Aa
Another lying MD
This is so irritating. I went to my PCP today for the UTI, and he reviewed some of the notes he'd gotten from my last neurosurgeon visit. While the neurosurgeon did describe me as "pleasant, as usual," he also claimed that I'd had a "normal" (or was it unremarkable? can't remember) neuro exam. HE DID NOT DO A NEURO EXAM. HE DID NOT TOUCH ME. He didn't touch his little hammer. Nothing. Zip. Nada. My son was there, and I know that there was NO EXAM. He also stated in the letter that I had "no weakness" in my extremities--even though I reported "feeling" weakness (and I do have it) and again...even THOUGH HE DIDN'T DO AN EXAM.
WTF?????
Grrrr.
Bio
WTF?????
Grrrr.
Bio
Hi Bio. I have a nursing drug book and looked up Macrobid. One adverse effect it can cause is peripheral neuropathy. However, there is no mention of lung disease and it does not say that the drug is contraindicated in people with MS or other neurological diseases. Where did you see that info?
The adverse effect of peripheral neuropathy would go away when the drug was discontinued. If you really don't want to take it, I would call on Monday and request another drug. I really don't like Macrobid as it never really cured my bladder infections.
Good Luck,
Elaine
The adverse effect of peripheral neuropathy would go away when the drug was discontinued. If you really don't want to take it, I would call on Monday and request another drug. I really don't like Macrobid as it never really cured my bladder infections.
Good Luck,
Elaine
Hi, Everyone--
The sad thing is, this was "just" my NEUROSURGEON, not even neuros 1, 2, or 3, who, respectively, drylabbed a report, decided with no evidence that I was half-conversion disorder (he later reversed that), and had RLS.
That last neuro (Dr. 3), by the way, wrote a letter to my PCP stating that the fact that I refused Dopamine agonists for RLS treatment indicated that my symptoms simply weren't significant enough--if they had been, he wrote, I'd've taken his suggestion to try the dopa drugs. Yep. Even though I know with a dead certainty that I do not have RLS, I should've gone ahead and taken those dopa agonists anyway. Even with a family history of pathological OCD, it was GREAT idea (rolleyes). I don't have OCD, but I'm also not interested in seeing how close to the edge of it I am.
Anyway, Lu...to answer your question, the UTI test was +++, and they sent it for culture. The previous one did NOT get sent for culture (does anyone do their jobs right any more? Just curious). I have an antibiotic, but it's Macrobid...and guess what? You're not supposed to give that to people with NERVE DAMAGE. Do I have nerve damage? Oh, and it can cause "severe and sometimes fatal lung damage." Geez.
Bio
The sad thing is, this was "just" my NEUROSURGEON, not even neuros 1, 2, or 3, who, respectively, drylabbed a report, decided with no evidence that I was half-conversion disorder (he later reversed that), and had RLS.
That last neuro (Dr. 3), by the way, wrote a letter to my PCP stating that the fact that I refused Dopamine agonists for RLS treatment indicated that my symptoms simply weren't significant enough--if they had been, he wrote, I'd've taken his suggestion to try the dopa drugs. Yep. Even though I know with a dead certainty that I do not have RLS, I should've gone ahead and taken those dopa agonists anyway. Even with a family history of pathological OCD, it was GREAT idea (rolleyes). I don't have OCD, but I'm also not interested in seeing how close to the edge of it I am.
Anyway, Lu...to answer your question, the UTI test was +++, and they sent it for culture. The previous one did NOT get sent for culture (does anyone do their jobs right any more? Just curious). I have an antibiotic, but it's Macrobid...and guess what? You're not supposed to give that to people with NERVE DAMAGE. Do I have nerve damage? Oh, and it can cause "severe and sometimes fatal lung damage." Geez.
Bio
Anything in health care is federal, so complaints should go to the Office of the Inspector General. Most likely the health care company is the one to deal with them, so if you are up to filing a complaint, write to the insurance company.
My roommate the compliance officer and who has her insurance license provided the above.
Sorry, bio, I've had similar experiences and understand how you feel.
