An Apple A Day Can Keep The Doctor Away
Primary Care Doctor. Neurologist. Urologist. Dermatologist. Endocrinologist. Cardiologist. Hematologist. Physical Therapist. Psychologist. When you have MS, you have a lot of ologist's.
I love our doctors. I think there is nothing more important than fining the right doctor for you. Having a good relationship with your doctor can be crucial in your health care plan. I need a doctor that I can feel comfortable with, someone who's going to listen to my concerns, and someone who is going to go out of their way to provide the best care I need. I need to be treated like a person, not just a patient. Humor goes a long way too! Nothing I hate more is a doctor who belittles and demeans you. I've come in contact with doctors who have the mentality that "you're the patient, I'm the doctor, and you don't know what you're talking about" attitude Don't look down on me. Don't think I'm stupid just because I didn't go to med school. Don't think I won't comprehend what you're saying. Treat me with respect and I'll treat you with respect.
My mom has been through the gamut of Neurologists. She's seen really incredible docs and one's that I can't believe are allowed to be in practice. She once went to a doctor who came in the room, looked at her chart, and said "you don't have MS", and then walked out of the room. He didn't even give her a chance to say a word. Just got up and left. This doctor is apart of one of Michigan's top Neurology/MS centers. He's a big name. Needless to say we didn't go back. She once had a doctor who waited 2 weeks to treat her optic neuritis. Not only did she wait 2 weeks before treating her, she treated it with the wrong medication. So now my mom is left with permanent damage and pain. She had a really great doc at one point, but she never saw him other than for her initial appointment with him. She saw the PA all the time. This PA was by far the worse out of the bunch. Over the last year my mom has developed shaking in her head and hands. Because the severity of the shaking, the concern of developing Parkinson's Disease had crossed her mind. So at her next visit with this neurologist she explained her symptoms and concerns. Without any kind of testing this PA decides right then and there to diagnose my mom with secondary Parkinson's Disease and writes her a prescription for benzos. Um, excuse me? You're going to diagnose her right now? You're not even capable of doing so. You haven't even tested her. Benzos? Lady do you know what benzos can do to a person? Do you know what it can to do a person if it's not needed for the right situation? This isn't a medication you prescribe lightly. It's not like an Aspirin or Motrin. We were flabbergasted after we walked out that office visit. At that point, we made the crucial decision to leave that practice. I couldn't believe this PA was going to diagnose a disease and prescribe a medication without any kind of testing. What else was this PA willing to prescribe and diagnose?
Luckily, we have found our angel, our right fit. The neurologist we have now is amazing. There's no PA's, so we see her every time we come in. Her staff is AMAZING! So kind and treats you with respect, but is also a no nonsense doc. She's bold, honest, and if you're not being compliant she will call you out if need be. When doing blood work, she tests for EVERYTHING! She always says "she doesn't like surprise". She makes house calls. The first time we got tests results back, she called first thing on Monday at 8 o'clock in morning. We've never had a doc do that. She wants to know everything you're taking. As she would say "whether it's over the counter, under the counter, beside the counter, in the back alley". No judgment, she just needs to know. Oh yeah, that shaking, it's not Parkinson's. It's a central nervous system shaking. She saw it when my mom walked into the room before my mom could even talk about it. We told her about the benzos and diagnosis of Parkinson's and she was in complete disbelief. There was a lot of head shaking when we told her about the previous treatment my mom has received from other neurologists.
Our relationships with our doctors mean everything to us. I encourage anyone to find the right doctor that works for you. If you love your doc, tell everyone about them. If you're not happy with your health care team, look elsewhere. Get second, third opinions, fourth opinions. You have to be your own advocate. It's a 2-way street. You have to put in 50% of the effort, and your doctor has to put in the other 50%. It's called a health care team for a reason. Everyone has to work together in order to achieve the best possible results for you health and well being.
Tips/suggestions during your doctor appt:
1. Be honest. They can't help you if you're not telling the truth.
2. Communicate. Address any concerns or questions you might be having about symptoms, tests, medication, etc.
3. Speak up. If you're uncomfortable/scared, say something.
4. Bring someone with you. It never hurts to have another set of eyes/ears.
5. Make a list. Write down questions/concerns. Write down plans of action. It's easy to forget all the things you wanted to talk about. It's just as easy to forget all the information discussed in the visit.
6. Record. If your loved one or care partner can't be there with you, ask if you can record the visit. Most doctors don't have a problem with this. It's also helpful for yourself so you can go back and listen to what was discussed. A lot of information at once can be overwhelming. So having an audio recording is helpful to go back to and digest all the information that was given.
