MS clinic at OSU?

[Lulu54]

Greetings everyone,
I  was wondering if any of you are patients at the OSU MC Clinic?  My referral was made to them (I had my choice of there or CC) and I am waiting to hear back for my new patient appt time. I hope to know something tomorrow.

Because I will have to travel about 1.5 hours each way to get there (and especially with the cost of gas and my time) I am wondering if you also travel, are you able to do a lot of diagnostic testing at home or does everything get done in Columbus? My PCP said she would do whatever she can here to help.  Incidentally, she already has 4 patients being seen at OSU and I will make #5.  

Any insight you can give me about the MS clinic will be greatly appreciated ..... even if it is general stuff like how difficult is the traffic in the area and should I allow extra time to be prompt for appts? Do you have a favorite neuro there? Do they offer patient centered care or are they more interested in their research?

I am anxious to get this started and have so many questions - this site has been wonderful with all the info I am trying to digest as much as possible.

[Lulu54]

I am a pt at OSU and would not change for love or money.  They are great and my doctor is wonderful.  I know they are also swamped with requests to be seen but it doesn't hurt for you to pick up the phone and call and ask if they got your paperwork.  I have a feeling the ball got dropped somewhere.

Cincinnati - at least UC - is minus an MS Specialist right now.  Maria Melan son has left practice and is now employed by a pharmaceutical company.   There are other docs in Cinci who might work for you.

I'm sorry you are looking at an MS diagnosis - please be sure and come around and ask your questions.  We have some great and knowledgeable people here always willing to help out. Good lock andsee you around, Laura

[shawn8874]

thanks for the info my nero in chilicothie told me he believes i have ms and is refering me to osu it has been three weeks now and have herd nothing maybe i will look at cincinatti???

[Lulu54]

I heard from them today and I have an appointment at the MS clinic at OSU TOMORROW!  I still can't believe how fast this is moving for me after reading so many of your posts about limboland.  

Any advice on what to expect from a first time appt?

Thanks
Laura

[slightlybroken]

If you have enhancing lesions, I would think you have plenty of evidence. Dr. Hawker I heard is a wonderful MS specialist at OSU.

They have a website
http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/multiple_sclerosis/about/

I think the one in Cincinnati is called the Waddell Clinic. Here is there link.
http://www.tnicincinnati.com/ms.html

[Lulu54]

Cincinnati has an MS clinic too?  I didn';t know that - just stopped looking after hearing Columbus and Clevelahas nd.  I figured we were lucky to have two in Ohio.  

I appreciate the warning - I understand getting in there is very hard.  My brain MRI has plenty of lesions, including enhancing active ones plus blackholes.  You would think that was enough evidence and then you through in my physical symptoms and I don't think it can be anything except MS.  

I will look into Cincinnati as a backup.

Thanks,
Laura

[slightlybroken]

The MS clinic at OSU is a wonderful place. My mother's boss goes there. They have the state of the art MRI machines. They even have a 3 tesla plus higher strengths teslas. They have all the specialist on site to deal with every problem you have with MS.

The bad thing, and I will warn you, it is a great place but when I tried to see a  MS specialist they reviewed my case, and since I wasn't DX with MS (I'm trying to find out if I have this) and my case was not a clear case of MS (I have evidence but not enough to make a DX) they wouldn't even let me in the door. So they referred me to their neurology department.

I was a little upset but I thought I could get my foot in the door and at least be able to get on the best machines. Well that was a joke. I went to the neurology department and explained all my symptoms and they did the exam. I was told that I had MS symptoms but (and this is the big but) they didn't think I had anything (autoimmune disease or MS) and that I was suffering from stress. It brought me to tears because I thought I would get answers from them. The doctors looked me in the eye and said, "you don't have anything life threatening." The doctors there even ordered new MRIs of my c-spine and brain but ordered it on their oldest 1.5 tesla, which wasn't worth my time and money to go to. My GP thought that I did have something wrong and so does my opthamogist. 2 weeks later I was in the hospital with blood clots in my leg.

Let's just say I never went back to them and was ready to throw in the towel. I did find a good neuro recently but wasted my time at OSU. Please don't take this the wrong way. This is just my experience. If you have a clear cut case of MS then it is a great place to go to but if you don't, you might want to consider Cincinnati's MS clinic or something else. I don't think OSU MS clinic will see you unless your DX or it's obvious that you have MS.