Feeling Ignored by Doctors

I just need to talk. I'm sorry if this is a long read, but this spans two years worth of struggle and I need somewhere to vent.

Backstory: two years ago, I had an accident while on a ladder trimming a tree branch. I wasn't aware that a tree branch behind the one I was working on had broken off but had managed to stay upright, supported by the other branches. So when I was working, the severed branch fell and knocked me off the top of the ladder. When I fell, I landed on my right arm and had pain centralized in my shoulder, and ended up going to an Urgent Care. However, the UCs in my area are not the best. I would've gone to my primary doctor but couldn't be seen for ~2 weeks. And it wasn't bad enough to warrant a trip to the ER.

The doctor at Urgent Care put me in a sling and sent me home. They didn't evaluate the shoulder or anything. Just told me to wear the sling for two days and I should be good to go. In addition to the sling, I let the arm rest, tried heat/ice, and took Advil to reduce the swelling, but my arm still felt janky. I noticed it also made a "crunching" sound and feeling whenever I moved it.

I got in to see my primary doctor and complained that my arm was still hurting even after a couple of weeks. He sent me to get an x-ray but they said everything appeared fine. However, a few weeks later, I began to develop pain in my wrist and hand. I also noticed a lump formed on the top of my wrist. Specifically, on my right arm, if you look at the bone that juts out naturally at the right side of the wrist (just below the pinky), the lump was on the opposite side, about an inch down. I then began to experience pain anytime I used my hand, particularly my thumb, even with everyday activities like holding a pen.

I scheduled another appointment with my doctor and said I wondered if the symptoms in my arm/wrist were connected to my shoulder injury to which he said it sounded more like I had carpal tunnel. He prescribed a brace (one I could buy off Amazon) and said to see if my symptoms lessened. They didn't. I went back and the doctor still insisted I continue to use the brace and give it a few months to see the progress. He completely rejected the idea that my shoulder injury was to blame.

I didn't want to slap a brace on and pretend that would fix the issue as it did nothing for the pain in my hand or shoulder, so I left the doctor and went to another who said nearly the exact same as the previous doctor: it was carpal tunnel. For some reason, no one believed the shoulder injury was tied to it in any way, even though all of my hand/wrist problems started shortly after the injury. For two years, I tried convincing them but never made any progress.

Fast forward to present day: I've since gotten a new doctor and the pain in the lump on my wrist worsened. I can hardly use my right hand for anything. I avoid things like chopping vegetables and have to buy precut veggies to prepare meals. Even washing my hair is difficult. I've had to rely on my left hand as much as possible but am also right-handed. This has interfered with my life so much, simple tasks are all but impossible.

My new doctor said it sounded like thumb tendinitis and referred me to an OT. This was a turning point for me. When I was there, the OT was evaluating my thumb when she asked, "What about the lump on your wrist? Does that cause you problems?" I explained that my previous doctors said it was carpal tunnel but I never believed this to be the case, and she said CT doesn't cause a visible lump on the wrist. She said she suspected it was a ganglion cyst or fluid under the skin but couldn't confirm it without having me get an MRI.

It took a lot of work to convince both my doctor and insurance to let me get an MRI to see what was going on. They found three sacs of fluid grouped together that surround the tendon sheath, which is apparently what the "lump" is. I was referred to an orthopedic doctor and was told my only option was to get steroid injections every few months, but he warned that the needle was large enough that it leaves a open hole in the skin and comes with a high risk of infection. I mentioned once more that the injury appeared after the injury to my shoulder and was told that it was impossible for the two to be related. I told him I wanted to look into other options as he said it was "unlikely" the injections would provide relief, and I felt the injections masked the symptoms and did not address the root problem.

Then, one day when I had taken a shower, I noticed something in the mirror: a bone sticking out of my right shoulder. And when comparing it to my left shoulder, the right shoulder actually sits higher. When I scheduled an appointment with my doctor, he noticed the bone jutting out right away and said we should get it xrayed. I was sure we would finally get answers, however, the x-ray came back and they said it was normal. The doctor then said he was going to refer me back to the doctor who suggested the steroid injections for my wrist which felt like I was just stuck in a cycle.

However, I noticed something in my records: in the X-ray summary, it says they compared my shoulder scan to the scan they obtained of my shoulder two years ago after the injury. So they were saying my shoulder was healthy and normal when comparing it to a scan taken after I already injured my arm. I mentioned this to my doctor and convinced him to order an x-ray of both shoulders so I can compare the two as the right shoulder literally sits higher than the left and has a bone popping out.

I get the x-ray on Tuesday, but I'm worried. This injury has affected my life so much. I want to be able to live and work normally again, but I'm so worried that they won't find an answer, or that too much time has passed and my arm/hand will never fully recover.

It feels like the last 2 years have been nothing but trying to convince doctors to hear me out...

If you read this far, I appreciate it. Sincerely. Lately, I have felt completely unheard and isolated due to my health.

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