How is your relationship with their docs? Do you like them? Wish you could switch? What are some tips you have for during the apportionment?
I love our doctors. I think there is nothing more important than fining the right doctor for you. Having a good relationship with your doctor can be crucial in your health care plan. I need a doctor that I can feel comfortable with, someone who's going to listen to my concerns, and someone who is going to go out of their way to provide the best care I need. I need to be treated like a person, not just a patient. Humor goes a long way too! Nothing I hate more is a doctor who belittles and demeans you. I've come in contact with doctors who have the mentality that "you're the patient, I'm the doctor, and you don't know what you're talking about" attitude Don't look down on me. Don't think I'm stupid just because I didn't go to med school. Don't think I won't comprehend what you're saying. Treat me with respect and I'll treat you with respect.
My mom has been through the gamut of Neurologists. She's seen really incredible docs and one's that I can't believe are allowed to be in practice. She once went to a doctor who came in the room, looked at her chart, and said "you don't have MS", and then walked out of the room. He didn't even give her a chance to say a word. Just got up and left. This doctor is apart of one of Michigan's top Neurology/MS centers. He's a big name. Needless to say we didn't go back. She once had a doctor who waited 2 weeks to treat her optic neuritis. Not only did she wait 2 weeks before treating her, she treated it with the wrong medication. So now my mom is left with permanent damage and pain. She had a really great doc at one point, but she never saw him other than for her initial appointment with him. She saw the PA all the time. This PA was by far the worse out of the bunch. Over the last year my mom has developed shaking in her head and hands. Because the severity of the shaking, the concern of developing Parkinson's Disease had crossed her mind. So at her next visit with this neurologist she explained her symptoms and concerns. Without any kind of testing this PA decides right then and there to diagnose my mom with secondary Parkinson's Disease and writes her a prescription for benzos. Um, excuse me? You're going to diagnose her right now? You're not even capable of doing so. You haven't even tested her. Benzos? Lady do you know what benzos can do to a person? Do you know what it can to do a person if it's not needed for the right situation? This isn't a medication you prescribe lightly. It's not like an Aspirin or Motrin. We were flabbergasted after we walked out that office visit. At that point, we made the crucial decision to leave that practice. I couldn't believe this PA was going to diagnose a disease and prescribe a medication without any kind of testing. What else was this PA willing to prescribe and diagnose?
Luckily, we have found our angel, our right fit. The neurologist we have now is amazing. There's no PA's, so we see her every time we come in. Her staff is AMAZING! So kind and treats you with respect, but is also a no nonsense doc. She's bold, honest, and if you're not being compliant she will call you out if need be. When doing blood work, she tests for EVERYTHING! She always says "she doesn't like surprise". She makes house calls. The first time we got tests results back, she called first thing on Monday at 8 o'clock in morning. We've never had a doc do that. She wants to know everything you're taking. As she would say "whether it's over the counter, under the counter, beside the counter, in the back alley". No judgment, she just needs to know. Oh yeah, that shaking, it's not Parkinson's. It's a central nervous system shaking. She saw it when my mom walked into the room before my mom could even talk about it. We told her about the benzos and diagnosis of Parkinson's and she was in complete disbelief. There was a lot of head shaking when we told her about the previous treatment my mom has received from other neurologists.
Our relationships with our doctors mean everything to us. I encourage anyone to find the right doctor that works for you. If you love your doc, tell everyone about them. If you're not happy with your health care team, look elsewhere. Get second, third opinions, fourth opinions. You have to be your own advocate. It's a 2-way street. You have to put in 50% of the effort, and your doctor has to put in the other 50%. It's called a health care team for a reason. Everyone has to work together in order to achieve the best possible results for you health and well being.
Tips/suggestions during your doctor appt:
1. Be honest. They can't help you if you're not telling the truth.
2. Communicate. Address any concerns or questions you might be having about symptoms, tests, medication, etc.
3. Speak up. If you're uncomfortable/scared, say something.
4. Bring someone with you. It never hurts to have another set of eyes/ears.
5. Make a list. Write down questions/concerns. Write down plans of action. It's easy to forget all the things you wanted to talk about. It's just as easy to forget all the information discussed in the visit.
6. Record. If your loved one or care partner can't be there with you, ask if you can record the visit. Most doctors don't have a problem with this. It's also helpful for yourself so you can go back and listen to what was discussed. A lot of information at once can be overwhelming. So having an audio recording is helpful to go back to and digest all the information that was given.
How is your relationship with their docs? Do you like them? Wish you could switch? What are some tips you have for during the apportionment?
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