[skywalker1988]

Well finally I got my neurologist to refer me to an MS Center. So very soon I get to see an MS specialist. Has anyone seen an MS specialist as opposed to a regular neurologist?

[kicker]

Yes. I am very close to Baltimore and my first neurologist was at MS Center of UMM (University of Maryland Medical). He left there to become head of MS Center at Johns Hopkins, is also an Optic Neuritis (which I've never had) Specialist, and wrote about developing eye scan that looks into eyes to mark progression of MS. I now go to Johns Hopkins (although my first doctor does second opinions and research, not really patients.. I have had some doctors who have been involved in Clinical trials for a variety of things. I like my current MS specialist neurologist because he never leads me to believe he can do much for a PPMSer like me and treats any problems that might arise and responds to e-mails within 10 hours or less. I like having a MS Specialist, he gets(understands) things. PPMS is very different from RRMS and many neurologists don't fully understand that. I've been very lucky seeing some great doctors.

[ewizabeth]

I went to an MS specialist for ten years then recently switched to a regular neurologist close to home because I have a mild case of MS (knock on wood). With all of your symptoms, your young age and newly diagnosed I think it's very important that you see a specialist. You are younger than my sons and if they were diagnosed I would take them to the doctor I used for ten years.

[skywalker1988]

Honestly I didn't like my neurologist. I called his office Monday asking for a referral for the MS specialist. Well earlier today, I still hadn't heard from them so I called back. Well, they said they would call back in one hour. Well after 3 hours I still haven't heard anything so I called back. That's when they said that they had gotten the referral sent over and that the MS Center would be contacting me before Monday. So basically the problem I had number one is that is takes forever to get a response from my neurologist - not only now but when it was an emergency as well a few weeks ago. So I'm hoping that I get treated better by the MS specialist when I go.

[doydie]

My local neurologist is the local specialist but she isn't a true specialist. Does that make any sense??? She sent me to one when I was first diagnosed back in 1997 and then when I had a big exacerbation in 1999.