I dislocated my shoulder…again. First time was 3 years ago while half climbing onto / half falling off of my roof while putting up Christmas lights. That one required an ambulance and morphine.

Well, this time I got a Motrin and a healthy dose of frustration from Harris Methodist Hospital.

As freaky as the first dislocation, so was this one. I was in the passenger seat of our Equinox. My lovable, yet 13-year old (seriously 13 and dramatic…I love you baby) was behaving not so well, so I spun around to reprimand her and the seat ever so efficiently popped my shoulder out of place.

I heard it and groaned. A few feeble attempts at pushing it back in place and then the pain began.

We boogied over to Harris Money First Methodist Hospital and waited about 1 1/4 hours with other moaning people. The place was packed. I declined the pain shot in my “buttock” as the nurse wanted to do. Moving was excruciating. There was no way it was gonna happen. Getting the x-ray was torture enough. I mean, why the formalities. It was obvious I had no left shoulder. I looked like GI Joe with his arm put on backwards. Just pop the sucker in place already.

It’s odd, and I’m sure I just don’t understand, but the nurses station (triage they called it) resembled a construction zone. 15 nurses standing around yucking it up. Why were we all waiting?

Finally, a nurse asked me my name and Social Security Number for the 10th time and said, “Tonight will cost $3,600.00, do you want to pay check or charge?” I grumbled, “Installment. We’ll give you $100.00 tonight.” Then I thought about how long it would take to re-pay that much money. So, I took my (still) dislocated shoulder and walked out.

Off to John Peter Smith Hospital. The local we-take-anybody county funded hospital that actually has the best doctors in the business. We made it to the waiting room. Stood for about 10 minutes. It’s now 2+ hours that my shoulder is whacked out. It felt like the Motrin never showed up for duty.

Another 10 minutes in the triage and my hero came along. Dr. Ricardo Castellanos with his trainee in tow. “Relax your arm,” he said. I did. He turned it outward, gently pulled and manuevered the shoulder right back where it should be. If I ever wanted to kiss the feet of any man, it was him. I thanked him profusely. I stuck around for x-rays. Got to see a guy that was shot in the head come in. And then was on my way.

What a night. I don’t yet know what it is gonna cost me, but I guarantee it won’t be $3,600.00.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 28th, 2006 at 9:13 pm and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.