How To Take This????

[CALLA]

Hey there all!!



I have to ask for opinions........



My family doctor decided that he wanted to send me to see a Neurosurgeon. My original surgeon moved away.



I have been having a really hard time lately in regards to my low back pain, and "new" right sided leg pain, and stiffness that is just NOT going away. No matter what I do!!



Anyways, so he decided that he was convinced there is something going on that a radiologist could have missed and that a NS would be able to help with. He sent away the referral and the doctor who he reffered me to wrote this letter and faxed it back to my doctor.."upon reviewing the MRI report, I do not feel surgical intervention is needed, so I will not see this patient. Thank you for the referral."



WHAT IS THAT!!!! AM I OVER-REACTING OR WHAT?? I JUST THOUGHT THAT MOST DOCTORS WOULD DO THIER OWN TEST AND EXAMS BEFORE THEY KNEW WHAT PATH THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE!!! ALL I WANT IS SOMEONE TO TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!



Ugh........................................NOW WHAT?



Thanx everyone, I just wanted to hear some advice...and ask for some help!!!



Take care, Calla

[dshobbies]

I assume you have HMO insurance and need the referral. With memories of a friend needing shoulder surgery but the HMO insisting he didn't, he fought for 2 years, appealing, insisting, shouting... whatever it took. Insurance companies are more than pleased to take you premiums but hate doling it back out so you have to fight, fight, fight. Do not take no for an answer. Something is definitely going on and you're in pain but your ins co you to get nothing more than a band-aid.

Fight, fight, fight and good luck.

Dale

[mmglobal]

Greetings from Munich!

Calla, welcome to the club. I had similar experience. I had substantial (progressing to disabling) low back pain for 2.5 years, while the surgeons were giving me the "I could pull 100 45 year old men off the street - WITH NO SYMPTOM - and 1/2 of them would have MRI's worst than mine!"

In retrospect, these spine surgeons who suffer from a lack of knowledge about discogenic pain - they actually helped me. Had they done discography and proved discogenic pain in 1998 or 1999, I might have a 2-level lumbar fusion. (And I believe that I would have been a success with a fusion, but knowing what I know now, I am certainly glad that I had ADR instead.)

This is just an idea... I'm not suggesting this and sometimes these types of letters have unexpected ramifications - sometimes they work magic too.

Dear Doc, ....

Calla... as I typed, I realized that I have more questions for you that might make a difference in ways that you may approach this. Are you back pain or leg pain. Your MRI posted earlier mentions moderate facet hypertrophy... have they been evaluated with diagnostic injections, bone scan or other methods? Are you suffering from facet pain or discogenic LBP.

Is your doctor saying that you do not have pain or is he simply stating that the MRI does not show a reason for surgery. He may be right about that, but the suggestion that all problems that may be addressed always show up on MRI is simply... simply... too simple. It's not that easy. He doesn't do surgery on MRI's, he does surgery on people's pain. Open up to the idea that he may be helping you because doing surgery without a clear diagnosis is foolhardy. However, stopping the diagnostic process because the MRI looks unremarkable is also ridiculous.

Mark

[CALLA]

Hello Mark!!

Thank you for your reply.

Hmmmmmmmmmm, you know what makes this all frustrating!! I don't want anyone to get me wrong, it is not that I am out there looking to have surgery, all I am asking if for an answer as to what is going on and what is causing all this PAIN!!!!!

The surgeon who I was referred to, if he would have said to my face that yes, he does not believe surgery is an option, I am more than cool with that. But he didn't even give me the chance to ask him any questions about my situation, in fact he didn't even get the chance to look at the MRI itself, he just based his opinion soley on the report... I may be wrong, but I thought that the "purpose" of having these "specialists" is so that they can come to thier OWN conclusions, not the conculsion of a radiologist.

When I had my latest flare-up a couple months ago, it changed my symptoms, I am now suffering daily with right leg pain/spasms and severe stiffness, some days I can't even straighten it...... My back pain is not so bad in the morning, but then by the end of the day, forget it I am useless.

I stay active, I am in swimming/water aerobics etc....at first I thought that it was a pulled muscle in my leg and when I went and seen my doctor he did his exam, checked for blood clots, etc. But he could not find anything, at that point he has related it to my low back.

Sometimes, I wonder if the reason is because I have already had a previous surgery and because I am no longer able to see my first surgeon, that these surgeons I am newly referred to feel like they are cleaning up a mess?? Maybe I am wrong who knows!!!!!!!

All I know is it is AMAZING how as person you can be in such discomfort, to the point where it is consuming you life (even when you do everything to the best of your ability to go on in pain) and it is such a STRUGGLE to just be able to get some form of answers, and reasoning as to WHY this is happening!!!! I just don't get it, just REALLY don't get it........

Anyways, again thanks for the reply, I greatly appreciate it!!!!
Calla

[Maria]

Unfortunately I've heard this complaint before from people that have had a doctor/surgeon making a referral and before they are even able to be seen, a refusal for consultation is given.

This is probably a doctor you don't want to see anyway. I'm of the opinion he did you a favor because for whatever reason this doctor does not have the wherewithall to just take the consultation and explain his point of view to the patient, whether or not he or she thinks the patient is doctor shopping/surgery obcessed and so forth.

There are reasons that doctors refuse to see patients such as not accepting the insurance, not accepting the patient based on a surmised opinion of the chart/legal document content, not accepting the patient after consulting with referring doctor or reading his or her report, not having time at that time/not making time, not wanting potential liability problems, not wanting to take someone with a pychosocial history... ad nauseum...

Hopefully you aren't boxed in by your insurance coverage and you can move on sooner than later with this process. Good luck and keep trying. Maria