exam
 

Hey, James
 

welcome, sorry for the reasons you've found us but sure glad you're here. yes, the thoracic guy sounds like a surgeon alright. won't be much interested in you, either, no doubt, since in all likelihood (and let's keep our fingers crossed it's not TOS in the first place, man!) you're not a surgical candidate. TOS surgery SHOULD be a last resort, unless your sx are (acutely) vascular or you have that rare case of true neuro TOS.

so your best bet really is what your heart is already telling you and you have some excellent ideas. alexander technique, craniosacral massage and myofascial release, etc. be aware that the WRONG kind of PT can not only NOT help a TOS'er but can actually do more damage, james, so you must be very careful. olecyn will tell you, her personal search took her i think 5 years to find the right guy, but she has, and is very happy with him and he is right there in your area... so ask her about her "doc of PT"---:D

as far as a PCP goes, you don't really need one. what you do need is a neuro who specializes in TOS (again, i'm presupposing that dx in your case but just bear with me for the sake of argument here...). i'm going to second what johannakat has suggested and recommend dr. sheldon jordan for you. while i realize there are some drawbacks in that he is located in LA county and does not accept private insurance, james, the fact that he is a pain management dr., a neuro, AND a TOS specialist may give you something to consider... at least as far as getting the dx confirmed goes. for dr. j. is an excellent diagnostician and can perform scalene blocks as well as do botox injections and other therapeutic measures for you down the line if you've an interest in that. or perhaps he could recommend someone in OC to tx you, better still... not exactly non-invasive, some of the things i mention here but still, a far cry from surgery and in reading between the lines of your post i sense that you are suffering so i just wanted to give you some options, that is all.

you also could look into purchasing voice-activated software (dragon naturally speaking is the program for PC users, less than $100 all-in, i think - there's another one for MAC users). sign up for the sorehand list out of ucsf.edu and you will get tons of ideas about ergonomics and gain access to its archives as well (there was some interesting material recently about the difference between playing the piano and computer keyboarding in terms of aggravating RSI which would be right up your alley...).

also, if insurance coverage is an issue (it is for me sometimes) or you do decide to go for posture or bodywork because that seems a better way to address your issues right now, then maybe look into some of the low-cost or free classes offered through the national MS foundation - you do not have to have MS to participate in the national MS society 'being active' program, and by signing up for the 'better living' catalogue i'm told you can get a heads up as to upcoming events and MS programs within your own community. as you know, the national MS foundation is nationwide and extremely well-funded, with lots of public awareness. great programs. so take advantage of that, james.

you really touched on an important aspect when you said how important it is to talk things through. i think emotional support is key. it can be one of the hardest things for a TOS'er to find, sadly, even among medical professionals - there is so much controversy, political nonsense, litigation, etc. and it does such a great disservice to the patient. we just want to get better.

the answers lie within, james. stay close; we need you here! we can help each other by giving information and support. you have the right attitude. and you are very fortunate to live in a part of the country where there are some good treating professionals. hopefully members here can help you find ones you are comfortable with.

i wish you the best of luck. hope you join us! i can tell you've already earned your seat; so pull up a chair, kid...:cool:

alison

awesome replies so far, thank you all. thank you so much Sea Pines 50 for your support, and to DiMarie and everyone. I really need to sort through a lot of options and figure out some sort of game plan. I am very confident I will get things fixed, it's just gonna take some time. I'm already feeling better just talking about it, seeing doctors, doing yoga and alexander... in the past I just tried to ignore it. I hit rock bottom a few months ago and things are getting better and better since I've stopped ignoring ITS existence.

DiMarie: The doctor I'm seeing actually did send me downstairs to a neuro. I had the needles and all that weirdness done to me. I've been ignoring the thoracic doctors calls about why I havent been in for the MRI/xray and the results of the neurological exam. I dunno, maybe I'm being too judgemental against the guy. He was recommended to me from the UCLA TOS department.... I guess where James Collins and Dr. Sheldon are located [see the numbers on http://www.geocities.com/la_rsi/treatmnt.html?200730 ]

Maybe the best thing todo would be to call Dr. Collins or Dr. Sheldon directly to see if they know and can recommend the Doctor I'm currently seeing. I got my doctors number from one of the secretaries there. I asked if they knew of anyone in my area and they gave me the number.

