I fell yesterday at work from a nearly 3 foot height. I landed on my arm in a funny position and injured my shoulder. Work did the proper things: documented, fixed the problem, and sent me off to their urgent care.
During my ride to urgent care and during the exam my shoulder dislocated 3 times. Each time causes EXTREME pain and discomfort. I was told a very conservative treatment plan would be pursued. I was sent for x-rays (came back negative) and prescribed ibuprofen and Tylenol (they offered samples but otherwise I have to pay for those.
Today while at home my shoulder dislocated a 4th time when I went to pick up papers off of the floor. I drove back to the urgent care (they wouldn’t see me with authorizing my unscheduled visit through corporate) and when I was finally seen the nurse didn’t believe me about the dislocation.
She said that unless she physically saw the dislocation she could only pursue the ibuprofen and Tylenol treatment. I told her to pull on my arm and see what happens if she didn’t believe me and she responded with “you have to do it yourself.”
I stood up and and violently extended and contorted my arm until it popped out of the socket. Twice because she wasn’t sure the first time. She scheduled an MRI.
This is so fucked up. I had to humiliate and hurt myself to get proper treatment. It was inhumane.
TLDR: urgent care provider wouldn’t send me for an MRI unless I intentionally dislocated my shoulder to prove there was an injury.