I finally had an appointment with the neurosurgeon I was supposed to see, to try and get some actual answers on what my long term outlook was like and if I had any surgical options. Well...

I'm pretty mad, actually. See, my Orthopedic Surgeon referred me to this neurosurgeon, right? He said specifically that he was referring me there because of my scoliosis. Anyhow, I went to my appointment today and I was on time and everything was fine. The doctor came in quickly, looked at my MRIs and my chart, checked my leg raise/strength, and then said that he was going to refer me to his friend who is a scoliosis specialist. Meaning I just WASTED A TRIP!

I am so annoyed and angry at the Orthopedic Surgeon's office, they are completely incapable stooges! When I first went there, they accidentally set the appointment up at a different office by mistake (one 3 hours away), then they cancelled on me two times in a row and lost my X-ray I had at the same office!!--and then when I finally see them again, they send me to see the wrong specialist? It's ridiculous.

To put this into context, I just had to have my father--who is 67--drive me 3 hours to the outside of Pittsburgh, PA just so I could have a--literally--five minute appointment and be told that I need to see a different doctor in the same city and that they will call me when they can set it up. It'll probably be just in time for snow too! I'm betting that I'll go all the way back there to see this new guy, and he'll just tell me that there isn't anything he can really do. I'm sick of it.

I am SO glad I applied for SSDI/SSI before this. I was thinking 'maybe I should wait again and see what this surgeon says' again, trying to put it off. Thank god I didn't, or I would be furious. I really feel like calling the referring office and giving them my two cents, but it wouldn't do anything but anger someone else so it's pointless. That office is truly pathetic, though. The doctors and care are fine, but if I can find a review on rate my Doctor or something--I am mentioning the receptionist/appointment issues. No one should be given this type of run around and just plain awful service by the receptionists. I have been to many doctor offices in my life and NONE have been this inept and unprofessional. It truly amazes me.

On a related note, driving all that way has taken a toll on me even though I wasn't the one driving. My left side hurts more than usual, and the Tramadol isn't touching it at all. (It never does .) I have an appointment to see Pain Management again, because I just cannot take this situation right now. It's far beyond manageable at this point. Hoping for a better day tomorrow for us all!

It could get worse (let's hope it doesn't). The scoliosis specialist could wind up bouncing you back to the neurosurgeon, or on to a different specialist.

Having experienced similar, I call it "Guinea Pig Complex".

Wait... it gets better. I wouldn't necessarily want to accept the first offer to cut. Surgery, being the absolute last resort after all other treatment options have been exhausted, and only after at least 2 opinions (and possibly more). Surgeon shopping is different than doctor shopping; in the case of surgery, you want a surgeon experienced in the exact procedure you require, with the highest success rate (and even so, that rate could be low enough you decide to bag surgery altogether as not worth the risks).

You had to start this journey somewhere, and it happened to be with the orthopedic surgeon. Whoever sent you there might just as well have sent you to the neurosurgeon, who might still have sent you on... Sometimes the doctors themselves don't know who to send you to first (especially PCPs - I've had this happen multiple times); they make their best guess based on their training & experience, and sometimes they guess wrong. Better you do get sent on than the wrong guy try to fix what would be better fixed by someone else.

The SSDI/SSI may still send you to their preferred doctors for evaluation - don't know.

You're correct that getting miffed at the orthopedic doctor would be counterproductive. I think he should be informed though, for his own knowledge to help make him a better doctor and avoid repeating the same mistake. Several of my doctors do have evaluation/feedback cards/forms available in their waiting rooms. They're affiliated with the same large medical center, which is probably the difference.

I get that you're sick of it. Some of us have been through the mill so many times we've had no choice but to get philosophical and try to laugh at the situation (if we weren't in so much pain and it all costing so much).

1. You're not alone. Many of us have had the same/similar experiences, and that's what support groups are about (in part).
2. It's a journey, or at least that's arguably one way to look at it.
3. It's a team effort, with the patient as captain, your PCP as manager, and cooperation vital to "winning".

Doc

Attached is a schematic of a chronic pain patient's support network (team).
© 2007 Used with Permission

Attached Thumbnails

 

Thanks so much, Dr. Smith!

I've been dealing with doctors since I was a kid, so I'm used to all this shuttling around. But yeah, its still frustrating at times. At least when you have to actually go so far out of your way.

I am actually not anticipating surgery at all. I just wanted a more definitive idea of what my options were if I so chose to exercise them. However, based on what my orthopedic surgeon said--I really doubt surgery is going to be the best thing for me. I basically have to wait and see what this neurosurgeon says, to see if I can maaaybe get surgery some time, so that it maybe get rid of the herniated disk, so that I can maaaybe feel better, possibly.

So, while miracle surgery would be great--it doesn't really exist. So I'm not expecting them to 'fix' me right now. Thankfully, I do have my PM doctor appointment soon.

Also, the little network graph is cute. So far I have most of the things in the graph. I like how the word 'pets' is in bold. My cats do help me a lot, plus they are lazy and don't move around a lot--just like me!

I see no harm in that. Being aware of all options (or as many as you can) is laudable and prudent (and helpful in explaining things to all the well-meaning folks who you know haven't got a clue. )
but things change over time (you may get worse or even better via some natural healing). Another thing to keep in mind, which I learned here and later confirmed with my orthopedic surgeon, is that surgery can correct physical defects, but it cannot (or usually does not) cure pain (very few exceptions noted). One initial surgery can also often lead to more surgeries along the road/journey. While there are success stories, there are also scads of stories here from folks who wish they'd never gotten that first surgery.

Doc

There's good reason for that.
And there's a forum for them here:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum62.html

I'm on my second therapy dog. He's not certified for anything, though my trainer tells me it would be a cakewalk to do so; he's from a very long line of titled CDs (Companion Dog).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companion_dog_title

I don't really care if he ever gets any official certification or not - he's MY therapy dog!
(Like Br'er Rabbit's Laughing Place)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Ec6_iICP4
WARNING: Historical Racial Stereotypes

Doc

Thanks again, Dr. Smith! Your links and quotes made me smile.

I would get a dog, but I'd feel bad since I couldn't really walk him. Dogs are much more work than cats. I love both though. My sister has this adorable chocolate lab named Cocoa. (They didn't name her, but I got used to the name now. :P) The poor girl has been through knee surgery, and she is still a young adult. She's super cute and obedient for the most part though, she was already trained in many basic commands when they got her. So cute.

But yeah, I just want to have a clear picture of all the options and opinions. That way I can say and know that I have done everything possible for myself, and I'll be able to explain it better to others--including doctors.

I've heard the same thing about back surgery, though. It seems best for people with 'mechanical' problems, rather than chronic pain. I'm sure some people do get pain relief, but from what my doctors have told me I doubt I'd be one of them. I also have another herniated disk lower than the other, and 3 bulging disks as well. So treating the one disk might not end up helping at all, maybe. It just seems way too uncertain for something as serious as all that, but I still want to hear what they have to say about it and get a more definitive answer.

Are you talking about the dog or your sister?

Doc

The fact that you are looking at all your options and investagating is exactly what you should be doing. I hope that you find an answer to help with your pain. I did wind up doing the surgery route, and it did work out for me for the most part. I had three opinions, several different fields of expertise before I made the decision. I also looked up credentials before choosing my neruo surgeon. My pain specialist is the one who made the final referal. I do hope it works out for you. ginnie

Thanks so much, Ginnie. I'm glad your surgery worked for you, its nice to hear from those who have had some success.

The scoliosis "miracle man" around here has done some amazing surgeries. I mean like taking a 180 curve to 30. So please, be receptive to what your guy says.