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Update on neurologist

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Posted 8/9/2017 8:45 PM (GMT 0)
This is likely to become a little long-winded. I must list all the ways this man has lost his mind.

Had my very last appt with this man today. My PC doc is finding me a new one for a second opinion. First thing wrong today: I ger there and am told I am only scheduled for nerve rebuilder treatment today. My appt for test results is tommorrow. No. It. Isn't. I am very, very, very careful to read back appts twice to the front desk ladies b/c of my cognitive issues. It is today. They even had the time wrong. I actually still had appt card they gave me ( minor miracle) and I whipped it out and she had to back up and apologize. Said they would fit me in. Then told me I needed the doctor's PERMISSION to get copies of my test results. Ummmm. Not flying with me. I see the doc. Get my results. Give him the death ray stare while stating calmly I need copies of results for my home binder b/c of my cognitive and memory loss. Got my copies. And out the door I went. Did not bother doing the nerve rebuilder treatment either.

So I get home and start looking over them and nothing makes sense. Even googled some terms and it still doesn't make sense. Had my daughters look over them, didn't make sense to them either.

Sleep study: partial awakings while sleeping on my back due to partial obstruction of airway. None if on my sides. I polled everyone in my house and they have never seen me sleep on my back at home. Probably did there because of 50 wires. But one part of report said I had 14 partial awakenings totalling 2 per hour. Further down it said 12 awakenings. Further down it said 16 awakings totally 3 per hour. So which is it??? He said this is absolutely the cause of my cognitive issues. Totally dismissed the white matter brain disease findings. Again. And since I never sleep on my back at home ( it hurts) how can it be the cause????

EMG report: bilateral saphenous neuropathies. I looked this up. Pain and numbness on inside of calves. I don't have any symptoms of that. Never have.

Right superficial perneal neuropathy. Deals with the foot and ankle. On the right side. I have no problems there. I do have plantar fasciitis in both feet which is terribly painful, but none of the symptoms of the EMG findings for the right leg. No findings at all for the left leg in the areas that have symptoms.

The sleep study was done in a hospital he is affiliated with. And he interpreted the EMG results.

Y'all please tell me am I paranoid and overthinking this? Or does this whole situation smell funny?
Posted 8/9/2017 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
Sarah,surely that was not the entire report was it for the sleep study? I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, a very large metroplex. Pulmonary drs have added sleep studies to the practice for quite a few years now. Before, people were sent to a sleep study dr who did the test & interpretation. I have not ever heard of a neurologist interpreting one before. Perhaps some other member has.

What you wrote about the EMG was just the impression, it does not state what areas were tested. I have read many, many EMG reports over the years & they specify what nerves were tested with a bunch of numbers. Some of what I just read involves upper thigh pain & knee pain if there is entrapment. A person can have lower leg pain even into a foot.

My suggestion is this, take a deep breath & try to calm down. Could you be over thinking this, maybe. I don't think you are being paranoid. If anything, you had hopes this dr could help you & give you some direction & that fizzled out. Thank goodness your GP is on board with getting you in to see a different dr. I would give the GP copies of what you have, he may or may not be able to make sense out of it. Will the new dr be able to understand this, I don't know. Getting stressed out & worked up is not going to make you feel any better. If anything it will have the opposite effect.

Concentrate more on getting in with a new dr & getting answers that you desperately need. I know you are in limbo for the moment, but hang in there. This guy just proves that not all drs are created equal. Just because he has MD beside his name does not mean he is a good one. A positive note, you are done with him!!
Posted 8/11/2017 5:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Sarah, let me just add my two cents in here, I can empathize with your frustration that come through loud and clear in your post. Personally over the many many years I've never met a neurologist I liked or Trusted! And I've seen quite a few of them! I also had one that was supposedly a sleep specialist too, and after a year and a half and 5 complete sleep studies I finally fired him! And got a new sleep doctor whose specialty was Pulmonary, one more sleep study and he had me on the proper treatment for my sleep apnea. That was just one instance, I just seen a neurologist this past week for a different problem (on going hearing and balance problems) and was blown Off!

