We hear, read learn about many good and bad experiences about finding the good, bad and the downright UGLY in the neuro's we encounter when we get diagnosed...
Maybe I should post this as three categories?
1- What constitutes to YOU as a good neuro's qualities?
2- What constitutes to YOU a bad or indifferent neuro's qualities?
3- Worst of all, What constitutes the WORST qualities of some neuros?

There ARE good neuros out there....but IF we don't just post it publicly, no one will ever know what the well...'warning' signs are?

I know from my own misadventures into diagnosis-land that I had some solid ...umm? near-misses. I admit I am far more fortunate than many. I still call my 'first' neuro, [as does my husband] 'the quack, or ambulance chaser'...need I say more? [I mean, the guy is always being 'paged' while I'm in the hospital...no matter what the reason I am there?] I don't miss him one whit!
Any and all input and comments are welcome! Get it out of your systems! Consider it therapy or something? HA - j

1- A good neuro who is experienced in PN and will listen fully to your symptoms and make full use of all tests available to find out what nerves are involved and all tests available to try to find a cause.
Combining 2 & 3 - doesn't listen to you or believe your symptoms are real, not using or bothering to use any available tests, not reffering you to someone else that has more experience in that field.

I have seen my mother go through 3 quacks,neuro's that is. Why did she
go to then.
1 They were convenient.
2There was only one in the small town she was in,ahh quake and idioit.
3 One I found right here in Columbia li like the idea he came from Mayo.
so must be good. wrong,sent her to a Back Surgeon,after all stuides he did
and treated her for PN. Well you have a Herniated Disk,odd at 80
but the Back Dr. will cure you...huh...Don't make another appointment
because you will be cured. She wasn't,she died 4 years ago,he still
asks how she's doing.
4 Not everybody has insurance to go to Mayo Clinic,John Hopkins, Chicaco,
Cleveland Clinic. Or there insurance will not let them out of the stste
your in. By the time I got her into Barnes for her PN,she had a rare form
of Breast Cancer..
Which makes me wonder how many people in small towns and rural areas
suffer from PN..Or other things,there has to be a change, and don't say
they can move,well not everybody can afford to... Sue

Well, I don't have a Neuro......I have a fantastic Rheumatologist! He listens and has sent me for ever test imaginable and diagnosed my Neuropathy and Myopathy. Some of us luck out the first time.....some don't. I'm lucky that my insurance covered him....I know some who have lousy insurance and are still suffering.....and we live in Houston...BIG city!

I found an excellent article on the Neuropathy Trust website entitled: Peripheral Neuropathy: Getting the Best out of the Medical Profession by Dr Simon J. Ellis.

Go to this site and scroll down the page and you will find the article.
http://www.neurocentre.com/pn.php


Some of the attributes which I appreciate in a good specialist:

Their ability to listen and two way questions.
Genuine answers - not rubbish answers like "how long's a piece of string"? or another "don't fix what's not broke" or "you've seen too many sunrises"!
Acknowledging what's been said.
Thoroughness of note taking and testing.
Explanation of diagnosis, treatment and other things pertaining to the disease course.
Remembering you when you come back.
A respectful two way relationship.
Not giving up on you!

#1. One who gives you time, isn't rushing to the next patient--listens to what you are saying, really listens--a personality helps!!!

#2. One who questions you about why you think you have something that is irrelevant to why you are seeing this doctor--sometimes I swear these doctors try to distract you away from your purpose of why you are seeing them and I am not sure why they do that. My first visit with my neurologist was a learning experience for both of us, more so for him. He questioned me as to why I think I have celiac disease over and over, and finally I told him, "It doesn't matter if I am celiac or not, I am gluten intolerant, I will be gluten free for the rest of my life--now, lets talk about my neuropathy!" It's the not hearing what he needs to hear that bothered me most.

#3. One who is totally uncaring while examing you--the ones who treat you like you are an object and not really human. I had one do the needle part of a nerve conduction test--he did say, "This may hurt." Yet, then he broke the blood vessel, which is very painful, he didn't say a word. That's uncalled for.

Doctors are people too, not Gods like some of them think they are. Many of them need to come back down to earth and remember who puts them where they are.

