeowner's insurance and our car insurance is due now, plus property taxes on the house of $1,000.00, and a vet bill last month of $1,200.00.  


 


 


 


 


Don't know about knee
replacement but I broke my leg (tib/fib) and was able to work once I had the cast on.

The wonderful thing about our jobs is, no commuting!
I know sometimes my knee does cough...

right knee pain
I am not an older MT, but I have been doing this for over 13 years and I just started to notice this last year that my right knee started to hurt, so I change my foot pedal to my left foot, and it really helps, so I have become ambidextrous with my foot pedal.
Fractured knee cap
I fractured my knee cap and had to have surgery on it with several pins and wires in it and Vicodin did not work for me and so they put me on OxyContin and was on it on and off for about 2 to 3 months.  But I did not take it religiously just when the pain got really bad and especially whe I started through PT and had to move that knee cap to break away the scar tissue.  A knee replacement takes longer to heal and recover from than a hip replacement and when I was typing for an Ortho it took up to six months sometimes.  But I just say, don't take the pain pills if he doesn't need them and usually the doc will say, take up to 30 mg a day -- meaning if you need it and a lot of people just think, well he said to take it and so I will.    But I am not a doctor and also recommend that you contact the doctor or NP if they have one or just his assistant. 
I had a knee replacement....SM
five years ago. Worst experience of my life. I took narcotic pain meds for about two months, then switched to Advil and Aleve. It takes quite a while for all the pain to go away. Miserable surgery.
knee surgery
half days for a week. Should have stayed off the full time but did rest when I at home.
When comptemplating podiatry work the surgeon said no work for two weeks till off the pain meds due to thought processes possibly being affected.
knee-slappin' LOL (nm)
.
Had 2 knee scopes
On the same knee for a torn medial meniscus 11 mos. apart. I've been a fitness maniac forever, so it was all of that stuff. The day after the surgery I went to the gym on crutches and did cardio with the ergometer. My sports medicine doc knew it was pointless to even say anything, but his partner told me "it's abuse" when I had biceps tendinitis. Oh, well. The 2nd MR showed a recurrence of the tear, but my SMD told me that's commonly seen on MR but it's not actually torn. So I did conservative stuff for a month as I recall, and it still hurt. The second time it was basically debris.

I did my PT in the gym with my trainer, but even so, it was the worst surgery to recover from (& I was in good shape, I guess). This is comparing it to all the neck surgeries, too. The reason it was so bad was the wt-bearing.

I hope you do well with it, as many people do. The main thing I would advise you is to do everything possible to not limp. It doesn't take long to teach yourself to walk a new way after this surgery, and I found it annoying to have to go back and concentrate on the "heel-toe" walking. Even when my trainer wasn't beating me up (therapy-wise), I was constantly stretching my quads and hams. Another really good exercise at some point to strengthen is the sitting leg lift. Yes, you'll be in tears, but they're worth it.

Elevating it is still like breathing to me all these years later. The treadmill bothers me, but the StepMill (the moving stairs thingy) is okay.

My guess is that you'll get lots of varied answers. Just don't let yourself get stiff or allow yourself to limp. Those are my 2 main suggestions. I don't envy you one bit.
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess ..
... that Jesus Christ is Lord!
No, manure has nothing to do with knee pain.
It had nothing to do with it whatsoever, and for all you know OPs patient could have been there for strep throat. Prayer wouldn't have anything to do with that either.

