Too Many doctors, not enough diagnosis

Hello Everyone,

I am lost y'all. I have changed pain centers b/c my doctor left and I started at a new place in October of last year, the doc screwed me, the old pain center didn't send my records, they did the wrong drug tests and my meds didn't show on the tests at new place. So many things went wrong at the new place and they were such Debbie Downers about my condition saying that all they can do in manage and that I am just going to get worse and there is no use trying things. I am so upset that when i tried to urge them to do a epidural to alleviate the burning spine pain of the latest flare up, they scheduled it 2 months out, 2 months really that is pathetic, they said that's the soonest and i have to drive 1.5 hrs to get there. I called the complaint line to submit a complaint and the lady i spoke with said if she were me she would't have left the old pain center b/c the Kaiser pain center has only been open for 2 years and they are still not equipped to handle the massive amnt of patients. She if working on renewing my referral for the old place and is going to try to get it in the next 24hrs. I am at a loss b/c I am willing to go back but I feel like I am being thrown around and then medicated and poked and prodded with no diagnosis just maintenance. Is this what is normal?

Also, I had a CT Milo-gram last year, the results were read by 6 doctors and they said my spine is fine my fusion is stable. But the results on paper said my fusion was not stable. The docs said that the papers were wrong. I feel it, it feels wrong, my spine below and where my fusion is hurts like heck and burns and feels god awful. I need to know what y'all think I should do.

I should be making an appt with the old pain center to see if they can do the procedure asap. I am suffering, sleeping alot, not able to go to work. I am in need of help.

Thanks so much y'all

I have a thyroid disease and the 1st pain center took this into deep consideration. I only switched pain centers to have all my doctors under one roof. But this has proved to be the wrong move for me. I will be sure to get a referral to another neurosurgeon to get another opinion on this matter. Thanks for your perspective it helps me alot.

I agree with Mercy & Grace, you need to get copies of all your tests, mri's, ct's ect and keep a copy with you at home and make a copy for your doctor's...that way you know for certain and I wish you well with your neuro consult... Keep us posted on how things go... Many Prayers...
If you go to a neuro surgeon without your results they will most likely not want to see you until you repeat these tests or have your results, which would be a wasted appointment for you, so go to the places you had these done and get your results, you only have to ask nicely and pay a fee...They have to provide you a copy when you ask for it. Hope this info helps...

Hi BunnyGirl you mentioned in your post: (""Also, I had a CT Milo-gram last year, the results were read by 6 doctors and they said my spine is fine my fusion is stable. But the results on paper said my fusion was not stable. The docs said that the papers were wrong. I feel it, it feels wrong, my spine below and where my fusion is hurts like heck and burns and feels god awful. I need to know what y'all think I should do."")

Do all these six doctors belong to the same medical group? and are they surgeons and affiliated with the surgeon that done your surgery? I agree with all the advice that you have gotten, but I would try and get an appointment with a neurosurgeon that is outside the medical group that you have been going to. Someone that is not affiliated with the doctors you have seen, and is independent of them, and thus can give you a more objective and accurate view of what the myelogram actually shows. Maybe the radiologist that read it was wrong????, but again, maybe he was right?????, and........ well........... allot of surgeons think after they do their surgery everything is all right and that's it! PERIOD Sooo........ I would think that a second independent look at it would definitely be appropriate! Especially since your having such problems with pain.

Good Luck to YOU! I do wish you all the best!

White Beard

Bunny Girl is it possible for you to go some place else? Do you have a university teaching hospital any where close that you could bring your myelogram any other tests results that you may have, and see a different neurosurgeon or somebody?

What your experiencing with your doctors is unfortunately not all that uncommon. Maybe they are right! But again maybe they aren't !! You know your body better than anyone else. And you have the result of you Myelogram that supports you. I would be looking at going some where else and getting thoroughly checked ou by totally independent doctor from the ones your currently seeing. You would not be the first person to find that your doctors were just blowing you off, and there really is osomething wrong!

After all it is your body! It is your responsibility to take care of it, and if you don't feel that the doctors that you have hired are adequately taking care of you, then it is time to find one that will! Just to often people that blindly trusted their doctors find out that their trust was unfounded! If your doctors were right your no worse off by getting a independent second opinion! But if they are wrong then you might have just saved your self from who knows what kind of misery and problems!

I do wish you well!

White Beard