There are a variety of sites available on the Internet, and each person is free to seek out those that best meet their unique needs. NeuroTalk is not a professional medical site, but an on-line community for those suffering similar neurological conditions to share experiences, support each other, comfort and encourage. The site's guidelines express that members are NOT medical professionals, and none of us posting here claim to be - we merely offer that which may or may not be helpful based on our experience, and express OFTEN that the poster should check with their Dr if a treatment, therapy or medication might be an option for them.

With the real dearth of understanding of TOS on the part of most medical professionals, it is left to TOS patients to educate themselves about their condition and often how to best approach their PARTICULAR case. Unless you are fortunate enough to have close access to a top TOS Dr and/or PT or other KNOWLEDGEABLE assistance, this usually becomes a case of trial-and-error. By coming together en masse, we utilize a large body of experience, share the latest published information, and inform each other of poissible side effects and/or complications of various medications that often even the MDs are not aware of. We have each others back.

Does that mean we are ALWAYS 100% correct? No, because no one is, it's impossible. But we try, with the best intentions, to help each other. And the errors are usually quickly sorted out, mostly with kindness. Again, it is left up to the individual member to sort and choose which options, if any, they believe might be useful.

If a person comes to a site asking for help, the help is usually offered with good intentions, out of concern for a fellow TOSer. Sometimes judgement is read where none is intended. However posts that blanketly generalize or accuse a whole segment of people, such as those who choose surgery or need meds, are always a concern - it is no different than accusing all Mexicans of being lazy, then adding a disclaimer, if you are Mexican and not lazy, I am not talking about you. Blanket generalizations ARE judgements, and do not belong here.

RedJp - to clarify - off-roading in a 4-wheel drive; heavy bags of [I]something[I]. Due to RSD my short-term memory and word retrieval skills are shot, this is as accurate as I can be.

As I've expressed many times, can't we agree to bury the hatchet?

Peace, beth