I am a very proud Christian, but the whole issue here is ridiculous. She didn't start a discussion, she just asked a question as to whether it should be in there. There's a simple answer...yes. It was dictated, so yes. It does not require the whole tolerance lecture or have anything to do with beliefs at all.
post knee surgery
i had arthroscopic knee surgery a week and a half ago.  my MRI showed fluid and a medial meniscus tear, but when the doctor got into the knee he said it was very angry looking and inflamed and he couldn't really find anything to be causing that inflammation.  he couldn't even find the tear, but did find some frayed cartilage that he shaved off.  he said he did about 5 laps around my knee trying to find a source of my problem, but did not find it, except for the above mentioned.  my knee still feels stiff and very, very tender around the kneecap.  it hurts when the skin is pulled up or down, the entire kneecap area.  the incisions are healing nicely, but i am still having swelling and pain and stiffness.  it's better than pre-surgery, but it just seems to me that i should be "better" by now.  my doctor told me i can go ahead and do whatever i want to do and let pain be my guide.  it seems like my knee felt better a few days ago and now it seems to be getting stiff again, and it's not for lack of exercise or use.  i do ROM exercises and go up and down steps, trying not to baby my knee.  i keep hoping it's going to just get better but i'm getting just a little disheartened at this point.  has anyone else had a similar experience?  my doctor said he was going to be cautiously optimistic that he "fixed" the problem.  i certainly am trying to be too but this morning when coming down my steps i was walking very awkwardly due to stiffness and pain.  any thoughts are appreciated.
there was an old post - someone asking about a knee lever - sm
The foot pedal was getting to her (me to), i.e., swollen ankles, soreness, etc., and she wanted to know if there was such a thing as a knee lever/gadget to alleviate the problem. Or if anyone could rig something.

No one had a solution but many said they started working in a recliner and posted pictures of their set up.

was intersting. I myself have built a box with an angle to both raise the pedal and take the angle off my ankle.

Learned at my mother's knee.
Literally. 37 years ago she was the transcriber (that's what we were called then) for a 10-man (yes, they were all men) multispecialty group here in town. She needed extra help, I knew how to type and spell, and I had passed high school biology, so she dragged me in, kicking and screaming. I was not given a choice. A couple of years after that, I was hired part time at the OB-GYN office down the street. In 1976 I had my first full-time job, in an orthopedic office. In 1981 I went to work part time at another multispecialty clinic, and part time in an oncology office. That segued into nearly 28 years in oncology, and some more part time orthopedics on the side. Last fall my boss closed his practice, and I went to work for one of the big nationals. I still type for one orthopedist on the side.

With 36 years of clinical experience, TRS took a chance on me, and now they are up-training me into acute care. Actually, the only thing "new" to me, besides the actual dictators, is the op reports. I've done literally hundreds of consults and H & Ps over the years, and a discharge summary is just kind of a truncated H & P, if you ask me; so I'm not sure I "get" what the huge deal is about "acute care."
Any knee/back pain sufferers out there? sm
What are your favorite shoes to wear that don't make your knees hurt?   My back doesn't hurt if I wear Birkenstocks but my knees hurt if I do.  I've tried countless types of arch supports and the ones that help my knees don't help my back.  I have arthritis in both areas and the cartilage in my knees are shot due to degeneration.   Yesterday I wore my Birkenstock inserts I recently got in my sneakers while I ran around Wal-Mart and boy am I ever paying for that today - my knees are killing me!   Any advice would be appreciated. 
MT work after total knee replacement
I'm having a left total knee replacement next week and was just wondering if any one out there has had this done and if so, in what time frame did you return to transcription.  thanks.
sorry, that first line should read AFTER a knee replacement. nm
x
Knee-hi support stockings, get up at least once an hour,
s
I had bilateral arthroscopic knee surgery for sm
internal derangement, synovitis, chondromalacia, etc. The doc told me I would have "healing pain" that would be worse than the original pain as my patellae learned to track in the proper groove. It took several months before I stopped having pain. I had all kinds of fluid--big bags of fluid flopping under my knees,stiffness, swelling, and heat. For lunch break I'd walk the length of the mall next door and at home would do plies (sp?) (ballet) while holding and cuddling my 10-pound cat. It was a long, long haul, but it eventually ended. Wish I hadn't waited so long for that surgery!

You'll get better. It takes a while.
Only one knee hurts, have trouble with full extension
so I learned how to work the foot pedal with the other leg. The more I keep my post surgical knee bent, the tighter the muscles coming into the back of the joint get. I have to stand and toe and heel stretch to work out the stiffness. Summer will be here soon and swimming does wonders for the knees...it always makes my flares go away.
the results
Well, it seems that there is a fairly even distribution of MTs amongst many age groups. I did not expect there to be so many younger MTs. Thanks you for your replies.
lab results
Any good websites for ranges of lab results?  Thanks for any info...
lab results
Thanks so much!!
These knee jerk bleeding heart liberals could not take responsibility for their
actions if it hit them in the face as it did with Mrs. Twitty.  The Arubans are sick and tired of her and frankly so am I.  Wash the makeup off your face, take off the false eyelashes and go grieve for your daughter.
I use OpenOffice with the same results. sm
I do the same thing in open office. I cut and paste every report into one document, check character count, and divide by 65. It always comes out close, in my favor.

