What's a "rehabilitation specialist"?
 

Just got off the phone with my neuro.

Day 3 of steroids and not really seeing much improvement in stuff. More numb, keep tripping/almost falling. (havent fallen down yet...knock on wood that I dont)

I asked the neuro about AFO's and he said that those are kind of tricky, especially if your knees are unstable. Said he wanted me to go to a "rehabilitation specialist". (sounds like a fancier physical therapy thing? More expensive?) Told me to call my regular doctor to get that set up.

I'm really getting discouraged about all this. Seems like it's the Flare From Hell that I was dreading ever getting.

Guess I'll go cry while I wait for my regular doctor to call me back. (stupid steroids! If you're not going to work for what I want you for, then stop making me cry all the time...argh!)

Nap time.

Sorry about any whining. I just feel like kvetching (complaining) about everything...

edited to add:

regular doctor's office, told me to hurry up and wait some more because they're waiting for the neuro's office to fax them the information about what the neuro wants me to do. Why cant the neuro just refer me? What is the deal with that? Why do I have to spend the day waiting for my regular doctor to play phone/fax machine tag with my neuro?

I called the PT I saw last spring to ask her who a good rehab specialist is (physiatrist? sp? a physiatrist is a real doctor, not just a therapist) She told me some of what gets done in that type of rehab. AFO's (that's what I thought!) and get to have scans (crap!...hate MRI's!)

Right now, the steroids are making me pee, which is probably good for the UTI that started all this crap. Except that I've got to be in the bathroom every 2 or 3 minutes. Hope that stops soon.

I just want to get an appt to the rehab people since I read the sooner you start, the better it is. Guess I get some therapy for Xmas. (I'd rather have a new computer)

I Googled and got this.

A rehabilitation specialist is a medical or psychosocial professional who assists patients in recovery from physical injuries or weaknesses, or mental illness. The goal of his or her intervention is to have the patient return to normal or nearly normal functioning in his or her daily activities. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, social workers, and vocational counselors are all rehabilitation specialists. Respiratory therapists and speech-language pathologists also do rehabilitative work with patients.

After an injury, or for physical strengthening, a physical therapist helps a patient regain mobility and range of motion through exercise and physical training activities. The emphasis is on restoring optimal neuromuscular and skeletal functioning. He or she may also order equipment for the patient to use at home as an adjunct to in-office treatment. An occupational therapist promotes patient adaptation and independence by teaching optimal conservation of physical energy. He or she may also guide patients in activities that promote fine motor skills.

My doctor called me back. They wanted to know if I wanted to call them first before scheduling anything. I at least wanted to google the doctor, so they gave me his name, and I googled and called the place.

Found out they have a rehab place just down the street from me (hope they have the right kind of PT that I need at that one...there's an MRI place right next door to it if I remember right, I've seen it. That might come in handy if they force me to do an MRI)

I cant find any reviews on the physiatrist, so I'm hoping these people are good. I wish I could use the PT place I went to last spring, but they're more sports medicine than physiatrists. (darn!)

Gotta go talk to my dad. He just got home.

Erin,
Try Googling "PT reviews Your state". MS doctors are good sources. Mine sent me to a MS PT person. But I am go to Hopkins and am by Baltimore.