Who knew specialist MDs did a brisk walk-in business?

[Horace]

I'm generally peak pessimism when I have to participate in the health care system. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I severed the tendon in my right hand responsible for curling the last thumb joint. And while that's not the end of the world, it would suck to be immobile there for the rest of my life. So this morning, four days after it happened, I googled "hand specialist MD" and there's one right there in berkeley. It was 9:30 AM when I called, and they told me I could come in and see the doctor at 11. I was back home by 12:30, with surgery scheduled for next Tuesday. I was astonished it was that easy. But of course it won't be free. From what I gathered from the call from the surgery center later this afternoon, it will be around 5k out of pocket. They read the fine print on your insurance policy, so they can be pretty specific. It would have been much more than that if I had gone the urgent care->referral route. Who knew specialists just take walk-in business?

[jon-nyc]

I always go right to a specialist.

I hope it heals well and quickly.

[taiwan_girl]

Wow Horace, sorry to hear about that!!! Like Jon say, hope it heals well and quickly.!!

[George K]

How did you sever a tendon? Yikes!

This is not elective. This is a true emergency, and that's why you got seen and scheduled so quickly.

Hope it works out OK for you - please keep us posted.

[Horace]

Thanks everybody for the well wishes. George, it was broken glass. Just a careless accident.

[Jolly]

May you heal well and retain full strength and function.

[brenda]

That's a nasty accident, Horace. It must have been difficult to wait those first days deciding whether to go to the doctor. Yes, a person needs the use of their thumb in order for the rest of the hand to be useful. Good luck with your surgery, and I am very glad you can get it done soon.

[George K]

@brenda said in Who knew specialist MDs did a brisk walk-in business?:

Yes, a person needs the use of their thumb in order for the rest of the hand to be useful.

You also need your thumb to play Beethoven, albeit poorly.

[Horace]

Thanks, Jolly and Brenda. George, I was mostly worried about not being able to build the metal models.

[kluurs]

That must have been an ugly accident. I had a friend sever the tendons in his arm when a glass window broke as he was working with it. Glad you're getting it taken care of - and hope everything turns out right. Scary stuff.

[mark]

Man that sounds painful. Hope you heal quickly and fully.

[Aqua Letifer]

@mark said in Who knew specialist MDs did a brisk walk-in business?:

Man that sounds painful. Hope you heal quickly and fully.

Same; and how is the modeling stuff going?

[Mik]

Yeah, I go straight to a specialist too. No referral needed.

Glad you are getting this done or you might play like Klaus.