I completely empathize and sympathize with you! Don't give up and try to find answers for your Problems!

I wish you Well! Good luck to You!

White Beard
Posted 8/11/2017 10:07 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone! I had my PCP visit today. Handed him copies of my tests and he said they didn't make sense either. He put in a referral to a new neurologist. As well as the numbers to the rheumatologist and neurosurgeon that he sent my files to so I can follow up on those referrals.

He really feels it's imperative that answers are found quickly since the symptoms in my hands are progressing. He's afraid I will wake up one morning unable to use them.

On a positive note: I told him my new symptoms. Increased dizzy spells and serious bouts of vertigo. He looked in my ears nose throat and diagnosed me with a sinus infection. Lol. That would explain it.

Sarah
Posted 8/12/2017 1:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Sarah, I am quite sure your dr was being very honest when he made the comment about those test results, lol. So sorry to read about the sinus infection, they can sure make a person feel miserable. Hopefully you will not have a long wait to see the new drs.

Take care.
Posted 8/15/2017 5:37 PM (GMT 0)
Aaargh. Followed up today on those referrals. One I cannot get ahold of. 45 minutes on hold my position in the line went from 3 to 2. Going to have to have a couple hours open for that apparently. The other one said they sent my referral back to PCP last week because it didn't include the lab work. Call my PCP and they have no idea what's going on. Waiting on call back from referral nurse.

On another note, my aunt got her brain MRI results. Progressive neuro degenerative disease. She's waiting to get follow ups to find out what type. She says this is hereditary. Is it? Should I be concerned?

Sarah
Posted 8/15/2017 5:57 PM (GMT 0)
Sarah, so sorry to read about these mess ups with the referrals. That is so aggravating. Sorry to read about your aunt. But in all honesty, my thoughts are wait until you see a real dr & let him/her determine what is going on. Please don't let the what if's take you down that road, additional stress like that is just not healthy for anyone. I only say this in a kind way too.

Take care.
Posted 9/4/2017 12:42 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone. Sometimes it takes a person telling you to calm down to make you re evaluate things. And re evaluating is what I've been doing.

I can't do anything about the white matter brain disease. All my research hasn't given me the what why how. I just threw up my hands and have a lot of the "thinking" tasks over to my family. Which seriously grates on me, but I have been failing moserably trying to keep things up.

My neck on the other hand. A whole other matter. Saw my ortho about my elbows hurting so bad. Nothing wrong she could find. Gave her copies of all my reports. She said my neck is pretty nasty. Thats whats causing my elbow pain. Irritated nerves. Went over all my symptoms and she said most of them come from my neck.

I did not realize that my issues could cause the shuffling "off" gait that I have when I walk. Or be causing the almost constant urge to urinate. That one makes me crazy. But it correlates. The days my neck hurts and burns more, the more I stumble and have to hit the bathroom. I did research that and found she was correct.

My poor hands. Some days are good. Most are not. I learned to carry glasses snugged up against my chest. The hard way. I have to yell for people to dump my pots/pans for me. Learned that the hard way too. And taking things out of the oven. Can no longer touch ice either. It is like it burns me immediately.

Starting PT in about a week to try to stabilize the neck a bit. After 4 weeks of that, she wants me to get some type of shots in it. If all that fails then I have no choice but to see a surgeon.

My MRI states: C3-4 central disc potrusion
C4-5 disc bulge asymmetric to the left. There is effacement of the of the ventral aspect of the cervical cord. There is moderate central canal stenosis.
C5-6 disc oseophytic complex with central left paracentral disc protrusion. This disc protrusion abuts the ventral aspect of the cervical cord. There is moderate central canal stenosis and moderate left neuroforaminal stenosis.
C6-7 right paracentral/foraminal disc osteophytic protusion. There is moderate right neuroforaminal stenosis.

My original neurologist looked at this report for 2 seconds and said he wasn't concerned.

Thanks for letting me rant a moment.
Sarah

Post Edited (tiredredhead) : 9/16/2017 7:05:51 PM (GMT-6)

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