Thank you everyone

I am so stoked to be able to see a real neuro/doctor!

I could be wrong, but I feel like that's why I have received such crap care.. having to deal with temporary public clinic docs who hate their job and don't care.
I am so excited to find a doctor, have he/she sit down with me and go over all of my past and current symptoms. A doctor that will know all of my history instead of Tid bits.

I am sending a huge thank you to all of you for all the advice, support, and encouragement that you have all given me!

MS is super crappy. But at least I have a wonderful online group that understands completely how difficult and frustrating this disease can be. I appreciate each and everyone of you so very, very much!

Awesome!!! I'm so happy for you. I'm glad you will now be able to breathe a little easier.

As for the letter, I'm not sure how your Medicaid office works as each state is different in regards to Medicaid. I was on Medicaid for a while before I got on Medicare. Check with your local health & human services department, or what ever it is called in your state, and find out how you can get Medicaid. I have both Medicaid and Medicare and it helps so much. I hope you will be able to get on both. I know you got a letter saying you were approved for Medicare. Did it state on there when it would kick in? If not, you can always call CMS and ask them. I've always had great luck in dealing with them. Their number should be on the letter.

Once you know exactly when your benefits start, schedule your appointment with a real neurologist, not one of the ones you have been seeing.

Keep us updated and, again, Congratulations!!!!

Thank you so much! And it most definitely has given me so breathing room. I feel like a.boulder was lifted from my chest.

The letter said that after being on it for 2 years, that ill be able to get medicare. So I went up to dhs the other day with the letter and applied for medicaid . Said id be hearing back in aweek. Caseworker said that ill get it for sure now.

So what's next you might ask?

Researching the best doctor for me and confirming they take medicaid.

Excited! But how does one make sure they have found the proper doctor?

I read the reviews on my first ms specialist (who was an errogant, mean person with very careless, insensitive nurses) and they were positive reviews but about 6 yrs old..

So that makes me nervous going by the reviews. That doctor didn't even care to know what was happening just wanted to put me on solumedrol or prednisone. And the max time of being in the actual office was 15 minutes (that was once, otherwise it was 5-7 minutes).


So for you, was it a trial and error process of meeting them and deciding they weren't right for you? Assigned and got lucky? Or if researched them, did you just google it?

The feeling of finding someone that will know my history instead of tidbits is so exciting! And I haven't even found one yet! lol

My abdomen and legs are still super numb. And still having those wicked awful unknown episodes so I'm hoping this isn't the new normal. Since its been so long im kind of used to it.. but hoping it just one day goes away

Getting a good Doc is usually a matter of trial and error or just
plain luck. I hope you are very lucky your first time..

I agree with Sally. Getting a good doctor is a crap shoot. For me, I liked my first one best and she was female. I could talk to her better. But then I moved far away. My new doc is a guy....has the personality of a stone....but seems to know his stuff. The other thing is I really like my new doc's office staff and nurse. That can be a huge plus too. I can call or fax them any time with questions and needs and they respond quickly and cheerfully.

I totally agree with this!! The staff and nurses, especially, are who I interact with much more than the doctor. And I've found that the nurses often know more than the doctors and have a better bedside manner! You just can't ignore the relationship with your doctors nurse because she is probably the one who you will see the most.

Is there a MS support group in Springfield? If so, you could contact them or go to one of their meetings to see if anyone has a recommendation.

Thanks everyone!

Springfield does have an ms group.. however, they all see the same specialist that I first saw. The group is small and im the youngest by far. They are all about pharm drugs. When I went to 1 they were all telling me I need to take baclofen, adderrall, etc. Im not into drugs. Granted I would possibly be going through less suffering, the horribly terrifying experiences I've had on the ones I've tried have kind of ruined me on the pharm drugs.

I do not approve of that specialist nor his nurses.

I went to one of the dinners a while back.. he and his nurse showed up bout 20 minutes late. I had brought my bf with me.was thinkin to myself 'wow, these two look higher than a kite' gigglin like little school girls. When we got in the car my bf said he didn't like my doctor/nurse and that its disrespectful to show up late and high to a dinner for your patients.

Gosh, bringing that memory up really makes me happy I don't see him anymore.

Well hopefully, ill get super lucky and find a doctor and nurse system that rock my socks off!

<3