I think the reason it comes out with more than what DQS does is because we do get paid for any demographics we have to type in ourselves, like dates, or if the demos don't import.

But I still have trouble doing the lines I did before DQS.
very pleased with results (sm)
I had never heard of it until I read it on the post a few days ago. Finally got around to trying it last night. Felt great. I made the mistake of using too much water at first too but then I tried again with just a tiny bit of water and used a cotton ball to apply. Awesome. I was pretty sold on the Mary Kay Microdermabrasion which I use about once a week. Now I may not restock on that product and it is not cheap. I bought the store brand aspirin and it worked great. Thanks to the person who brought it to this message board.
Research results
I checked on finasteride, and unfortunately it does not have great results for male acne. And it occasionally causes gynecomastia. BUT, here is a link to a cystic acne heater device:
http://www.myzeno.com/index2.htm?sckw=acne&scsrc=google&scgeo=national&sccrtv=nzad-zc90oai24h-bzoagns

Good results! sm
Just a fluid/material filled cyst but still need to see oncologist this week. The mammo didn't hurt at all. I thought it was going to be horrible but I found it to be less pressure than a BP cuff. All in all, it was a very positive experience. My only beef is that I was a diagnostic and not a screening, I didn't get a candy bar and a card! Thanks for all your good thoughts.
MRI results-does this sound right?

TESTS:  MRI results show the low back has degenerative changes, L4-L5; disk material and facets that lie adjacent to the descending left L5 nerve root without definitive compression.  The MRI of his surgical spine shows grade 1 anterolisthesis of C5 on C6 and C6 on C7 with disk osteophytes posteriorly.  There is flattening of the cord at these levels.  


Testing results

I just tested with one of the nationals. I have never before had to do this and did receive the results (97%). Does anyone know if this includes the objective portion or only the transcribed reports?


Thanks for your input.


They only show the results

of the most successful ones.  I had some reconstructive surgery once and was shown a book of people who this plastic surgeon had worked on.  Later, when I was being fit for a prosthesis, that person showed me pictures. She told me then.  My picture was never part of the portfolio of those which were the "wow, what a difference group."


If they showed you pictures of what you probably would look like (with the difference being minimal), they would lose a lot of business because you wouldn't bother spending the money for something that even when people know you had something done, they can't even tell.


Guaranteed positive results.

It seems people everywhere are looking for positivity - especially in light of the Katrina disaster, on top of the 9/11 anniversary, the Iraq war, tensions in every aspect of our life.  I'm going to share a personal mantra of mine that has helped me in the past, is soothing me now, and will greatly benefit me in the future as well.


Fasting can be looked at in different ways.  Most of the time, we think of it purely toward food and most of the time associate it with religion.  Fasting, however, is really a drawing back, holding back, purposefully now allowing full satisfaction.  You can do this in any and all aspects of your life.  Fasting as a way of life can change your life -- it has mine.


By not allowing myself to fully satisfy whatever aspect I am engaging, I make room for personal growth and fulfillment from that innate resource of the soul.  I recognize God as my maker, my Father, my Savior.  Some recognize other forms of higher power.  I can speak from MY experience, my beliefs, that fasting in areas of your life as a way of living will grant Him room to give you satisfaction and fulfillment beyond what you could have achieved without it.


You can fast with money -- don't buy everything you want to with the last $5 in your hand, give it away.  Give it to some worthy cause.  Give it to church.  Buy diapers or food for a local shelter.  Don't take all your money for just yourself.


You can fast with time -- give 30 minutes a week to read stories to children at the library, to visit a nursing home and play checkers or just talk and hold the hands of people who have no control over their fate, or volunteer with CASA or a battered women's shelter, or even a school to help with room mothers or watch traffic at the high school, etc.  Don't take all your time for just yourself.