I wrote a complaint to my neuro because her chart notes didn't match the visit I had. She hasn't responded, and by law, under HIPAA, she should have formally responded within 30 days. I need to write her another note, or maybe contact her office manager and request a response, mentioning the law.
Have we roasted this weenie enough? There's a bunch of tiki torches at the next condo property; I could probably get quite a blaze going!
Take care,
Kathy
My roommate the compliance officer and who has her insurance license provided the above.
Sorry, bio, I've had similar experiences and understand how you feel.
I wrote a complaint to my neuro because her chart notes didn't match the visit I had. She hasn't responded, and by law, under HIPAA, she should have formally responded within 30 days. I need to write her another note, or maybe contact her office manager and request a response, mentioning the law.
Have we roasted this weenie enough? There's a bunch of tiki torches at the next condo property; I could probably get quite a blaze going!
Take care,
Kathy
Wow, wow, wow........... I am in disbelief that you were treated that way Bio. I am so sorry that you have to deal with a lying neuro on top of finding a dx for all of your symptoms.
Just a question about the Friday night roast - can I still come even though I really like my neuro and have no experience with the lying type? I can bring the makings for s'mores - as if you all haven't had enough already!
Since it is already nighttime for most of us, can we think of some campfire stories that aren't so scary ... these dark neuro tales are pretty creepy and I'm not sure if I will be able to sleep.
quivering,
Lulu
Just a question about the Friday night roast - can I still come even though I really like my neuro and have no experience with the lying type? I can bring the makings for s'mores - as if you all haven't had enough already!
Since it is already nighttime for most of us, can we think of some campfire stories that aren't so scary ... these dark neuro tales are pretty creepy and I'm not sure if I will be able to sleep.
quivering,
Lulu
I apologize about the name. I shouldn't try to "remember" this stuff.
You might also read a few of the Health Pages that have been written about nerve pain and its treatment. These are:
Paresthesias: Things That Go Buzz in the Night
Nerve (Neuropathic) Pain - A Primer
Treating Nerve Pain - General Principles
The last two were written for us by a Pain Management doc.
Good luck, and glad you enjoyed my rant. :))
Quix
You might also read a few of the Health Pages that have been written about nerve pain and its treatment. These are:
Paresthesias: Things That Go Buzz in the Night
Nerve (Neuropathic) Pain - A Primer
Treating Nerve Pain - General Principles
The last two were written for us by a Pain Management doc.
Good luck, and glad you enjoyed my rant. :))
Quix
It's Christy, but thats ok ha hahaha! Thank you for the link. I feel like taking it to the Dr the next time that I go. My hands hurt and my feet burn but that has never been taken seriously as pain nor one that needed to be treated so I treat myself with the only thing that I have found that works.
Okay, now, you're all pressing my buttons! Breathe....nope, I gotta get up and stompa around the room for a bit!
Okay, I'm back. Still piping mad --- and angry, of course, too.
If a doctor reports in the medical record that he did an exam when he didn't - he is committing flagrant medical fraud. If this results in you not getting the care you need it begins to include medical malpractice. If he "billed" for an exam he did not do it also includes insurance fraud. You can get the billing question answered by contacting your insurance company.
At the VERY LEAST he deserves a letter of complaint sent to the State Board of Medical Examiners for your state. Do not defeat yourself in advance by believing that the body will automatically discard your statement over the doctor's word. They may or may not, but they will contact him for his statement. At the very least it will remind him to touch a patient before claiming to have done an exam. Here is a list of the various boards for the states:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2645.html
But, I also believe that a letter to your insurance company is also in order. They get very upset about insurance fraud. If you were on Medicare it becomes a federal offense, I think.
nncdalton (nancy?) - I have gone off "ad infinitum" about the myth that there is no pain in MS. I will try to find the last thread in which I sputtered my way into hand fatigue countering that bit of total nonsense. Here is that thread. Mine is the second post:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/612090
Julie - You know how I feel about dismissing MS based on some arbitrary time in which the lesions do or do not change. This is a question I would like to see put to Dr. Kantor, if he would answer it. That is, within the field of clinical MS care is there an expectation that a person with MS with have an increase in lesions within a few months or even a few years? In other words, if the lesions don't change in 3-months, 1 year, or 3 years can it be said with any certainty that the person does not have MS?
