lots of questions :/ mimics, L'hermites and insurance

[iambus]

Hi! Sorry in advance if this is a long post :/

1st question: Once briefly someone mentioned an MS mimic that has pretty much all the symptoms of MS but seems to effect the R side most of the time.  I think it started with a C? Does anyone happen to know which disease this is?

2nd question: In reading a lot of posts it seems like most people have L'hermites and also have problems walking when they close their eyes.  I don't have either of those so far.  Is that something that everyone with MS experiences? If I don't have either of those does that mean I don't have MS?

3rd question: ok, here's the long one...Insurance...dun dun DUN! Does anyone know how insurances work when it comes to signing up when you may have health issues? ...I have been on an individual PPO.  Its like the most basic insurance plan.  I only get 2 drs visit a year :/  I have been having a really hard time with my health and 2 months ago scheduled an apt with an MS specialist and I've been counting down the days until my apt because my symptoms are making it really hard for me to work.  My apt is on Tuesday.

unbeknownst (sp?) to me, my boss signed us up for a group plan at work and it starts retroactivly July 1s and that my old insurance retroactively ends July 1st.  The new insurance is a better insurance with unlimited drs. visits.  The insurance dude came and had me sign a document saying I have no prior health issues.  I mentioned to the rep that I have a drs apt this tuesday and asked if it was going to be covered by insurance.  He asked what the apt was for.  I lied and said it was just a check up.  

If the new insurance finds out I saw an MS specialist would they be able to reject me?  I don't know what I should do.  My boss thinks I should cancel my appointment and wait a few weeks after the new insurance starts but it was hard getting an appointment and I know if I cancel my appointment it will take several more months to get an appointment with them and I don't know if I can stand that. I don't even know if they even accept my new insurance :/  Anyone been in a similar situation and have any advice? :/

4th sorta question, more just worried:  I have become scared of going to the dr I think.  The last 2 drs I went to were very rude and unfriendly and were totally unwilling to help me.  It's made me very scared of going to more drs in fear that they will be the same way :(  Even though I am one of the most honest people you'll meet, I got the feeling like both of the last 2 drs thought I was making stuff up (as far as my symptoms go).  I don't know how I should approach this new dr.   Like people suggest on this forum, for the last dr (a neurologist) I made a time line but he barely read it (kind just read a few things here and there) and acted annoyed that I had presented him with a time line :/ So now I'm not sure if I should give this new dr a time line or if it would be better to not give her one :(

Thank you for letting me ask questions :)

[iambus]

Thank you both for your comments and suggestions :) Hope you both had a great 4th of July :)  I am going to see the Dr. today Eik!

[MonkeyMom4]

Question 1: Not sure of the condition you're thinking of.

Question 2: One thing I've learned about people with MS is that you can NEVER use the term EVERYONE. ;) Everyone is soooo different.

Question 3: You do not under any circumstances have to tell that insurance rep about any of your medical conditions. If you had CREDIBLE medical coverage before getting this insurance and there was no gap in coverage then you are fine. I would KEEP the appointment without a doubt. If you say your coverage started on the first and your appointment is on the 5th then your find. As to any concern about a pre-exisiting condition....well, doesn't seem like you've been diagnosed with anything, so what condition could they deny you coverage for!?!  

You could also say (not that you have to) that you went to the doc b/c of fatigue (which could be anemia or whatever) or that you had been dizzy (they could assume inner ear infection). You do not have to say that you're concerned you have MS.

Like I said, as long as you had coverage before and coverage now, and weren't diagnosed with any condition during a gap in coverage then you are fine.

Hope I didn't confuse you any.

Good luck to you! Keep us posted.

[supermum_ms]

Hi and welcome,

I think its a long weekend so the forum maybe quiet untill later in the week, i'll do my best to answer your questions.

Q1. I cant think of any MS mimic that spacifically targets the right side of the body, there is a mimic that starts with C Celiac disease but that doesn't target one side over the other from what i know.

Q2. L'hermites & Romberg's (falling with closed eyes) are both classic clinical MS signs, indicating the higher probability that the problem is neurological. MS is not the only cause of either but those signs coupled with other clinical evidence is highly suggestive of MS. I could not even fathom a guess if it means you dont have MS because of not having these signs, you may have other classic clinical MS signs or MRI evidence etc too hard to say.

Q3. I haven't had the situation happen but i would not put future medical care in jepardy if i could help it. The chance of getting help straight away is unlikely, dx of MS can take years and all mimics need to be ruled out prior, MS is a dx of exclusion. I'd cancel the appointment and wait until your new health insurance is established.

Q4. I think its always best to not bring prior experiences into the appt, they can cause unnecessary stresses when they didn't go well before, new beginings and all that positive thoughts stuff. The time line is important but many dr's prefer to find clinical signs of a neurological condition before they get interested, it depends on the dr really. Maybe read through what you've written and if possible simplify it as much as possible. Often its better to see how the first appt goes, the dr may only have time to take a brief history then do a neurological assessment looking for clinical signs that it is a possible/probable neurological issue. You can always take it and play it by ear.

I wanted to ask what the other neurologists recommended, if any thing was dx or if alternative dx were mentioned at all? All possibilities do need to be explored, even if a mental health condition is mentioned, psych testing will rule that in or out and give you additional evidence towards the problem being physical, same goes for all the tests youve had to find the problem.

Anyway, good luck..........JJ