My latest Neuro Apt (today) what a waste of time

[Sailorsong]

Well I got home a little while ago from the appt the VA set up with a local Neuro. As suspected it was a totla waste of my time. Luckily it was only a 10 mile drive and I only spent about 1/2 hour there.

First off the Doctor had no idea of why the VA set up this appointment nor did I. They only thing he could come up with is that maybe they wanted him to do an Evoked Potential test which he does not do.

Next it was obvious he knows nothing about MS and I suspect he feels that men can not get MS because right from the start he was saying I do not have MS. When he asked about health problems in my family as soon as I started to tell him other members of my family have MS he said that MS can't run in families. When I mentioned that both of my legs are numb he said MS does not cause that. Same with blured and double vision and even losing sight completely in one eye (NOT MS). According to him all of my problems are from high BP and heart problems. He even shot done my abnormal CSF as not MS. And the exam he gave me was really lousy. Had me walk acroos the room, flash his light in my eyes, and poked me with a pin.

Actually when he poked me with the pin I discovered that not only are my legs numb but also my upper back. Something that I didn't realize. I think he had already formed an opinion about me before he even saw me. His finaly statement was that my numbness was confusing.

I guess I will have to contact the VA Patient Advocacy (once again) to try and find out why they sent me to this ( Crackpot) doctor.

Dennis

[HVAC]

Sorry man. I had a neurologist who I was referred to diagnose MS , who specialilized in headaches. That is all she cared about. When on the third visit I questioned why she was not testing for MS she threw me out of her office and sent my PCP a note saying I did not have MS (which I did) and I liked having headaches. Now I go to an MS Specialist who tells me he is not there to treat my MS symptoms, just prescribe Copaxone.

Keep the faith.

Alex

[Sailorsong]

Thanks for all the kind word of encouragement. I can use all I can get. Today my friend Dave (100 % service connected disabilty) is seeing his doctor at the VA and I'm sure I'll get an earfull when he gets back.

Fluffysmom:

I looked up this doctor's bio online prior to the appt. It did state he was a Shrink with a Neuro sub classification, But for the last 10 years his practice has been a family practice with sports medicine speciallity. So it is no wonder he doesn't know anything about MS.

Tammy:

No he is not from KY, but he is practicing only one state south of there. :) Actually he is from CA and move to TN 10 years ago to work at a hospital here in TN, He was fired from that job after 6 months. Since then he has had practices in about a half dozen cities here.

Thanks again all!

Dennis

[Lulu54]

Ok Dennis, I was having the most amazingly good day thanks to my neuro appt and then I read your update.  It is night and day the differences... and now I a fuming because you continue to get dismissed with what obivously are serious symptoms.

I am so sorry this continues.
Lulu

[Tammy826]

I'm sorry you didn't get ant answers today! I know how absolutely frustrating it is! He thinks men don't get MS...geez...does he not watch tv or not... Montel Williams is a man !!! Sounds like you have had the same luck with DRs that I have. Is he from KY by ant chance?? Sorry...it really akes me angry that so many of us have to go through this. Wouldn't  it be nice if they somehow forced a class in common sense on these neuros??? Hang in there & keep on keeping on, I know these are cliche's but waht else can we do. I'll keep you in my prayers & hopefully we will both have answers soon! God bless you & I'm sorry you had such a lousy excuse for a Dr.

[borntolose102]

Dang I would have wanted to knock the dude down. Seriously though, go for a gal neurologist. Mine is/was just amazing. She called me last week and told me she was leaving private practice to go public and it about crushed me. She has given me some ladies at UT Southwest who are doing a study, yeah I get to be a lab rat but here is hoping the new drugs will do well. Hang in there and hopefully you will get someone with some bedside manner and emotions. A diagnosis would be grand also so you can move on instead of living with doubt...

[Fluffysmom]

I'm sorry you had such a worthless appointment; this guy was really a neurologist?  He must not read much literature on what's up in the neurology world.

I'm glad that you can continue to be persistant.  Maybe Patient Advocacy can actually do something for you some day soon.  And for your friend Dave, too.

Thanks for hanging in there.  Have you kept track of all these dead ends?  Maybe it wouldn't hurt to write it up and try to reach someone that can make a difference.

