This doctor started out by telling me that he did not know my MS doctor and that he was not an MS specialist. He asked me why I had seen a neurologist in the area last year but had not stuck with her. I told him I just didn’t like her.

Truth is I was not satisfied with her answers.

He noted I had 7 children and asked WHY I had 7 children. I said because we adopted. He left it at that.

He looked through my chart and said I see you had ON last year and an abnormal VER. I would expect and abnormal VER with ON.

He wondered why I had not had an LP. I said I guess it was because the MS doctor felt I had enough other evidence of MS to skip
the LP.

He wondered what blood tests I had had. He checked my chart and saw I’d had all the tests he could think of but the LP. Kept coming back to the LP.

He started to loosen up some and said ok; ON twice in one eye, evidence of two lesions on brain MRI, and trigeminal neuralgia……He then started talking about Clinically Isolated Syndrome because my lesion load is not great.

Then he does a neuro exam. When that was done he talked about what he thought. He went back to the LP but said an LP at this point would not change the treatment plan. He said there were no other tests he would do. I asked him what HIS opinion was and he said MS and for sure CIS.

He said he did not need to see me again for 6-7 months since I am seeing my MS doctor next week. But I should call him if something like another bout of ON comes up because steroid treatment should have been used the first time.

I was so stressed. I hated going back and being grilled like that. I was so hoping the records I provided him would give him all he needed. It did really and in the end I just got a second opinion from another neurologist that I am being treated properly and it is MS.
I do not meet the MS criteria solidly because I do not have enough lesions, but I do have enough symptoms.

One weird thing he asked was what my grades were like in school and if I had ever been put in the hospital for psychiatric reasons. HUH? Is that a normal question? I am just grateful he did not grill me any further on the kids!

Another thing that bothered me was his saying there is no way he knows for sure all of these sensory things I say I have are for real. He said some times we think things like dizziness are bad when they really AREN’T so bad. I wondered what he was saying. I didn’t bring up any symptoms. He asked me if I had this or that and I answered yes or no.

So that is the whole ugly story. I had to stop and see my granddaughter to recover!

Gee, kinda like going to the Principal's office! But, you did get reinforcement that MS is your DX, so that's something. And, bet that visit w/the g'daughter cheered you up.

Hope your appt w/the MS Dr goes well, but let us know, OK??

Aaaarghhh! Your visit with the new MS doc sounds awful! He doesn't even sound very human.

I just met my new neuro 2 days ago. She was okay I guess. At least she wasn't condescending.

Sorry for your bad experience. Grandchildren are great, aren't they?

i Must admit i would find a diff doc, his grilling of you was uncalled for, even if he was testing your memory. the question about shrink ward was totally uncalled for, although the last 3 yrs of being undiagnosed i too was told to go see a shrink, but still i see no reason for asking you the way he did.

from what you said it sure doesnt sound like he even wanted to listen to you

I know its easier said to find a diff doc but i must admit he would or she would not see me again

when the doc said why do you have seven kids i would of said cause we dont have 8

good luck in what ever you decide to do

Well, he sounded like a putz. At least he agreed that you have MS even tho he sounds like one of those doctors that think everyone is faking.

You have symptoms, and MRI, and two confirmed cases of ON, and TN...why would he really need an LP?

I'm not positive about this, and if I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will tell me. But, if you have at least two lesions, and more than two flares/exacerbations (the two occurances of ON and the TN) that are separated by space and time. Then, wouldnt that be enough to say it's MS?

I didnt have any obvious lesions...just a few white "spots/dots" on my MRI that werent indicative of MS and werent in the normal places you'd find MS lesions. I got diagnosed after having my first attack of ON, and then having my feet go numb, tingly, hot and cold and feeling like I had boots full of thumbtacks in them. It took four months between the ON and the numb feet...oh, and the L'hermittes that appeared a day before I got diagnosed. That's at least the symptoms that my neuro and other doctors observed. I had numbness in my right thigh several months before I had ON and saw a neuro for the first time. I guess they didnt count the numb thigh and hip, since they didnt see me for that. (I did see the PA at my regular doctor for it tho, so there was a record of it)

Even my MRI didnt show any lesions on my optic nerve, so they just had to go on what they observed when they looked at my eyes to diagnose ON.


