Recently, I was injured while in the performance of my duties as a master technician in the industry for which I have been extensively trained (read: I slipped on a puddle of oil at the garage where I turn wrenches as a mechanic and ended up in the engine bay of a Honda. Needless to say {though I will anyway} this is not the softest nor smoothest of places to land. [Don't I just LOVE bracketed sub-clauses]). When I tried to extricate myself from said Honda, I found that I had hurt my back and hip.
Anyway, after the first doctor examined me by forcibly jabbing his finger into the spot I had pointed to, I was told I had hurt my back. This, of course, was a MAJOR newsflash for me. After making this stupendous announcement, said doctor then asked me what I thought he should do about it.
HUH?!??!?
This was from someone not only (theoretically) in the posession of a Doctorate in Medicine, but was also the Administer of the facility in which we currently have found ourselves. After my lower jaw did a few pushups, I suggested that perhaps if I knew in more detail what I had actually done to my back, I could make a more informed diagnostic. He then suggested an X-ray, followed by the prescription of pain pills and a few days off work and the directive to see him in 3-4 days.
Unfortunately, the world did not end, so therefore after 4 days I found myself back in the presence of Doctor Duh. True to form, he did nothing more than say I needed some physical therapy and could return to limited duty at work. No touching, no "may I see under your shirt?", no noticing my pronounced limp or the massive bruise in the middle of my back. Nope. Nada. Nothing.
So I went back to work. Sorta.
Ever consider what a limited duty mechanic can actually do?
At any rate, I slogged my way through a couple of days of magnitude 9.4 pain before going to my first Physical Therapy (PT) session, where a very adept and learned individual asked me a VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION:
"What did your doctor say was wrong after he did the full range of motion test?"
Uh, Fullrangeofmotion what?
This response apparently wasn't what she had expected due to the extended pause during which she picked up her jaw from off the floor. She then asked who, exactly, my doctor was. Upon hearing my response, she then rolled her eyes, made a somewhat unrepeatable comment regarding said physician, and then proceeded to conduct the diagnostic testing that apparently should have been done previously.
Yes, the Physical Therapist did the diagnostic. Accurately, I might add.
She then was instrumental in having our doctor changed to a physician who seemed far more interested in helping me heal than in how well her stock investments were doing.
Since that time, I have had nothing but the best of care and attention.
God bless those PT techs!
