Well, I went to see the neurologist, after they discovered only one artery supplying my brain on the right side. Amazing what will get you in--long history of concussions in the past will get shrugs from most folks, but an out and out warranty issue is something else.....

The last time I had asked a neurologist about the concussions was in 1986 when I suddenly lost my balance (with no dizziness) and took out a fish tank with my elbow. He shrugged off the concussions but said I had bad blood pressure.

THIS time, I wrote up the concussion history in detail, along with all symptoms, etc. The guy glanced at all this, and said "so you've been having headaches?" I went into my "Extremely Scientifically Literate" mode with him, because some of these types will not take you seriously unless you can speak their language. So I did, noting with some irritation that he hadn't glanced at my concussion history, or did so very quickly, or did so at his leisure while I had a seizure, or something. Basically, he said that being born with a missing artery is obviously no big deal, since I am alive and "working." I mentioned that I had been laid off, but he said that "since this wasn't your fault, there's no issue."

Basically, you have to present yourself as clinically knowledegable and able to indulge in "doctorspeak." Since I have a history as a clinician working with doctors, this wasn't as hard as it could be. Basically, I told the guy that I'm concerned about the brain fog that has been settling in for the last 18 or so years and that now I pretty much can't function without ritalin. He scheduled me for an MRA to see where the blood supply to my brain went, and for an extended sleep latency study, because I have central apnea and hadn't had one of these in 9 years.

Then I pressed him for a neuropsych evaluation, and he was rather distant about that, providing me with a lecture about the different tests involved (which I knew, having administered some of these myself) and saying that all they might learn is that I would probably have to take ritalin for the rest of my life. I finally got the neuropsych by telling him that I am terrified of Alzheimer's. That got his attention. He said "Well, Alzheimers' is something to be terrified of, indeed." People with a heavy concussion history like mine supposedly are more susceptible to this, which I don't find comforting.

So now, I'm set up for the MRA on monday, and then the sleep study and the neuropsych study. Meanwhile, nobody has a clear picture of my endocrine system. I keep getting attacks of the violent sweats, and I feel like I'm about to menstruate, which is a tricky thing to do as a guy.

Also: these DAMN migraines! Folks in the forum talk about headaches a lot. I don't know if they are migraines or just headaches. I had relatives for whom migraines were some excuse to bore everyone with dramatics at family gatherings--so I never paid the flashing lights any mind. As migraines go, they aren't severe--3's and 4's. But they come day after day, and afterward there is little brain left. Maxalt usually helps.

Meanwhile, I really can't bear to watch all these corporate shills in Congress "debating" health care reform, so eager are they to preserve the All-American vision of patients as profit centers. We've all become......Ferengi!

.....one of my crabbier days.....

gershonb