Free from Dr. Ego at Last!

[Christi888]

"Free at last, free at last......"---Today...I JUST changed neuros! ) (He's in the same group....MUCH nicer guy!...just that it is difficult changing Drs......!)Yesterday...me and wlfe went to my now..."former"...neuro...."Dr. Ego"-! He came in....did not look up at me...(i said to myself...uh..oh....!)--and..I was correct-!He proceeded to (with my wife sitting across the room)- scold me..pointing his finger...!Told me--1) I should go to ANY site...! (including this one) 2) not send him any articles....on neurolgy....(He has seen them all....AND..."Ive been to medical school...& had 4 yrs of residency...he already ...knows it all!)"3) said i was..."dispecting"..him....by not believing in HIS diagnosis! Told me....IF i continue.......he would "HAVE to release me from his care!" i WANTED to go to the other "movement disorder"....neuro in the group...BUT,,,....He said...."I don't know...if i wanna give him....a 'problem"!I took umbrage to that comment....& told him....i have 3 other specialists at Jefferson...ENT.....Gastro...Cardio...Have been seeing them.,..many years...NO PROBLEMS! The guy is an egomaniac...& in a way....a bully! I apologized THREE times! Dear BFSers.....he continued..."lecturing'..."scolding"...and downright...:"humiliating me"....taking up about 20 minutes of precious time! Also--said..."im curious what Mayo Clinic will say! I doubt they'll tell you anything differently!(I "feel"....deep in my heart...he RESENTS...me applying AND getting accepted to Mayo---WITHOUT his help! I wrote my OWN "summary letter"...& sent in my test results!) I had my questions on a 3X 5 card! He did NOT check my reflexes.......address my new symptoms---just watched me walk! Then....said.."I'm running behind......We'll have to stop!" I was VERY unsatisfied! Today--I called up the CHIEF neuro---The "big boss"....& he calleed back....an hour later----I and wife on other phone....told story!The chief neuro listened! Said to me...(and wife)--"r. Ego.....is a good Doctor!"...I came back with..."Oh....he may be a good Dr----it's his PERSONALITY I have a problem with!" And the usual..."protect & defend"...the DR....nonsense! But.....my objective was achieved--& i'm sure Dr. Ego......will be a bit..."ticked off"...! Too bad!Anyway...after me and wife both chatted.....w him....the hief neuro assured me..I could see the guy I WANTED to see!Just thought i'd share this!-- )

 

[MarioMasher]

I'm sure this isn't the same response that everyone will give, but what if Dr. Ego was right? Wouldn't you feel the same way if your roles were reversed?

 

[simonw00]

I think Mario has a point, although it does sound as if the doctor's manner was quite unacceptable and the way in which the message was delivered was bolshy to say the least. I recell seeing my neurologist over a year ago and her saying quite bluntly that my real problem was not the BFS but the health anxiety that it had provoked and that the sooner I addressed this latter issue the better. She was 100% correct of course and the course of CBT I ended up doing as a result made the anxiety much better (although I still twitch and ache etc as much as I ever did). However, once you lose faith in your doctor, as Christian has in his, then there is no doubt that it is best for both parties to move on, so I think this is a good outcome for you Christian. If you strip away the rude and sanctimonious manner in which he imparted his advice and look at the advice itself, he is probably right to suggest that you try to reduce your anxiety by not trawling the web and looking at medical papers.These activities keep your symptoms very much front of mind and the skill that it has taken me well over a year to learn is to let them sink into the back of your mind so that you can ignore them and get on with life. I used to look at this site many times a day in a bit to assuage my anxiety and I am not sure, with the benefit of hindsight, whether this was so wise.RegardsSimon

 

[paucek.sheldon1]

Hi Christian,I feel you did right to switch neuros. And you should not see this guy again.My perspective is medicine is as much, and perhaps more, an art than it is a science. And as an art nobody has a lock on all knowledge. Even with the same med, different patients can react very differently! Because people are different and our bodies are different.The better perspective for a doctor, in my opinion, is to be willing to try different things as long as the risk to the patient is low. To keep an open mind.I wouldn't see this guy simply beause having a closed mind will cause him to not be open to treatments which 'push the envelope' or are 'beyond known medicial knowledge', which is of course always changing.Most of us who have had BFS for a while have had a run in with a bad dr. But I have had more good doctors than bad doctors. 'Turn around, shake the dust off your shoes, and go to sombodoy else'.-43RichyThe43rd

 

[Christi888]

43RichyThe43rd--First off...THANK YOU! ) Mario-You don't know me---& i;m NOT one of these "hypochondrial maniacs"-!Again...I see FIVE specialists...(not all the time....except for cardio---ENT...gasto...etc)-from time to time!Would NOT have minded his uncalled for "scolding"--(I taught JR High school....for 12 yrs...& if I woulda "berated"...& belittled.....a student....like he did me----I woulda been "called on the carpet"...by the principlal-!)YOU.....have no idea.....of1) My state of mind now...! (I KNOW...i do not have a MND)----just want to express to him....my new symptoms.....& "throw some ideas"...his way--to get HIS feedback-! This guy...is an..."ex attorney"...(I NEVER liked most lawyers)--& has an ego bigger than your clown nose....(or real one....i don't know)--2) He was...negligent...in wasting MY time...I was PAYING for......by him..."berating"..me over & over.about the same thing...for....at least 12-16 mins...(estimate)---of my time with him! I had my questions written on a 3X5 card...yet....did not have the time to ask....because we ran out of time......because he was beating a dead horse...AFTER i apologized---THREE times to him....telling him....I was NOT doubting his Dx.....only asking QUESTIONS! Especially....about my new...& somewhat alarming symptoms! (I'm NOT one....who constantly asks....about the same thing.,..AFTER i've been assured,..OK?)---I was getting...NEW symptoms....(like....a strange sudden "off balance"...feeling!)---NOT the same old questions about little....harmless fasics!This guy DOES have,....."ego"...issues! Trust me...i'm not the..ONLY one who has said this...(I've since found out)--!I just wanted....as 43RichyThe43rd so astutely pointed out......something of the "art"...practiced! He kept repeating ad nauseum....."All your studies are unremarkable.."---I DON'T give a rats ass---! I'm getting new...scary symptoms! Help me to understand them-!Mario---you're one of these guys.....i'm sensing---who quickly reads a post....& makes a quick assumption!AGAIN...read ---my---lips--! I was NOT coming up w any strange...new diseases! OK? Hai capite? (I'm Sicilian...you MUST be Calabrese...."capadura")----Also--As i TOLD him..(and he agreed)--neurology...is THE most...'subjective'...of all the specialties!''Cardiology---you have an artery....80% blocked--it shows up on the studies...& they do a bypass!Gastroenterology.....you have a polyp in the colon...it's removed--Neurology----you get muscle spasms.....THEN....unsteadiness.... ---THAT....is scary! Nothing "shows up"...on the studies!And...when...this "clown"...(You're not the only one)----starts...berating me...AND....NOT addressing my symptoms and concerns---WELL---why don't you ask HIM.....(if you could)---how HE would react.....if HE were getting these sypmtoms....& he had some *beep*....arrogant.....know it all neuro..."blow him off"? OK...?Again...I am NOT one of these patients.....who "obsesses"....on one symptom! I just want someone to listen...& at least...TRY to explain....to his patient! His that asking to much? No....be a good boy....& you get a ricotta canolli---!