Neurologist

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:52 pm

My appointment didn't happen. It wasn't cancelled though, here's the story.

I showed up about an hour early for a 4pm appt., having been out and about doing other things and wound up being there early. Signed in and waited. They had a TV in the waiting room to pass the time.

The time for my appointment came and went, at +15 mins., I asked the receptionist how much longer it would be. I was informed he was running behind and there were 2 patients already waiting in the exam rooms and 3 more ahead of me in the waiting room which could amount to anywhere between 30-60 mins.

I didn't comment, just politely asked for my co-payment back, received it, told her to cancel this and my upcoming appt. next month and left.

This is very disappointing. It started off very well, then calls weren't returned for 2-4 days and now this. It wasn't like I was calling every day or multiple times a day like a hypochondriac. And then having to make an appointment for a 5 minute consultation/conversation (ridiculous).

I'll be calling the doctors on my list tomorrow. If nothing else, at least I'll be closer to home and won't have to waste a half day getting there.

SquirmingSusan · Post by **SquirmingSusan** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:02 am

That's just rude when the staff doesn't even bother to let you know that the doctor is running behind. I hope you get better treatment from a different doctor.

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:15 am

Sounds like you made a very good choice, Wayne. Life is too short to try and "manage" doctors like this.

Sleuth · Post by **Sleuth** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:21 am

Wayne wrote:
Sleuth wrote:Lately I'm finding doctors who used to call me all the time to discuss medications or whatever will not. I have to make an appointment to see them and pay for a visit in order to discuss the simplest thing.

Dale

Yep, I'm starting to feel that they're just about making money. My visit last week was just consultation, he didn't examine me other than a nurse took my blood pressure. And now another visit just to talk.

I've already compiled a list of other neurologists in my area and will likely leave him however the visit turns out.

Fortunately I live pretty close to a hospital and there are a lot of doctors and neuros offices that are closer to home. At least I won't have to waste 90 minutes driving cross town and back.

There are a slew of neurologists here as well, but none know anything about RLS.

Good luck in finding a new doctor.

Dale

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:52 pm

Sleuth wrote:There are a slew of neurologists here as well, but none know anything about RLS.

Maybe, but I've lost confidence in this guy and after 7 months, feel that I'm not making any progress.

The neurontin worked for a while which was great, but he seems unwilling to move on to other meds I've asked about. My symptoms are at the same level as before seeing him

I feel I won't be any worse off.

Already made the appointment with a different neurologist near the hospital and called the former to request my records.

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 2:07 am

I've been to see my new neurologist. Once before Thanksgiving and again yesterday. First impression is pretty good, but don't want to get my hopes high, with my recent experience still fresh in mind. I will say I like this guy's personality better than the previous one, and he's older than I am. There's just something about "older and wiser" that you'd want in a doctor.

My second visit was last night but got somewhat interrupted by a near emergency patient who arrived about the same time as I did. The way the staff handled it did make me feel good about this practice even though I was there for nearly 2.5 hours waiting

I heard a good part of this as I was in the adjacent exam room. The woman was in apparent pain, described a palpitating heart, her speech was slurred and she couldn't tell the doctor exactly what meds she was on, how many different ones or the dosage, (I heard morphine and oxycontin mentioned, couldn't make out the rest). As the doctor questioned her further, she hadn't eaten for days because she was unable to stand and cook or go out (possibly couldn't afford it). And was pleading almost hysterically for them to do something about the pain, because she thought she was going to die.

Upon hearing that she hadn't been eating, the doctor first offered to buy her some food (not just dinner but milk, bread and stuff for her) she refused and he ended up giving her his own lunch to eat while they tried to locate her GP, which they couldn't, (not even on pager) they did locate her son (possibly grandson) who arrived about 30 mins later. They convinced her to go to the nearby emergency room and check herself in since they couldn't find the GP to admit her.

I don't know if the woman was in real pain, overdosing, malnourished or all the above, but needed help and got it in a dignified compassionate way. As I was leaving I saw him give her a hug and promising to check in on her later at the hospital. That's much better than just calling an ambulance and having her carted off against her will.

Anyway we were past office hours at this point, he saw me after he got her to eat something and her son showed up. So the blood tests were postponed (they couldn't store it, and too late for delivery to lab). He renewed a xanax script for me since I told him that it was what was working for me at the moment and went home. I went early this morning for the blood test, the tech came in early before the office opened to bleed me, and am scheduled for some form of sonogram type test next week.