You can fast with your intellect -- give an hour a week to work on changing a problem in your community, your state, your local government, your school district, this nation, this world.  Use your mind and determine a value really close to your heart and then use your intellect to understand where you can help and do so.  Don't take all your intellectual energy for just yourself.


You can fast spiritually -- give an hour or two a week in prayer for simply thanks.  It takes the focus off YOU.  It puts it on OTHERS.  It directs your attention away from what you are inundated with all the time.  Don't take all your prayer time for just yourself.


Of course, you can fast with food as well.  Wednesdays are the middle of the work week and perhaps you could do a juice fast (only juice/water) for the day, or fast from something you usually indulge in, or just simply decide to always leave food uneaten on your plate every meal.  Do it with the remembrance of the millions who die every single day from not having food to eat.  Do it to recognize that we have it all right here in our own backyard.  Do it to recognize the choice you have of whether you WANT to eat, what you want to eat, how much you want, etc.  Maybe you will fast a meal and send the makings of one to a shelter or to a family in need.  Don't take all the food just for yourself.


The list can go on and on and on.  It truly works.  You can start really really small and if you want to increase what you are enjoying, you've a base to start on.  Start with $5 a payperiod to invest in others; 30 minutes a week to give to others; 30 minutes a week studying and working toward resolution of a problem in your world somewhere; 30 minutes a week of prayer for others; a meal a week for others. 


Trust me, it is a different type of sacrifice.  One that only offers positive results and they are guaranteed for everyone. 


Guaranteed positive results
Thank you for such a wonderful post. I know that this is true. I've tried and have been successful in teaching my children that it is important to give and help others but I find myself slacking in these areas recently. With my health problems I feel I have been mired down in self-pity but with your post to remind me what it's all about, perhaps I will be able to get back on track. Thank you again - your post has been a blessing.
You will definately see great results
within a week or two.  It's a great workout, easy, and definately will give you results.  Stick with it and you will be very pleased.  I love pilates
American Idol Results.....SOON

The results are in............who is leaving American Idol tonight?  We will know in about 30 minutes from now.  My feeling is that either Kevin or Kellie are going home tonight......I like Kellie, but she really doesn't have the voice like the others, and Kevin, well, he speaks for himself - CHICKEN LITTLE - LOLOLOLOL!


I see it coming down to Chris and Kathryn!!!!!!!!


Preliminary good results...sm
Mammo and ultrasound were clear as of when I left the hospital an hour ago.  Already had an appointment set up with the specialist and they wanted me to keep that.  So we'll see what he has to say on Thursday.  Thanks for the good thoughts, everyone.
And just a suggestion, next time don't get results yourself
and wait until you see the doctor. Good luck!
Congrats!!! Did you not get your results instantly like with the CMT?
nm
And wasn't it a violation for her to even ASK for the results from someone other than her doc? Th
x
results/decisions/outcome
Okay so my curiosity gets the best of me and when everyone receives our opinions whether good, bad or indifferent I would sometimes like to know what you decided and what the outcome is -- i.e. rural hospital -- let us know what you decidied and if you take it a month or so later how it goes -- but that is me, I always like to know the outcome.   Patti
The search results are more specific.

Having custom search helps because it narrows down your search results to the most relevant ones, since it emphasizes health related and MT related websites.


Same neg results, but no Metabolift. Gotta xercise and eat less! nm
s
Anyone here do Windsor Pilates? Are you getting results? Is it a good
s
Compare line count results

Hi,


[disclaimer: We are the publishers of MPTools.]


One neat function in our new MPTools is Compare Line Count results. It asks you to specify a document, and shows you the results of its multiple line counting methods, including headers/footers and formatting codes. MPTools is available as a no obligation trial, so you can download it, install it, and check things out.


vJoe


Thanks for telling us. I bought the cheaper one and had bad results.
.
The Prometrics person gave me my results.
nm
Speed results from multiple factors....
1. Experience: As you yourself suggest, time "in the driver's seat" will play a big role as you find yourself doing fewer and fewer "look-ups" - whether for terminology, physician names, etc.

2. Self-monitoring. Just keeping close tabs on your production will help. Try playing a little game with yourself to do just a bit better this hour than you did the last hour.

