Re: Another Dreadful Visit to VA Hosp-Long but has funny ending-Long

[Guest guest]

Dear Carol,

Sorry your pain clinic appt turned out to be so dreadful. I can tell

you are pretty fed up with all of the b.s. you've been through. But, I

must say, you seem like you handled yourself pretty well. I think the

next time I have a doctor's appt I may just take you with me so you can

put the doc in his place..LOL!!

But in all seriousness, it's really frustrating what we have to go

through to get help. The " medical professionals " are too quick to pass

us off as depressed, drug seeking, or just plain neurotic. Med schools

need to concentrate more on listening skills.

And a word about those blasted medical books the doctors use--when I was

tested numerous times for MS and the results kept coming back negative,

I looked in a few of those " bibles " that the docs use. I worked in a

medical clinic so I had access to them. One of the differential

diagnoses for MS is Arnold-Chiari Malformation. I remember reading

about it in a doc's medical textbook, and what I learned on the internet

is so much more informative than what the book said. I think the book

contained about three paragraphs on ACM. It contained so little

information that after reading it, I ruled out ACM myself, because it

just didn't fit. Even when my MRI report came back saying that I had

" low-lying cerebellar tonsils, the Nurse Practicioner I worked with

said, " Oh, you don't have Chiari, believe me! " Oh really??

Take care,

Sheila

Annie815@... wrote:

>

> So, today I go back for follow up with pain clinic. Well, let me tell

> you-it's a day I won't forget for a long time and I don't think the 10yr old

> resident they made me see will either. I hope I was the first real patient

> he has ever seen because he won't forget me.

>

> He picked up my chart on the way in the door so he had no idea why I was

> there and politely ask me WHY I was there. I say to him " I'm here for follow

> up. Do you know what ACM is. Well, no he says -not really. Well I knew

> then what I was in for. After his questioning period he retreats to another

> room to confer with real doctor. Comes back and tells me that after

> reviewing my chart and looking at my MRI that my ACM is minor and cannot

> possibly be causing my headaches. He said they are caused by stress and

> depressions.

>

> Also tells me that what I have read on internet is not as reliable as what he

> been taught from medical books (remember he didn't know what ACM was when he

> came in) I ask him if he had ever heard of Dr Milhorat or Dr Oro and the

> others, or if he had read any recent papers on ACM-NO.