Hope the woman's doing OK.

You know, yesterday, having creepy crawly legs didn't seem the worst that can happen to a person.

Post by **Polar Bear** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 2:41 am

What a heartwarming story and one which gives you hope when you saw the consideration that was used.

Sounds like a good choice of medical practice.

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 5:04 am

I'd also feel much better after seeing that - at least in the compassion department. The "I know about RLS" department....well, hope springs eternal :-)

Neco · Post by **Neco** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 4:06 pm

That really reminds me of my former Doctor. Maybe it does come with age, but I think it also has to do with the kind of person they are.

I know a lot of people all had the same things to say about him, and the way he treated his patients not matter their age or condition, and he was definitely the type who would come check up on you in the Hospital. I know I have been the last patient of the day a few times and stayed past office hours until we were finished.

It really is a level of care you cannot teach to someone, it has to be something they are born with, and then nutured properly by the right role models I think. It is a severely lacking quality in a lot of Doctors though.

Give this guy as many chances as you can afford to give. And be sure if you haven't already, to bring up how he handled the woman the next time you see him. They don't look for it, but its nice to get praise from other people, and its a great way to start building a personal relationship that will get you the most out of your visits.

I remember my very first appointment. I was there for around 3 hours or so, some of it spent waiting, some of it dealing with student interns, but when he came in he immediately engaged me and gave me a good solid hour of his attention, even if he had to pop in and out once in a while. He usually did not have to look at his notes to remember my details either (though I did see him frequently for a long time).

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 12:18 am

Finally did the sleep clinic last night and today. Felt like an endurance test for the MSLT, so boring. If you've never had one before here is what it was like.

The overnight was OK. Slept through it as I was told to take whatever meds I normally take. The tech said the overnight was more about apnea, snoring, REM sleep, PLMD, et al. and he needed me to be sleeping. Didn't argue with him and happily took my med.

The MSLT though, where you have to be awake for 90 min and then try to sleep for 30 was getting boring. There were 4 cycles, the first two I actually slept a bit as it was still early morning, the 3rd I think I slept, or was very close as by now my legs were jittering and was snapped awake from a half sleep. By the time the 4th one rolled around I was wide awake and just laid there.

I was wired up like an NASA astronaut test monkey throughout the whole ordeal with all the wires attached to my head and chest. They did serve me breakfast in their little kitchenette and I was allowed to go out for a smoke in between nap periods... to scare people with all the wires coming out from under my cap.

The wires got to be really uncomfortable and the paste they used left my hair in a matted knot. The tech said it would wash off easy and to just use a wet paper towel in the bathroom, well, that didn't work, but when I got home a hot shower did wash it right out.

Oh, and for the movies, a selection of Bill Murray classics, I chose the extended version of Stripes which contained a handful of deleted scenes that filled in some of the holes of the storyline.

Neco · Post by **Neco** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 5:16 pm

At least you got to watch a good movie

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 5:44 pm

hey, they never showed me movies!!!!

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:35 pm

ViewsAskew wrote:hey, they never showed me movies!!!!

My stay was in what was essentially a hotel room without a restroom or mini-bar. Big TV in the room though and a bathroom with a shower was just down the hall.

The other patient, female, was watching Ghostbusters. I would've taken that too had I arrived there before she did.

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:40 am

That is just totally wrong! Not that you got it but that my stay was essentially a jail cell!

Wayne · Post by **Wayne** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:16 pm

Been a while for me. With all the snowstorms last month in this area, my sleep studies and appointments got postponed and rescheduled several times and I finally saw the neuro today to go over all the results.

No sleep problems, no apnea, the cpap machine made no difference, not narcoleptic, I'm just not reaching REM sleep. Other tests have ruled out neuropathy (which I felt sure was the problem because of my cancer history). Just RLS.

I am still currently taking 300mg gabapentin twice per day (higher dose doesn't benefit more) and a xanax before bed. He wants to change the gabapentin to the liquid form saying that it might absorb better. I must've looked skeptical because he went on to explain that the liquid would be flushed by the kidneys and not broken down by the liver and stay in my body longer. Whatever, I'll give it a try. I do have a high metabolism, guess it makes some kind of sense.

I asked about using opiates and he would be willing, but doesn't want to do it except as a last resort, and quite frankly I would rather not either.

Anyone ever used the liquid form of gabapentin?