Kiera said...
Thanks so much for addressing this.
1.My gp sent me to him for pain management. He is in a spinal rehab building
Then it really is standard with encroached foramen to inject cortisone. He did this well.
2. I did ask him the first visit what he was. When he took my neck and gave me back full rotation, he joked and said "youll think im a chiro"...i asked what ARE YOU? He responded that he was not a chiro (beginning to believe diff) and that he had schooling in spinal reahab, some neuro courses, some orthapedic..a little of it all.
3. He should of respected the fact that i brought him papers from cleveland clinic with the MS paperwork and not just kept hinting that he could help more and more.
4. I have never been to a Chiro so no he doesnt have a chiro sign, but i think its misleading...as they wanted to inject my greater and lower nerves? I called my gp today and my neuro and told them what happened becuz my GP knowing i had MS sent me to him. I havent been offered OT or Physical therapy and so i didnt know what the course of action was.
5. and Why? isnt my NEURO THE ONE addressing the spasticity so YES MS UPPITY I GOT TAKEN IN LOL.........gawd..and i hurt for it and i KNOW NOW that ive allowed someone to hurt me by trying to be compliant.
6. In all ive been through i can say that he should of been the one who wrote the medicine. Even injected my neck up to 2 times per year but hopefully not that often..but thats ALL>>>>>>>>>>>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7. So , yes i am calling neuro, ive called them 3 times and told them i desperately need the nurse or the neuro to call me, and they always call back but sometimes 3 days later, so i told them, this time IF you wait ill end up in the ER.....being admitted.
8. When they do call back i intend to explain to him and ask about OT, Physcial Therapy and Why someone else is Cracking a bad spine?????
9. My family doc is also getting a call becuz she sent me there. Shes very nice and knows all i suffer but i think she thought he would just manage the pain (like i also thought).
10. I do believe what he did will leave some permanent probs,
11. ---It also came to me after i suffered excruciating pain yesterday that why isnt the neuro addressing my spasticity?
What about botox? And arent we supposed to be careful and things done more gentle, like water therapy?
12. --But i also feel like my Gp unintentionally sent me to someone who took advantage of this and i feel my good intentioned Neuro needs to have a GAME PLAN...but he never speaks about one? Just loves the fact that im proatice and tells me to stay on the copaxone>....
I may have to make the drive to go back to the clinic instead of remaining here where they arent staying on top of it but allowing me to float through whomever.
13. There are like hardly none around here becuz of the misuse of drugs. Other than illegal pop up clinics that i refuse to go to.
So........
I will stay on top of my bowel issue seriously. I was just saying this is all getting a bit too much and he's put me in attack...triggered me ...so to speak. Even maybe damaged ME!
14. Ive been to all the uroligists and even one who writes for the medical journal. They want me to cath once every 2 hrs. They do not want me on a med that helps as they jotted a note that the med they have for the bladder really isnt as helpful as advertised. So basically all the uro's viewpoint is to get the bowels proactive.
15. When i was with a uro constantly they had me on bactrim and my gp grew the bacteria from the infection and called here one day and told me that bactrim woulda never killed it. So she did with macrobid. Ive got to say that from the neph's point of view my previous problem did resolve. I will have to continue to watch for infections as all ms patients, but basically its more about staying on top of the bowels. Ive had 5 colonoscopies and it all comes back as IBS and when i saw the neuro he just said you will have to be very proactive with fiber to avoid problems and surgery.
OK, I went through your post, deleted some stuff which I can't comment on, and numbered the stuff I do have an opinion about:
1. If it was your gp who sent you to him, then you need to talk to your gp about what he did, and what his credentials are. He may well be a "real" doctor (with an MD, not a chiropractic diploma). Your gp might better be able to explain what he did and whether it was appropriate or not. I do know that injections of cortisone can help with pain. But I also know that manipulation of the neck is particularly dangerous no matter whether you have MS or not...and ought not be done. But again..I'm not a doctor.
2. Check with your GP about the "manipulators" credentials. "A little of this, a little of that" isn't very reassuring to me.
3. Yes, he should have noted your paperwork from Cleveland clinic. Are you sure he didn't? Knowing just what kind of "doctor" he is would be helpful. If he IS a genuine MD, maybe he does know about MS, knows what else might be going on with you, and be able to coordinate treatment.
4. Not every doctor treating patients with MS will refer the patient to OT or PT. You may well not need either, right now. It's often prescribed when you need help with learning how to walk with a cane, for example. Or like me, after a major exacerbation, I needed to learn how to use a wheelchair. But if you don't need either, you won't be referred to either! In the meantime, you might want to check to see if your insurance will pay for it, anyway!
5. No, you didn't get "taken in". You just need to be sure that you're getting treatment from a real doctor who knows and understands MS..not someone who "claims" to know. It's good you told your neuro and gp about the treatments you received, and now you need to ask if they were appropriate. As for the neuro treating your spasticity -- he won't be "manipulating" you..but could prescribe some medication for spasticity. Your GP can do that, too.
6. Nor would the neuro necessarily inject your neck, unless he thought it was appropriate. If you've been seeing him for years and he hasn't done that, you need to talk with him about why not. If it isn't appropriate (not all neuros think that medication will do much for it!), then either you need to accept his advice or find a different neuro.
7. It's good that you called your neuro. I hope he (or a nurse) calls you back. But going off to the ER isn't a good option, either.
8. Again, "cracking a bad spine" is a bad idea, in my non-medical opinion. Indeed more harm than good can come from that.
9. Your family doctor does sound nice..but needs to take more control over your situation. She/he can prescribe pain medication, spasticity meds, bladder meds...if appropriate.
10. I hope he didn't leave "permanent problems"! I hope you're just feeling sore from the procedure, like having a sore muscle the next day after strenuous work, and it'll fade away in time!
11. Botox can help..sometimes. But it needs to be repeated regularly, every 2-3 months. You need to ask about it, and see if y our insurance will cover it. Not all insurance plans will.
12. If the neuro thinks you're getting PRIMARY care from the PRIMARY care physician -- your family doctor -- he likely also assumes that the PRIMARY care physician is the one who develops the "game plan". The neuro diagnoses and refers..the family physician coordinates and plans, usually.
13. What are "pop up" clinics? If you mean "urgent care" clinics, they are by NO means "illegal", and indeed are what you should be using instead of the emergency room, when you are ill and not able to get in to your regular doctor.
14. Bactrim (or other antibiotics) won't help a neurogenic bladder. If that is what you have, indeed self-catheterization might be what you have to do. Not all the meds DO work well, for some people. Sometimes a period of self-catheterization is necessary to get the bladder working properly again, so that certainly is something to consider.
15. Your neuro is right -- other than staying on top of your bowel problem -- making sure you defecate at least once every 2-3 days, taking fiber, drinking lots of fluids, using suppositories as necessary -- there really isn't much else that CAN be done.