Hello - I am sorry to hear that you are not getting the answers you are looking for from your doctor.

Possibly time for a different strategy. Instead of approaching the situation as you have been - I have a couple of questions....

1. Is this a hospital or private practice?

2. Do you have copies of the notes made by the Physical Therapist?

3. Do you keep notes?

The reason I asked the above questions is because.....

a. You can ask for second opinion in a Hospital, if you are seeing a Surgeon in a Private practice - can you go to a different office?

b. Notes made during Physical Therapy (about how you move, what is helping, what isn't) can show which path you should be going down - to healing.

c. Notes are extremely helpful, a pain journal can help your doctors "understand" exactly how you are feeling like this sample entry: Walked 100 meters today, while walking my left leg spasmed where I had to stop half way through. The spasm felt like a knife being jammed into my thigh. Pain levels today 8. Took X number of meds. To relieve my painful joints I spent one hour in the sauna. ETC.....


I keep a daily journal - rather I started writing in one again. I am finding it extremely helpful when getting into my doctor's office. He usually starts with a general question, like "how are you doing today...." I take out my journal and tell him exactly how I am feeling, what I was doing when the pain was the worst, the best and it gives us time to focus on strategies that help. He takes time to breeze through the journal and we have dialog about what I am going through and how he can help

Remember Doctors see many, many patients - in the hospital I visit - my journal helps any doctor understand what I am going through without sounding like I am complaining or getting frustrated. I have had that approach in the past, it just seemed to turn them off.

I am on my own path of healing right now, I am keeping a journal - I had a STEM trial done - but the machine had a loose lead where the doctor inserted it into my abdomen (to get to my ribs) and I decided to wait for a couple of months until I get the permanent pain stimulator inserted. The time was not right, plus - the trial was miserable. Now I have an infection at the insertion site (where they inserted the wires into my back into my spinal cord) and I am literally miserable. But this journal I am writing in has helped when talking to both my Neurosurgeon as well as the E.R doc that saw me this evening.

I wish you all the best....I hope that you find some relief and that your healing continues.

Kim