I mean, it's just a complex problem. I don't know if I HAVE TOS... what I have is symptoms that make a match... but, as everyone knows, these sort of symptoms could be related to a lot of other things, too.

On a side note I'm wrapping up a session with an Endocrinologist to rule out Thyroid or liver or Hormonal junk that could cause aches and pains. My blood tests came back and I was pretty healthy other than some low blood sugar, which I guess isn't actually very healthy. My second test was to rule out diabetes which I'll find out about on the 7th. I'm pretty confident the low blood sugar was due to a really restrictive diet at the time... almost exclusively green veggies and raw nuts... which was prescribed to me by a homeopathist, which I'm not seeing anymore!!

:eek:

It's all just craziness. My alexander teacher says I should hold off on the PT until I learn how to "release" as per the alexander method so I can get the full benefit of PT. That gives me some time I guess.

Where is this Ocelyn at anyways, she sounds like she could be helpful :D

I have PM'ed you both - hopefully that will work :)

GREAT idea on the endo work up...!!!!

Jal- you might want to attend the next meeting of the LA RSI group. You may find people to talk with that have first hand experience with many of the practitioners in your area. Luckily you live in an area that has several practitioners to choose from.

Hi there, welcome to our group. I can't be of much assistance since I live on the East Coast, but I'm glad you found us and I hope we can offer you some sort of advice and support. X-rays, neuro, and yoga/relaxation therapies sound like the Road to go, at least until you are given a definitive TOS diagnosis.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Jal
 

Your not sure you have TOS but you know you have RSI?
PM me with your docs name with the exception of Chambi.

1. Get testing done by one of the top docs here to rule TOS or not
2. Get yourself to a GOOD PT. I have been made worse by certain local PT's
3. Stay off of the compooper or piano or work or whatever made your RSI
4. Do cardio, swim, use ice for pain or heat which ever makes you comfy
5. Lay on the floor and open your pecs
6. strength your traps to hold up your shoulder girdle
7. breathe and use Peter Edgelows Protocol if Alexnder is not working
8. Do NOT life, raie arms, pull, grasp, or anything that creates discomfort, additional pain, selling, throbbing, numbness, burning or tingling

Send us your symptoms and where...lots of patients here can help

speaking of ouchy...
timer is yelling at me.
ok bye

Oh. My. God!!
 

ajaklsdjfklasdjfklsdjflsdfl.

turns out my overly judgemental suspicious outlook on doctors turned out to be valid for once. I tore up my MRI/xray prescription and am going to tell Dr. Chambi to himself if he calls up here looking to schedule an appointment again...!

Complements of OCgirl. Thank you!!

__________________________________________________ __________
Friday, September 12, 2003

Oc Register

Neurosurgery chief Chambi suspended

Western Medical Center takes action against doctor with long history of malpractice suits.

By CHRIS KNAP, BERNARD WOLFSON, and WILLIAM HEISEL, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The chief of neurosurgery at Western Medical Center Santa Ana, a major center for head trauma in Orange County, has been suspended from clinical practice by top officials at his hospital.

The exact reason for the Wednesday night action by the hospital's Medical Executive Committee was not made public Thursday. Dr. Israel Chambi Venero has been accused repeatedly of malpractice, unnecessary surgery and incompetence - all of which were detailed in an Orange County Register investigation in May.

Hospital spokesman David Langness said the results of the hospital's investigation will be sent to the Medical Board of California, as required by state law.

Chambi's suspension comes at a time when the hospital's parent company, Tenet Healthcare, is under investigation by multiple federal agencies examining allegations of illegal kickbacks to doctors and unnecessary operations by high-volume surgeons. Last week, the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance said it, too, is investigating Tenet, and it told the company to hand over any documents regarding its relationship with Chambi.

After a full investigation, the Medical Staff Executive Committee (MEC) of Western Medical Center Santa Ana voted to summarily suspend Dr. Israel Chambi’s clinical privileges effective September 10, 2003. The summary suspension shall remain in effect until Dr. Chambi fully meets numerous conditions set forth by the MEC

Chambi would not comment. His attorney, Michael Zuk, said he was surprised by the hospital's action.

