This is great information and I would like to respond accordingly.

mabolick: I am totally prepared for the appointment in that I've downloaded and completed all new patient forms, including a complete listing of all current meds with specifics. My wife will be accompanying me as she has since day one when I started seeing neuros. That way we don't miss any information due to my cognitive challenges and the docs are able to get her impressions of my daily living. Any clinicals are out especially after going through almost 8 solid years of "testing," second/third opinions at various universities. I hate taking meds, prefer to keep them to nonaddicting and minimal therapeutic dosages.

cyclelops: I have been on Baclofen for several years but effectiveness is diminishing with disease progression. Not interested in the pump option at all. Lortab 5 is Hydrocodone at 500mg and my PCP's last resort as a temporary stop-gap. I have to be really bad off to even take one in a 24hr period. Rx'd for every 8 hours. BTW, same for Clonazepam, Rx'd .5mg 3x a day. Never going to happen. Max I've taken in a 24hr period is one whole pill and most of the time I will break a pill in half and only take that because I hate the side effects. I've had severe Restless Legs (RLS) for years and take the maximum dose of Requip allowed each evening and bedtime.

EE03: My two last neuros, primary and for second opinion, say nothing more can be done for me, don't even bother making appointments unless an acute situation and directed by my PCP. I've had enough of neuros. This is the main reason my PCP has referred me to a top clinic which is anesthesiologists based in treatment and not "guess and Rx."

I've been around the medical industry for over 18 years with a background in organ transplantation, practice administrator, as well as a "complex case" patient. So I feel pretty well researched and not intimidated by docs at all. Everyone's insights are greatly appreciated and I feel like now I have a little head's up what to expect and be attentive to with this new experience.

I will go into this cautiously optimistic, maintaining my priorities and not willing to trade relief for a whole new set of potential problems, addiction, or side effects. I will let you know how it goes.