3. Make full use of your expander. WARNING: Many people actually overuse their Expanders and wind up with a jillion shortcuts that they rarely use or can't even remember. Create shortcuts when they make a difference, and use a good naming system.

4. Set up the proper auto backspace for your footpedal that will allow you to establish a rhythm in which what you are transcribing is "bracketed" by the next little bit and the previous little bit of dictation. In other words, you are always slightly listening ahead, transcribing and (when you lift your foot up and back down) reviewing the last bit. This "cycle" keeps what you are transcribing in context with what has gone before and what is coming next.

5. Pay CLOSE attention to the "story" being told - in other words, the context of what you are transcribing. Context is the transcriptionist's best friend as far as resolving ambiguous or difficult words and phrases, alerting you to omitted dictation, and alerting you to possible errors in what thought you had just heard.

6. Proofread as you go to minimize proofreading after the report is completed.

7. Spend only a reasonable amount of time on lookups, especially early in the report. You will often hear the confusing word or phrase more clearly later...provided you remember the blank you had earlier!

8. Discover "the zone". The zone is a mental state in which you are utterly focused on the dictation, almost like a trance state. Human beings are NOT MULTI-TASKERS! You cannot think about a million other things while you're transcribing and hope to achieve either quality or quantity. When you transcribe, transcribe and forget your personal problems. When you're dealing with your personal life, forget transcription.

9. Relative to #8, try to crate a physical space for transcription in which you are dealing with minimal outside distractions.

10. Use a GOOD PROFESSIONAL HEADSET. Most transcription companies distribute garbage earphones. Try a good noise cancelling headset such as the Kensingtons sold on Amazon.com for about $30...and don't let the price fool you. They're great.

BONUS TIP - POWER SESSIONS: If your scheduling permits, you will be more productive in four 2-hour sessions separated by a significant break period than in fewer longer ones.

I discovered power sessions when I was transcribing and attending college. It happened one semester that I had a class in the AM, one in the afternoon and one in the evening - that's the only times they were offered. So, I transcribed early AM, mid-AM, early afternoon and early evening, 2 hours each. I was never so productive in my life. Why? Less fatigue factor and a fresher mind. I really whomped the daylights out of the work for 2 hours at a crack, and then I got up and went to class, completely concentrating on something else. Then, on returning for another power session, it's almost like starting a new day.

The point is, 15- and even 30-minute breaks do not give you this fresh-start advantage.

A number of the people I supervise have improved their productivity dramatically simply by implementing the secret of power sessions.

Good luck!
Graveyard shift study results
I just had to put this here.  This study came out about 2 days ago, and I did not find that anyone posted it here so I am going to comment on it.  If this is redundant please excuse the double post.  The other day on the news at 6 they reported that studies show that there is a new risk for developing cancer which could lead to an early grave... working the graveyard shift (punny).  Anyway, they said that because it goes against our biological clock, we produce less of a certain brain chemical when we sleep at night and this chemical helps our body fend of carcinogens (I forgot the chemical).  Do you know the American Cancer Society is seriously considering putting third shift workers on the list as being high risk for cancer?  Can you imagine?  What is this, a way for the insurance companies to have an excuse to deny us night owls insurance or to make the rates higher? I think it is hilarious because I personally never do anything risky.  I work at home as an MT after all, I do not lead a risky life in the least. Now, because I work nights so I can be a mom during the day and do everything supermom should do I am going to have cancer... what next?
If I call the doctor's office and ask for results of an
MRI done on me, do they have to give me the results or do I have to just wait on the doctor to call me?
It took six months to compile the results of the survey/questionairre

asking about how MQ can do better.  We got a letter telling us the findings 9 months later and on it apparently lots of MTs beitched about no pay increase and they are looking into it.  That was 3 months ago. 


MQ is too busy plotting and planning how to rip off the clients and MTs to be bothered with the current problems.  They have a bazillion managers but no one seems to be able to keep the simplest things done on a timely basis. 


 


I think you have your results already. Any MQ post runs like wildfire as a rule! You had
55 views on your last poll, and 1 respondent, who felt the opposite! No offense, but isn't that the answer to your poll? The older posted complaints on speed were that it was too fast at the lowest setting! And nobody ever argued with that!