Now, I have to defend your PCP a little on the point of not knowing that the neurologist was an idiot. It is impossible for a general practitioner to know the specifics of all the diseases, conditions and variations out there. That is why we have specialists. We try to choose specialists for our patients that are good, so we can depend on their judgment.
Most general practitioners will not see a great number of MS patients and thus will not have occasion to learn all about the disease.
I think you had other reasons for firing her, but I had to do a reality check there.
Well, my circulation is improved and I have had my exercise for the day.
Carry on.
Quix
Okay, I'm back. Still piping mad --- and angry, of course, too.
If a doctor reports in the medical record that he did an exam when he didn't - he is committing flagrant medical fraud. If this results in you not getting the care you need it begins to include medical malpractice. If he "billed" for an exam he did not do it also includes insurance fraud. You can get the billing question answered by contacting your insurance company.
At the VERY LEAST he deserves a letter of complaint sent to the State Board of Medical Examiners for your state. Do not defeat yourself in advance by believing that the body will automatically discard your statement over the doctor's word. They may or may not, but they will contact him for his statement. At the very least it will remind him to touch a patient before claiming to have done an exam. Here is a list of the various boards for the states:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2645.html
But, I also believe that a letter to your insurance company is also in order. They get very upset about insurance fraud. If you were on Medicare it becomes a federal offense, I think.
nncdalton (nancy?) - I have gone off "ad infinitum" about the myth that there is no pain in MS. I will try to find the last thread in which I sputtered my way into hand fatigue countering that bit of total nonsense. Here is that thread. Mine is the second post:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/612090
Julie - You know how I feel about dismissing MS based on some arbitrary time in which the lesions do or do not change. This is a question I would like to see put to Dr. Kantor, if he would answer it. That is, within the field of clinical MS care is there an expectation that a person with MS with have an increase in lesions within a few months or even a few years? In other words, if the lesions don't change in 3-months, 1 year, or 3 years can it be said with any certainty that the person does not have MS?
Now, I have to defend your PCP a little on the point of not knowing that the neurologist was an idiot. It is impossible for a general practitioner to know the specifics of all the diseases, conditions and variations out there. That is why we have specialists. We try to choose specialists for our patients that are good, so we can depend on their judgment.
Most general practitioners will not see a great number of MS patients and thus will not have occasion to learn all about the disease.
I think you had other reasons for firing her, but I had to do a reality check there.
Well, my circulation is improved and I have had my exercise for the day.
Carry on.
Quix
Hey Bio!
Well, it never ends does it. Are you ready to get a new neuro yet? I go with nncdalton about the a$$ part!!! My GP told me that MS doesn't cause muscle spasms, yea, right!!!
I have my first neuro appt next Wed and I so hope he is not like the ones I've heard so much about on the forum. I'm afraid after all these years and being so devastated by all my symptoms if he is an a$$ I may lose my temper.....hahaha
Really, bio, don't you think that it's time to kick this guy to the curb? You don't deserve this nonsense. You need a neuro who cares about you and cares about taking care of you.
I hope things improve for you, and I'm so sorry you had to listen to such garbage from an uncaring neuro. Weenie roast is right!!!
Hugs,
doni
Well, it never ends does it. Are you ready to get a new neuro yet? I go with nncdalton about the a$$ part!!! My GP told me that MS doesn't cause muscle spasms, yea, right!!!
I have my first neuro appt next Wed and I so hope he is not like the ones I've heard so much about on the forum. I'm afraid after all these years and being so devastated by all my symptoms if he is an a$$ I may lose my temper.....hahaha
Really, bio, don't you think that it's time to kick this guy to the curb? You don't deserve this nonsense. You need a neuro who cares about you and cares about taking care of you.
I hope things improve for you, and I'm so sorry you had to listen to such garbage from an uncaring neuro. Weenie roast is right!!!
