Pain!

I hurt my shoulder recently at the weekend cricket game. Irony is that I haven't played in long time and to go in full force with bowling without warming-up proved to be my undoing. I tried another over after I felt the pain and went for more runs. I dropped out of the next game and rode back home.

What followed is interesting in various ways. I figured this is not that the sort of a pain that one can expect to go away in a couple of days. So, googled up for orthopedics in Bangalore. Found someone listed as "Shoulder specialist" in Manipal Hospital. The hospital being close to my office made it more convenient to visit this doctor. Took an appointment at 6pm next day.

Was there by 6.10pm wondering whether reaching late will prove to be a costly mistake. It didn't. I committed bigger mistake even before going to the hospital. Anyways I paid for the consultation after unearthing a 2 year old registration record. Then waited for the doc while letching at any letchable (also, movie called "Kyunki... its fate" was playing on the TV near by!). I ended up waiting till 7.40pm with no sign of doctor. Funny thing with waiting is that the longer the wait, you think higher is the probability of the event happening in next some time (I guess the assumption of Markov process does not really hold always). As the waiting pain turned into anguish, I thought I anyway do not have a great deal of respect for the doc, so no need to go through the whole thing. Went to get the consultation canceled. As I was walking away saw the OPD receptionist calling other people who waited along with me. Confirmed that the almighty doctor has come and paid again for the consultation (to salvage something out of the 2 hours spent).

Came back to wait for my turn after the bunch of other unfortunate people who waited longer than I did. Finally went to see the doc at 8pm. I was told by the OPD receptionist that the doc has waived off the consultation fee for coming late. I thought, "hmm.. may be he is OK". Went in, told the history. He made me move the hand in a particular way while forcing me against it to see if it pains. It did. Then said I have joined the list of cricketers who have the same problem (not sure how one would react to it!) and the funny part is only Srinath was a fast bowler among all of them. He said I would need an MRI scan that picks up only 70% of the problem cases (and even if the scan doesn't show anything we cannot assume that the certain injury is not there). Wondering about the whole point of the scan, nodded along. Then he enquired about where I work and said I need a surgery to get corrected and needs to be done in a month from the scan in order to claim the insurance. I wondered who is more fraud here, the doc or the insurance people. Went with insurance people for the time-being. Came out with not-so-psyched-out feeling as the surgery dint sound to be major (would take 2 days in hospi and a month in sling). Came back to office and chatted up with colleagues. Ended up getting psyched-out a lot more!

I thought I should go for a second opinion and saw another doc in Apollo the next day. Again arrived much later than the appointment time (wondered again if it would prove costly, but I think I need to concentrate on reaching early next time onwards). Anyway the doc was there all along and had to wait only for about half an hour (or 40min) and this guy did not look very impressive. This doc moved my arm in many more directions and asked if it pained. I chose some of those movements that did. Asked me to get an x-ray done (wondered why the first one dint ask for the same!). After another hour waiting at different places, met the doc again.

He said x-ray doesn't show any bone problem and I had some strain in certain muscle and need physiotherapy. If that doesn't work, will go for scan and follow the flow-chart (dint mention surgery). Clincher was "flow-chart". I also thought looks are indeed deceptive.

I have gone for 4 sessions of physiotherapy so far and the pain has subsided but not fully.

I ran into something during my physiotherapy that made all this seem much less painful. The OPD where I need to get billed for physiotherapy is Oncology. I saw a couple of people with cloth wrapped around their head. Couple of other with serious expression on their faces, one other crying. Just made me feel how painful life can get and how grateful one should feel for not running into these sort of things (compared to only those with some internal malignancy and not the smokers who need no sympathy).

And I hope to bowl again in a couple of months. And registered myself for Sunfeast 10k run that happens in May.