"That's the first I've heard of it," Zuk said. "Dr. Chambi has gotten nothing from the hospital."

The hospital committee set out conditions that could allow Chambi to return eventually. However, one medical expert said the conditions can be so onerous - involving extensive medical and ethical retraining - that doctors seldom come back.

Western Medical Center has hired a professional search firm to find another neurosurgeon for the hospital. In the meantime, trauma coverage at the hospital is being handled by other doctors.

In the Register's stories, patients and their families described how Chambi persuaded them or their loved ones to undergo brain or spinal surgery that left them severely disabled. In some cases, other doctors reviewed the records and suggested surgeries should not have been performed.

Chambi has been sued 36 times for malpractice or wrongful death since 1992. He won most of the lawsuits. But 10 patients obtained verdicts or settlements totaling $3 million. Four cases are pending. Chambi also lost his teaching post at UCI after doctors there accused him of incompetence and poor judgment.

But Western Medical Center, the flagship Orange County hospital for the Tenet Healthcare chain, made Chambi chief of neurosurgery in 1998.

On Thursday, former Chambi patients and other neurosurgeons applauded the action by the hospital but said it came much too late.

"It should have been done a long time ago," said Tim Kling of Fullerton, whose mother, Frances, suffered permanent brain damage after an operation by Chambi. "Too many people suffered because of him."

A Register analysis of public records found that Western Medical billed $38 million for neurosurgeries in 2000 and had the highest per-patient charges in Southern California.

"The action by the hospital's medical executive committee is certainly appropriate in the context of the numerous well-documented deficiencies of Dr. Chambi over several years," said Dr. James Doty, a San Francisco neurosurgeon who has reviewed a number of Chambi's cases and is scheduled to testify against him in a trial this year.

"It is unfortunate that the peer-review system requires a major investigation by a news organization before such action is instituted," Doty said. "The delay only confirms my belief that major financial producers for a hospital are not closely scrutinized."

A letter to Trevor Fetter, Tenet's acting CEO, from Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, shows scrutiny is coming. He asked for documents pertaining to Chambi's compensation; office space, equipment or services provided to him by Tenet; and any reports or audits of him, including anything "regarding unnecessary medical surgeries and procedures at Western Medical Center."

The committee has oversight for Medicare and Medicaid. The federal government warned Tenet last week that Redding Medical Center could be kicked out of Medicare.

"The investigation itself, though focused primarily on the Redding facility, is really a broad-brush look at Tenet and its corporate governance practices," said Jill Gerber, Grassley's spokeswoman. "The situation with Dr. Chambi presents another hospital under Tenet's control where similar allegations have been made.

"Senator Grassley is particularly concerned about the type of peer review Tenet is doing or not doing and whether the company is prohibiting the peer review of these doctors with the goal of keeping them in place and keeping their high billing practices for the company."

Langness, the spokesman for Tenet, said the company follows the law with regard to physician payments.

"We have a team of attorneys who make sure any payments to physicians are within the law," Langness said.

Added Zuk, the attorney for Chambi: "The U.S. Senate is fishing for financial inducements, but Dr. Chambi doesn't have any. They never gave him a penny. They are looking for stuff like that, but none of it exists."

Zuk also said he received a notice from the Medical Board dated Sept. 2 saying that its investigation of Chambi was completed and that there would be no further action.

But Candace Cohen, a spokeswoman for the board, said Thursday that Chambi remains under investigation and that the board will scrutinize closely what it's sent by Western Medical Center's doctors.

"If information is brought to our attention that a physician is an imminent danger to the public, we will seek an interim suspension of his license."

CONTACT US: (714) 796-2240 or cknap@ocregister.com

Yikes
 

This is unbelievable- kickbacks to drs. and unnecessary surgeries?! There was a dr. in the Houston area (ortho) who lost his license and has 60 something lawsuits filed against him for doing unnecessary spinal surgeries and many people came out much worse than before they went in. There's a website for Texas where you can look up any dr. in the state and see if their licenses are up to date and whether they've been sued,etc. I don't know about other states but they'd probably all have the same kind of thing.