The worst part of the hospital visit was when the doctor gave me the option of taking out the fluid in my knee to help with the movement as well as to use in a gout test. I was unsure if I should go for it. The doctor told me they would freeze my knee and the needle would be a similar pain level to a dentist freezing your mouth before dental work. I thought “It is probably more painful than that” but I need to do this so told him OK!
I went to another area of the hospital, and laid down on a bed. The doctor and three nurses came over, he put on sterile gloves, cleaned the knee, then leaned forward froze the area and stuck a #12 needle in! The needle was around 3 inches long, and it hurt like hell! The doctor moved the needle about here and tried to take out fluid but there was none! I was moaning and occasionally kicking my right foot. The doctor withdrew the needle then administered a local freezing of the kneecap area with a smaller needle. He then made attempt number 2 with the big needle, poking about here and there a bit less pain than the first attempts but it still hurt a lot! There would be nothing, nothing, then a jolt of extreme pain for 5 to 10 seconds. Again the doctor could not find any fluid to withdraw! All the pain was for not, no testing could ce done!! He took out the needle told me of the problem then left. I paid less because there were no lab tests. The total cost for this visit was 5300 baht ($215 CAD).
The doctor also told me I should be able to fly the next day, hope he is right on that one.
I went to another area of the hospital, and laid down on a bed. The doctor and three nurses came over, he put on sterile gloves, cleaned the knee, then leaned forward froze the area and stuck a #12 needle in! The needle was around 3 inches long, and it hurt like hell! The doctor moved the needle about here and tried to take out fluid but there was none! I was moaning and occasionally kicking my right foot. The doctor withdrew the needle then administered a local freezing of the kneecap area with a smaller needle. He then made attempt number 2 with the big needle, poking about here and there a bit less pain than the first attempts but it still hurt a lot! There would be nothing, nothing, then a jolt of extreme pain for 5 to 10 seconds. Again the doctor could not find any fluid to withdraw! All the pain was for not, no testing could ce done!! He took out the needle told me of the problem then left. I paid less because there were no lab tests. The total cost for this visit was 5300 baht ($215 CAD).
The doctor also told me I should be able to fly the next day, hope he is right on that one.