Hugs,
doni
Well, my dear, you got the ball rolling on this one. Just in time for the Friday Nite Weenie Roast!!
I'll add to this careless and callous progress letter experience from your neuro with one my last and since "fired" neuro sent to my PCP. He said that since I didn't have any new lesions on the 3 month follow-up MRI, then it COULDN'T be MS. My PCP looked at me and said "well, I guess it's not MS while handing me a copy of his letter. Of course we all know that this is WRONG information, but my former (fired her yesterday) PCP believed it without even blinking an eye.
Yikes! Are these guys stupid, lazy, or are they just forgetting what they did or didn't do at our appointments when they get around to dictating their notes?
What concerns me when things like this happens is that it can very well affect the care we get from our doctors. There has got to be a way to head this off before the doctor writes such stupid things that aren't true. Hmmm....I wonder if you were to ask your neuro to cc: you on the next progress letter he sends if that might make him think before he writes a bunch of nonsense. Or maybe after your next appointment you can get a copy of whatever he sent your PCP ahead of any appointment you have with that PCP so at least you will know what was written.
Thanks for bringing this weenie to our roast tonight. Anyone have any marshmallows? Only kidding. We love our neurologists now don't we.
Julie
I'll add to this careless and callous progress letter experience from your neuro with one my last and since "fired" neuro sent to my PCP. He said that since I didn't have any new lesions on the 3 month follow-up MRI, then it COULDN'T be MS. My PCP looked at me and said "well, I guess it's not MS while handing me a copy of his letter. Of course we all know that this is WRONG information, but my former (fired her yesterday) PCP believed it without even blinking an eye.
Yikes! Are these guys stupid, lazy, or are they just forgetting what they did or didn't do at our appointments when they get around to dictating their notes?
What concerns me when things like this happens is that it can very well affect the care we get from our doctors. There has got to be a way to head this off before the doctor writes such stupid things that aren't true. Hmmm....I wonder if you were to ask your neuro to cc: you on the next progress letter he sends if that might make him think before he writes a bunch of nonsense. Or maybe after your next appointment you can get a copy of whatever he sent your PCP ahead of any appointment you have with that PCP so at least you will know what was written.
Thanks for bringing this weenie to our roast tonight. Anyone have any marshmallows? Only kidding. We love our neurologists now don't we.
Julie
I am so glad that you posted this. I've wanted to say this the whole time I have been a member here. I took a graduate class with a neuro. He was an a$$ and the bad thing was he wasn't that smart but he sure thought he was.
My Dr told me that pain was not a factor with MS. You are not going to tell me that making yourself get up when you feel dibilitating fatigue and do all of the things that someone does normally like work or take care of your children, do the shopping, cleaning the house, will not cause pain. Hell yes it causes pain. I think there are many of you that will agree with me that we suffer pain from this disease. Am I wrong?
My Dr told me that pain was not a factor with MS. You are not going to tell me that making yourself get up when you feel dibilitating fatigue and do all of the things that someone does normally like work or take care of your children, do the shopping, cleaning the house, will not cause pain. Hell yes it causes pain. I think there are many of you that will agree with me that we suffer pain from this disease. Am I wrong?
Hate to say it but I can relate 100%!!! If he were a chartered accountant and was telling lies about your income on your tax return you can bet your bottom dollar that he would be taken to task and hauled up in front of the world as an example of the worst sinners in the world! Imagine someone trying to rip off the government!
But screw with any patient in the health care system and nothing is said and who would believe us anyway? Especially in the case of the self -involved neurologists...after all they portray themselves as being a higher being that should be treated with respect because of their title and yet we can be manipulated and lied to and we are to just let it pass?
I have to agree my dear...GRRRRRRR!!!!!!
Rena
But screw with any patient in the health care system and nothing is said and who would believe us anyway? Especially in the case of the self -involved neurologists...after all they portray themselves as being a higher being that should be treated with respect because of their title and yet we can be manipulated and lied to and we are to just let it pass?
I have to agree my dear...GRRRRRRR!!!!!!
Rena
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