[Hockey]

Hi Gang! Sorry I've been out of the picture - things haven't been going that great.

As some of you know, my neuro is the world's biggest SOB. He refuses to accept the results of my neuro-psych and is blocking my access to other care. (Sadly, he's very influential where I live.) Would it be a good idea to get a spec scan? Would it provide the sort of black and white proof to help me convince the idiots I'm forced to deal with?

As many of you can appreciate, dealing with my inuries has pretty much bankrupted our family. I'd have to borrow (more) for this procedure, so I don't want to be throwing money away on a maybe.

Thanks

[mrsD]

I wonder...

Have you read Dr. Amen's site? He has spect scans for brain injury...

I just saw his PBS lecture again this weekend on Pledge time for Public Television.

http://www.amenclinics.com/meet-dr-amen/

http://www.amenclinics.com/brain-sci...image-gallery/

In his book Change your Brain, Change Your Life...he has more pictures.

Maybe you can find his books at the library? Also Amazon has affordable used books in each category too. That would help you if you have to purchase it.

His scans show what parts of the brain are affected and have low blood flow due to various injuries...physical and chemical.
It is very interesting stuff.

[Mark in Idaho]

Hockey,

Glad to see you again. How have you been besides the obvious?
Didn't your dad have a medical need? How is he doing.

Dr Amen aside, a SPECT scan can be a double edged sword. It may show a problem or it may show nothing. Or, it may show something that the Dr believes is nothing.

The main stream medical community believes Dr Amen's SPECT scans and readings are just a way to collect money. If you are struggling with this gatekeeper doctor, it will likely not help. I had a SPECT and it was reported as unremarkable.

The doctor who ordered it still knew I had a serious dysfunction. He did a qEEG with VEP/AEP. He saw how low my brain power was in total agreement with the WAIS-II processing speed of 10%,

The test with a likelihood of a positive result would be an fMRI, functional MRI. It would require a very experienced doctor to set up the parameters of the test. You would do some mental processing tasks and they would observe how you brain processes those tasks. You would probably need to find a research hospital to get this done.

But, the problem still is whether the system will agree with the results as indicating a dysfunction and a need for continued treatment.

It is so frustrating. Been there, done that, spent a lot of money, got no acceptable result.

Is your doctor denying your symptoms?

What symptoms are you most in need of help with?

My best to you.

[Hockey]

Thanks for the prompt replies.

Mrs. D, I've had a look at the links and I'm going to see if our library has Dr. Amen's book. Stupidly, I didn't watch the PBS show. I find it depressing to know there might be help - but I can't get to it. I also have the attention span of a gnat.

Thanks for sharing your personal experience, Mark. That your Spec was "unremarkable" doesn't give me much confidence in their efficacy. Seriously, how on earth is that possible?

Even if I had the money, I don't have access to an fMRI. Anyway, I rather suspect that no matter what I do, this evil man will never be satisfied. How many times does the neuro-psych have to prove itself before these idiots stop needing a "picture?" As I was extremely high functioning premorbid, they can't see a problem. I wish we could inject these "caregivers" with a drug so they could experience our cognitive universe for an hour. They'd spend the rest of their lives wearing a football helmet. lol

As you know, I have every brain injury symptom going. The ones that most concern me, are the ones that hurt the people around me: the debilitating fatigue and explosive temper.

Thanks for asking after my Dad. Tragically, as I suspected, he suffered a significant head injury. He survived, but with little access to treatment, he seems resigned to waiting for death. It's so hard to watch someone else go through all the horrors of being a brain injury survivor in a medical system with little understanding and zero compassion.

Thank God we all have one and other.

[vini]

it is wrong, that one health professional disregard others findings nuro psyic testing should be enough, because it picks up the symptoms of brain damage without bleeding on a microscopic level ' its like the flat world society, if they cant see it it cant exist

hugs hock

[Horace316]

Hockey, looking at your post history it appears that we hail from the same city. As someone looking to receive treatment for PCS, I could really benefit from your knowledge of the local scene. My email is horace316 at rocketmail.com...I would really appreciate it if you could point me in the direction of a quality neurologist and/or neuropsychologist. Thanks a million!

[Concussed Scientist]

Hi Hockey,

I'm very sorry to hear that things are so difficult for you and also for your father.

I have experienced the health care system in both the U.S. and the U.K. and my impression was that in the U.S. you could get whatever you want as long as you could pay for it.

How can someone block your access to care? Of course, I don't know your situation in detail, but can't you simply ignore the guy that isn't giving you what you want and go elsewhere.

Even here in the U.K. within the national health service I have found a way to go to different doctors. Admittedly, this was by changing address as well as my own persistence.

I think that a lack of an image of an abnormality is quite usual, sadly. This is mainly because tests that could detect abnormalities are not routinely done because they are not seen as differentiating between treatment options, which is what clinicians are all about.

Most of the neurologists that I have seen do not think that there any abnormalities will be detected by tests. Nevertheless, some of them do at least believe that the symptoms are real and not invented. I do not make any appointments to revisit a doctor who does not believe that I am telling the truth.

This might be a long shot for you in getting proof positive of a physical abnormality but have you seen a neurotherapist or neurophysiologist for an EEG or QEEG? I did do this and my EEG was abnormal. That did present evidence which I do not think can be so easily ignored. However, I should also point out that one neurophysiologist did ignore the abnormalities because he didn't think that he could offer any treatment options.

This is a difficult one for doctors: What to do with abnormal results if they haven't any idea how to treat the condition. A tempting solution to their dilemma is to ignore the abnormal results. If they admit that they don't know then that puts the onus back on them.

I had an EEG done by a neurophysiologist at a hospital. I requested a copy which they were obliged to give me under English law. I had that done free under our national health service but I believe that the private cost would be about a thousand dollars U.S.

This is quite expensive but the neurotherapy option is a lot cheaper.
Neurotherapy is a therapy which uses the subject's brain waves, either using biofeedback or LENS (which directly stimulates the surface of the head). However, therapists do use software that shows the amplitude and frequencies of brain waves, so you can see your brain waves without necessarily having any treatment. My brain waves showed slowing with a high amplitude delta and theta waves. This is characteristic of a brain trauma.

Of course the therapist wanted to give me a full course of treatment. However, I could see for myself my brain waves on the very first session. This cost about 80 U.S. dollars, much cheaper than the full EEG.

In the end, it turned out that the therapist was very good at the therapy side and very sympathetic, however, not very good on a computer, so she was unable to print out the images and save them for me.

Nevertheless, I just thought that I would mention it as an option for your to consider.

I suspect that when someone, especially a doctor, has made up his mind over someone's condition then it is going to be very hard to change his mind. I would really try to go to someone else if you can. I know you said that he has influence, but he can't be all powerful. What is this? America is supposed to be a free country. Hopefully there is a neurologist close to you who is not prejudiced. I think that that would be your best option, rather than trying to come up with the scientific proof to show your present neurologist that he is wrong.

Good luck,
CS

Originally Posted by Hockey

Hi Gang! Sorry I've been out of the picture - things haven't been going that great.

As some of you know, my neuro is the world's biggest SOB. He refuses to accept the results of my neuro-psych and is blocking my access to other care. (Sadly, he's very influential where I live.) Would it be a good idea to get a spec scan? Would it provide the sort of black and white proof to help me convince the idiots I'm forced to deal with?

As many of you can appreciate, dealing with my inuries has pretty much bankrupted our family. I'd have to borrow (more) for this procedure, so I don't want to be throwing money away on a maybe.

Thanks