Google review
Apr 9, 2023• lisa evers (yipyap)
I saw Dr. Rahman after a wrist fracture, and which had been tended to (casted) about 10 days prior at an emergency room. She certainly struck me as experienced and capable. Over the course of a few months, I went back to her office maybe 5 times, either for periodic check-ins/X-rays, to see how the bone was healing, and also to go into a shorter cast (before the final cast removal).
I didn't like that even though my appointments were made with 'Dr Rahman', that in I think 3 of my 5 appointments, I ended up seeing her assistant. I can't say I was a fan of her assistant, as any time I expressed concerns, or wanted to ask a question (say in between appointments), I was made to feel that I was being overly-concerned and/or a bit of a nuisance. As a result, I was not made to feel welcome to ask questions.
After my final cast removal, for whatever reason, Dr. Rahman didn't think I should have another follow-up visit with them for another SIX weeks. I was handed a prescription for P.T. and essentially sent on my way ('good luck with your recovery...').
Since I did not feel especially supported by Dr. Rahman's office, I made the (very sage) decision, shortly after my final cast was removed, to get a second opinion from a well-reputed orthopedist/hand surgeon in Manhattan. And thank god I did. When I saw him, two weeks after the cast removal, he indicated that he was very concerned about how swollen my hand and wrist were, and seemed to suggest that the longer we took to address the swelling, the longer it would take my wrist to heal, and that it could even impact my long-term prospect for a full recovery. He also said I needed to be moving my hand/wrist more, and immediately. (You see, I'd never broken a bone before. As they say, you can't know, what you don't know. How was I to know if or how my wrist should be recovering...at what pace...if the amount of residual swelling was normal or not, etc? And as I said, I certainly couldn't ask any of this of Rahman's office, as I was not made to feel welcome to do so. And sure, maybe Rahman's assistant made a casual comment to me - when my cast was removed - of 'you should start using your hand for light activities', but again, how do I know what that really means? Using my hand, how? To what degree? How would I know that if I did not use my hand, and sufficiently, that it might actually impact my recovery? When my cast was removed, my arm looked like that of a little chicken....my hand was all stiff and swollen. And, I was petrified of moving anything...fearful that I might somehow negatively impact the only-recently-healed wrist fracture.)
Anyway, this second doctor scared me enough that, I immediately began trying to use my hand as much as possible. I also appreciated that he took the time to sit down, directly across from me, and explain everything, and answer all my questions. In other words, he made me feel 'supported'. He put me on a six-day medication, to take down the swelling. And boy, did that medication work. So between the reduction in swelling, and my now clearly understanding that I had to get the hand/wrist/arm Moving, things improved greatly. But, that also was not without my doing lots of hard work on my own, both at home, and during my P.T. (O.T.) sessions.
But all I could think, in retrospect, was...what if I were an older person...and/or uneducated...someone who didn't ask questions...who didn't advocate for themselves? What if I'd never gone to see that other orthopedist for a second opinion, or if my insurance didn't allow for it? I suspect my outcome may have been very different, with my long-term mobility being further compromised, vs how it was, pre-fracture. I say this, also, because....keep in mind that Dr. Rahman didn't feel that she should see me again, until a full Six weeks after the cast came off. Whereas, thankfully only Two weeks passed, before I saw the second orthopedist, who helped me to immediately jump start my recovery process.