Wishing you the best,

Kathy

[Ufrustrated2]

Indeed some VAs are shining examples of top notch health care and preventive medicine but i'm afraid that is a small sample.

I take  an AD for pain, cymbalta, low dose. and i will say it has helped with the irritability that i carried around for quite a long time, never knowing why until recently. i think it has "dulled" the pain a bit not much. i take if for the irritability factor and it helps with that.

When i was in Cal the civilian doctors in that area where worse then the VA as far as patient care was concerned - my opinion. So i stuck to the VA. I'm sure it was frustrating to them trying to figure out the root cause of my symptoms, but honestly, if they weren't so quick to dismiss everything as a "head case" and "bottom line counting" they could have gotten much closer to the root cause.  When I was a kid I think I remember that is what doctoring was about. You know, part scientist, part problem solver, part diagnostician - get to the root cause and nip it in the bud. I don't have a clue what it is now days.

I'm not surprised about your friend Dave. Matt Burden from the warriorlegacyfoundation.org was on TV the other night speaking about the dismal care veterans are getting these days - in general. Specifically he spoke of the long wait time for things such as emergency MRIs and care. Unless it is imminent death without surgery, looks like they'll put it off as long as possible. Rx out pills and such to help with symptoms, but no surgery.

Best of luck with your ongoing fight.

help Dave to hang in there, you and Dave hang tough ...

[Sailorsong]

The rusults of my LP indicate a high WBC (sign of demylation), very low Protien, and very high ALBUMIN. I don't know what the last two mean though. The latest progress report from the Neuro I have been seeing at the VA state that I probably had RRMS which has now become SPMS but they have other causes to rule out yet. The VA Neuro also indicated that I have T2 hyperintensities in my white matter. I forgot to mention in my OP that the doctor I saw today asked me about the Trazodone that I take. I told him it was for nerve pain and not only did he not understand what nerve pain was he though it was a steroid. I didn't bother correcting him about it being a AD drug.

I have been trying to find out what is going on with me for over 20 years now, but have only been going to the VA for 1 year. I started going to the VA because the local doctors where I live are really bad (like the one I saw today). The ones around here wouldn't even order any tests to see what is going on. So in the long run going to the VA has been positive in some respects, though over the last year both my friend Dave and I have noticed the care is getting worse each month. Dave needs a hernia operation and they keep telling they want to wait until he is healthy for 2 months before they do the operation, but of course because of the hernia he is lucky if he makes it for more than 2 weeks before he is again in the ER because of intestenal blockages due to the hernia.

Dennis

[Ufrustrated2]

Writing Congress or the VA sub-committees in DC is a waste of time. I've done it for a number of years. All you'll get is a standard "thank you" for writing the letter.

A local Senator here has been a bit more proactive. Yet the VA still passes BS back to them. But at least they are staying with it and I believe getting to see that system for it is in it's broken state.

If you have been watching the national news recently I hope you all have caught the segments on the problems at the VA. At least most of the VAs. Some are way different than others. Their method of operation is NOT to diagnosis or do treatment unless it is a life threatening emergency. They do this for one reason only, money and disability payments. No diagnosis, no disability. No diagnosis, no specific treatment, thus less cost to them. Then there is the purposely mis-diagnosis for the same above reasons. There are thousands of veterans in this blackhole. Most Americans do not realize this goes on.

I still think it is good to fire off letters to at least get it documented. A positive way to release frustration too.

Sailorsong, my CSF is abnormal too, yet at times the VA likes to say that is normal for me. Sometimes, they say I have a real problem, but stop short of Dx commitment.

What is your results for CSF? While on active duty after an injury, mine was positive ofr O-bands and a high IgG. Now my O-bands are >5.

Sorry to hear you go through that shipmate. Been there myself, and it truly defies logic.

[Karen99]

I don't know how long you have been seeking a diagnosis, but I guess it's been a long time.  I would suggest you contact your council person, congressman and senator.

See what they will do for one of their constituants.  

The VA outsourced you (be glad they didn't send you to India :-)  )  and paid the neuro $45.00 for his time.  Little wonder the neuro knows nothing.

I am sorry that you are having these problems, with your health and the medical "professionals."