Re: ? competant/quick treatment
David C. Jones (jones(AT)tdl.com)
Thu, 06 Mar 1997 12:41:23 -0800
Bryan Kessler wrote:
>
> I wrote,
>
> >> While I am pontificating here I would also like to stress that TM
> >>is NOT a grab bag diagnosis --which had been suggested here many times. It
> >>is a very specific illness with clear definiton of what it is and what it is
> >>not --I remember a posting the other day of a person who was told by their
> >>doctor that he/she wasn't sure if the person had Guiallan Barre --it was
> >>TOTALLY ludicrous -- loss of sensation with muscle control maintianed is the
> >>exact opposite of GB --wish some of those doctors would be not so damn
> >>snooty and open their copies of "Current Dignosis and Treatment" --even in
> >>front of the patient --nobdoy knows everything although some physicians seem
> >>very unable to give up on that myth ;-( (it gives us all a bad image and
> >>"I" do not like it!!!)
> >>
>
> >>bryan
>
> and Amy replied
>
> >>
> >One of the real issues seems to be having access to Doctors who keep up with
> >what's new. Our real frustrations are related to getting doctor access and
> >attention. Steve's (my husband who has TM) experience was really negative.
> >When he first started having symptoms, he saw our GP who prescribed some
> >medication that didn't have any effect at all. It took a week to get an
> >appointment with her (and she is just the PA, not the MD) and all she did
> >was order up some tests (mri's). It took another week to schedule that,
> >three more days to read the darn things and then two more days to call him
> >back to take more pictures. Then, they recommended a neuro-surgean. It
> >took a week to get to see him, only to have him refer the case to a
> >neurologist. All this time, no useful treatment or even relief medication
> >was provided.
> >
> >It was a full three weeks before Steve got on the steroids that actually
> >slowed down the process of the disease and another month before he was
> >diagnosed with TM and prescribed Neurontin which actually was the only
> >medication that seems to help him. This has been extremely frustrating.
> >
> >This doesn't seem to be the way to run things. Anyone got any comments?
> >
> >Amy Thropp
>
>
> Well,,,,, I have a confession to make --sort of -- I am wondering
> if I should bring a suit against the "care" I received. In my case it's a
> bit hypothetical but to me VERY frustrating. My viral illness was picked up
> in the Caribbean --you know --don't drink the water or eat fresh veggies --
> why listen to that, eh (that last little bit is a "Canadianism" --for those
> that don't recognize it ;-) But I had "severe" diarreha for two weeks, then
> one nite of intense back pain and the next day by noon i was lying paralyzed
> in ER -- no tinglling --no gradual loss of strength --just pain and then
> BOOM! I went to ER with the back pain (the nite before) -- NEVER do that if
> you have a pony tail have lost 30 lbs in the last two weeks and haven't
> slept for almost two days --they will think you are an addict looking for
> drugs --so instead of getting admittted and having some tests done --i got a
> shot of Torodol and sent home --then when I awoke after a nap with no
> movement in my legs, my GP sent me to a neurosurgeon --suspecting that I
> (who was a jock) had probably slipped a disc (bilateral --VERY rare). So we
> got to ER and despite the fact that I was shivering and nearly vibrating off
> the table the ER physician said the policy was that he could not see me
> because I was referred to someone else (despite my very rapid deteriioration
> --my wife and sister in law "begged" him to a least look at me) The
> neurosurgeon was in the OR and could not see me for another four hours!!!!!
> --how many mistakes were made here I wonder --if i had been re-hydrated the
> nite before would my case have been less severe? if I had seen the ER doc
> wouldl I have recieved steroids sooner --yes I would have --the "evidence"
> suggests they must be admininstered within 6 hours of the "attack" -- if,
> if, if --ANYWAY,
>
> When i eventually saw the neurologist it took him virtually no
> time to confirm that I had TM --he looked at the MRI and said this is TM,
> NOT MS and here's the treatment --so he was great --and considering that in
> our area there is probably only one case every two years, he must be
> commended --but the rest --and to give your doctor some credit, your husband
> had a very slow "presentation", obviously and did do an MRI --which, if they
> repeated it must have been suspicious --and if then it was still not obvious
> --well --i won't comment further ,,, BUT
>
> Yes, it would be great if doctors kept up -- I personally go to
> the APA every other year and cannot understand how anybody dares practice
> without that sort of coninuing ed --mind you,,,,, i have heard that some
> insurance companies in the States (my favorite bone to chew,eh) sometimes
> decide that a test was not necessary and leave the MD(or the patient)
> holding the bag (or the bill).
>
> Medicine is imperfect --as are the people practicing it --and
> honest errors in judgement occur -- but if you're on our end of the stick
> it's infuriating at times. Guess this rambling has got me thinking again
> about going to see a lawyer --now THERE is a perfect profession ;-) If I
> wasn't doing self cathetrerization I'd probably pee my pants over that one
> !!!!
>
> enuff --for now !,,,, bryan
Bryan I had a uroldynamics test at my rehab hospital. They sent me home
and that evenning I started passing blood. I drank fluids, irrigated and
got worse. Went to my local hospital er and the doc had me irrigated
with 20ccs of saline and told me I was fine. Said he wouldn't call in
the urologist until the morning 9am. My friend drove me home, where I
tried to irrigate and couldn't of course. I then called an ambulance to
take me 40mins to my rehab hospital. 4 gallons of saline, a trip to
surgery, a blood clot the size of an orange and another day in hospital.
My local hospital tried to bill me, and the head of man, surgeon slash
administrator god himself told me "I got the best care in the area at
the time". In all hospitals, somewhere it is posted or writen that the
patient is ultimatly responsible for there own health. I read this in
rehab and I will never forget the message it sent to my brain. YOUR ON
YOUR OWN. Now this may shock you and maybe not, but I havn't been to a
doctor in years. I perfectly healthy, I just live with a condition. God
bless and don't cut the ponytail. //DCJones {Dave}