Two Rules For Neuro Visits

[MsWobbles]

Hi all,

I've stayed away for a while.

This week I had my long-scheduled visit to a neuro who had failed me once before - I was giving him another chance because other people had later raved about him to me.  Big mistake!  If a neuro is a turkey once, he ain't gonna change no matter what other good things you might later hear about him from others.  
Rule #1:  NEVER give a turkey neuro another chance to make you feel bad.

Rule #2:  Since arrogance and dishonesty have reached a new unbelievable level in neuros, always bring someone with you to your neuro visits to witness what other people would never believe if they only heard it from you!

See, during the physical exam when I was asked to walk heel-to-toe, I was demonstrating all kinds of balance issues and was essentially unable to do it without holding onto the examining neuro (which the neuros suggested saying they'd be able to feel how much off balance I was).  Then during the Romberg test (bare feet together and closed eyes) I fell immediately to the left side and was caught by the neuro.  You'd think that meant I had a positive exam - right?  Wrong!  According to these two university-based neuros (consisting of the top neuro and his very young new MD who was assisting), my exam was totally negative.  They both chorused in unison, as if rehearsed, that my balance was excellent!  Why?  Because when I started to fall, I could, by changing my stance and using my arms, keep myself from landing on the floor.  Never mind that I could not do the tasks requested without demonstrating balance disturbance, the fact that I could then compensate for my balance problems and stay off the floor meant that I had excellent balance!  So that is what they were going to write in my report - that I had normal and excellent balance.

I found it hard to believe that those neuros could look me in the eye and cold-bloodedly LIE about what had just happened.  In the past I had caught a neuro falsifying the report put in my chart, but I had never before experienced neuros just outright lying about things to my face.  I guess this may herald a new trend (at least in the university setting) that you all should be aware of.

Be forewarned.  Oh, and I would avoid the university setting altogether where, in my experience and opinion, morals are at their lowest!

Weakandfalling

[tarter]

To Weakland falling,

If i had a dime for every story I hear that is not un simular to yours I would be rich!
What is it about these moorons they seem to get great pleasure out of being rude ignorant
and just plain stupid.

My Rombergs is very positive acording to GP and Rhemy yet Neuro thought I dramatised
it slightly!! Why would someone want to have a positive test?
He never asks how I am he is more interested in my husbands business, I will always reply I do not want benifits we are ok finacially That shuts him up.

He then tells me how lucky I am I could be much worse!! How much worse to I have to get before he shows some concern?

This is the Neuro who writes on my notes ?PPMS He has a strange way of assessing someone.

You are right about taking someone with you he is much more polite when I am ocompanied by somebody.

Hope you get some answers soon Weakandfalling.

tarter

[green924]

I HAVE TONS OF PROBLEMS WITH MY NEURO TOO. SEEING HIM THE FEW TIMES I HAVE, HAVE BEEN HORRIBLE. HE WONT TALK WITH ME -OR- MY HUSBAND HARDLY... HIS ANSWER TO EVERTHING I ASK HIM IS TO TALK TO MY PCP ABOUT ALL, AND I KNOW HE IS ONLY WORRIED ABOUT THE $!

I DONT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE BC OF PRE-EXISTING CONDS, AND EVEN THOUGH I WAS MAKING PAYMENTS TO HIM, I GUESS IT WASN'T ENOUGH. AT MY LAST APPT THEY HAD TURNED ME OVER TO COLLECTIONS AND CANCELLED MY APPT WITHOUT EVEN CALLING OR ANYTHING! HE WASN'T GOING TO SEE ME AT ALL UNTIL I GUESS MY PANIC ATTACK WAS BAD ENOUGH AND HE 'HAD JUST STARTED ME ON COPAXONE LIKE A MONTH BEFORE' SO HE DECIDED TO SEE ME LMAO! YEAH FOR LIKE 10 MINUTES!!!

ANYWAYS... MY PCP IS TRYING TO HELP ME GO TO A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL? DO YOU MIND ME ASKING WHICH 1 YOU WENT 2? I DONT KNOW HOW MANY MORE 'BAD' VISITS I CAN HANDLE SINCE THIS HAS ALL TOOK MORE THAN 10 YEARS ALREADY! UGH...

SO SORRY ANYBODY ELSE HAS TO GO THRU STUFF LIKE THIS! I'M WITH YOU ABOUT THE NEUROS BEING THE WORST!!! WISH I COULD FIND 1 THAT WAS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT COMPASSIONATE ,CARING BUT KNOW SOMETHING 2! HA!

[ShockedToday]

I feel the same way about my neuro (and he's not the first one by a long shot!)  At my last appt I told him things that had improved since starting a new medication, things that were the same and things that were worse.  

One of the things that has been slowly but steadily getting worse is my balance.  When I mentioned that, he asked me to stand up and walk across the room (all of 3 or 4 steps), turn around and come back.  When I did he said I didn't have a balance problem.  Huh???  Then why when I bend over to get something I have I found myself suddenly lying on the floor?  Why do I have to walk next to a wall to keep from tobbling (? if it's a word....lol) over if I have to turn suddenly?  Why has my husband had to catch me several times because I started to fall in front of him?  

Oh, and then he dropped the bomb.....I don't have MS after all.  This after seeing me all of 1 time before!

I'm still so p@#$ that I don't want to see another doctor for years if I can help it!  And yep, I'm beginning to think the neuros are the worst of the bunch.  Maybe it's about the $.  I stopped the dmd and refuse to take anymore.   Hhhmmm........something to ponder.

[mistylee]

I had the same thing happen to me on the Romberg test and nothing was reported. Obviously falling off balance is not considered a positive??? WTF??

Still trying to understand it myself. The other thing the neuro did was when we talked about my hyper reflexic reflexes in legs (including clonus)......hyperreflexic was his words not mine, didn't even know what it was then, well the only thing written in my report was brisk reflexes ????? WTF???

Needless to say I am just as baffled as you. I mentioned what happened to my Dr with the reflexes just to cover myself really and she said maybe because both legs did it , and wasn't asymmetrical??  They didnt do it last neuro exam 3 years ago.

Go figure??

I am wondering why they bother doing the neuro exam if they ain't even gonna take any notice of the evidence staring them in the face!!!  

Mistylee