What did that guy mean by saying that dizziness isnt bad? I've had vertigo a lot (probably my first symptom that I had) and it's the worst symptom of MS that I've had so far. He's apparently not ever had vertigo before, because that would probably change his mind.

Thanks for the replies. I am going to call my MS doctor and see what she has to say about this.

I should have said in the beginning of my message that I have an MS doctor who is a 3 hour drive one way.
She wanted me to find someone closer who would partner with her in my care.

The is the first neuro I saw hoping he would be a right fit. He said he has never heard of my doctor. She actually works for the MS clinic here in our state and the clinic is fairly well known.

Maybe he is new to the area. I do have some other options here. What a waste of money today was except for he did confirm for me that my MS doctor going in the right direction.

I just do not appreciate being looked down on because of our family size. My husband and I have been married 26 years. We gave birth to 2 children. Adopted 5 little children who needed a home.

We have been criticized and questioned about WHY we would do this by other people. Honestly if a person can not understand opening your arms and home to a child who needs a home then I don't understand them.

There are so many children who need families and not enough families willing to take them.

I didn't know I had MS before we adopted our children. If I had we probably would not have taken on such a challenge. Four of our adopted children have Down syndrome.

I am grateful we have our family. The future is kind of scary but things will be ok.....ok enough venting.

Thanks for the support!

LA:

ON has been my really major symptom too. The first time I had it my leg was really WEIRD. Now I have hyper reflexes and clonus in my weird leg.

I have had vertigo off and on. A few times it has been so bad. All I could do was lay face down on the floor with my eyes closed so I could not see the world spin.

He made that comment about being dizzy after he had me follow his finger with my eyes. I have ON and it was not an easy thing to do.


Oh, I feel so sorry for people who do not have a good MS doctor. I would be so discouraged if I had seen this guy before my MS doctor.

It is good to know you really are not crazy!

La

I think his questions were insulting!! Bravo to you for taking on the responsibility of 4 down syndrome children and others. I have taught down syndrome children and a very low IQ child with an aide.

Let me tell you I would prefer to teach them in a heart beat. They were so grateful for any help I gave them.

This doctor has no clue.

I have several cousins who were adopted, and they're my favorite cousins, so I like hearing about people who adopt. I dont see why that doctor had to interrogate you on the number of kids you have and why. What does the number of kids you have have to do with your MS?


It drives me nuts when a doctor or a nurse assume that vertigo is not a serious symptom. If the vertigo is bad enough to drop you to the floor or make you wake up constantly while you're sleeping...or keeps you from walking or driving. That's a pretty serious symptom.

About two weeks ago, I woke up with vertigo. Called my neuro and he was so ready to write me a Rx for steroids without even seeing me in his office. Only reason I didnt get the Rx was because I didnt want oral steroids, he didnt want to give me IV steroids, and we both kind of decided to see if it was being caused by the ON and not by some new activity somewhere else. It didnt last long at least. (ohthankgoodness!) I dont like the side effects of the steroids, so I'm glad I didnt take them.

I'm hoping to not have to take steroids too often. (only did them once, and that was for some pretty serious vertigo last year) But, if I ever get vertigo so bad that it drops me to the floor again, I'm taking the steroids however the neuro wants to give them to me. I'll take them orally, IV, or heck, even rectally if I have to. Anything to make the dizzies not bother me.

I just hate vertigo. Good thing the dizzies that hit me a few weeks ago were mild in comparison to previous vertigo attacks I had before I even knew about having MS.

As a nurse, let me tell you, this jerk was making judgements about you.

he was thinking you were NUTS for having 7 kids on purpose. That you were probably just seeking SSDI or some other sort of "hand out" (their opinion not mine) That you were a sympathy seeker, and doctor shopping until you found the one that you could force to agree to YOUR diagnosis.

Advice. RUN. Run far, Run Fast, just RUN. This guy is a jerk!

I want an MD who listens to ME! not to my chart. I want an MD who is kind, and compassionate, and not judgemental about MY life choices. Even if I paint my hair purple and have 12 earrings, and a tongue stud. (I dont btw) If I have so many children I have to live in a shoe. its NOT his business. Your disease is his business. He was a horrible man. I hope you run away.