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