I think this applies to ALL docs....

First, good site Megan!

1) Any and every doc should be willing to listen to a concise summary of WHY you are there - and not interrupt within reasonable period (isnt the usual interuption after about 15 seconds)? , then ask pertinent questions and know the tests to start with, etc, if they dont know they need to admit that to the patient and research or refer them to a doc who should) Take a list, a summary, whatever... but they need to listen to the patient and be receptive to our reserarch - not be glancing at their watch. They should treat one as a human being - they are professionals - so what - so are all of us in our field - we deserve respect - a handshake in introduction - if they want to call us by our first name ASK us first - dont assume - how would they like if if we called them by their first name?????
2) Any indifferent doc barely looks at a person - doesnt listen - doesnt read chart - and often brushes off important details you needed to tell them.... they need to care about the patient's well being - thats why they are getting paid....
3) Across the board for all - arrogance and indifferance.... I dont care how busy they are - I know if I treated people when I was able to work how I've been treated by some docs - I'd have been fired... as would almost anyone in any other profession... lousy docs dont care - say they are rushed (which I'm sure they are - as are we all) - and somehow feel they are able to bypass common curteousies and due diligence, often at our financial and most important - physical expensive...... If they dont like what they are doing - they need to change professionals.... its often said that docs get hung up on their power -and many many do.... no matter how lousy they are......

Thats how I feel - I've seen great docs and I've seen some that have very appropriately since lost their licenses to practice - and it was obvious in the way they treated people. There are many in the middle - good and bad in every field - and thats where we the patients FIRE them or form a good bond!

just to get this thread back on track and on topic. if you are wanting to reply to the lyme's post, then copy it and start a new thread. this has gotten confusing to some of the members.

1. It helps a great deal if a neuro is willing to treat me like an intelligent woman who also has cognitive dysfunction. In other words, have a proper discussion with me about my condition and be prepared to provide a definition once in awhile when I forget what something means or what it's called. And if a neuro doesn't know something, he/she should be willing to admit as such and make an effort to find the answer or direct me to someone who can.

2. Indifferent neuros are ones who, like shiney sue said, see diabetes on your list of diagnoses and decide that it's the answer for everything. Or blame everything on fibromyalgia without ruling anything else out. Or when their initial tests come back inconclusive assume that you are a hypochondriac and look no further.

3. The worst neuros are the ones who haven't cracked open a medical journal since they got their degree and have no interest in learning anything current. The ones who tell you that since a particular medical condition is rare that you must not have it, even if your symptoms and/or tests point to that condition. The ones with the God complex who will not let you tell them about important studies relating to your condition, who tell you that everything on the internet is garbage, who treat you like a hysterical woman even when you are being calmly assertive.

Hmmm....can you tell I've been to more docs in categories two and three than in one?? I'm perfectly willing to accept when a doc doesn't have an answer, but I expect them to at least to make an effort before they reach that conclusion.

fanfaire

I think for me and I am beyond frustrated because I just switched again internists and I know not neuro but have had the same issue when switching neuros. I feel the docs don't listen and are so rushed. If it is not concrete they brush it off. For example along with my pain I often get this breathing/dizzy issue and since nothing in tests come up it is brushed off. When I connect my symptoms the specialist I see whether a neuro or endo what ever only looks at theres and the internists want to shove me off to the specialist. I hate the shove off. The neuro says go to the internist,the internist to the pain,the pain back to the neuro. No one wants to take responsiblity. The random trying of different things like meds,pt,different pain relief like stimulators that to me is just guessing. I have went to 4 pain docs with 4 different things I should do. What do I just just pick one. I have gotten snapped at for asking more questions and told flat out they would ask them. Ok sorry this is my rant maybe off topic. I feel listening,acknowledging ones feelings/issues,and a doc who will look out of the box would be good. It may take an extra 5 minutes of there time but will in the long run save a lot.I know there must be some good docs out there but after how many I have seen without feeling I can call on any of them an actually being put in more pain for example yesterdays physical exam I start to loose hope and not want to go to anymore. The pain I have daily is bad enough but when it is extra from the docs and I still get no answers it is frustrating. Ok sorry about my rant.