How many Drs have you seen?

[montse]

In my case varicela was not painful, the problem was the fever. I had no problems with my skin while having it,I looked like a monster but I had a very strong seizure, my husband wanted me to go to the hospital, but once it has finished, they can not help me. And I got a herpes zoster, which is the same virus, a terrible pain I had not felt before, like knives on my back.
Now I feel very tired, without energy, the doctor says it is normal, let us give it time to get better.

[POSITIVEPERSON]

I am starting to think before Drs get accepted into med school they should be evaluated
to see if they are playing with a full deck and if they have their patients interests at heart to begin with????? If they don't they shouldn't be accepted in med school.

Riva

[RobinN]

Well, you got me there. I don't know anything about PCOS or it's relation to seizures. I guess I assumed that the seizure activity you referred to was epilepsy.

I have really been trying to understand how vocabulary can direct us in our treatment. How a label can rule out possibilities.

Bernard - you wrote... "I guess I assumed that the seizure activity you referred to was epilepsy"

and yet all that epilepsy means is recurrent unprovoked seizures. It could be caused by PCOS, or magnesium deficiency or hormonal imbalance, or what about even "stuttering brainwaves".. that last one is my analogy.

Help me if I am wrong.

[RobinN]

Varicela

This is very painful, yes? It sounds awful!

We know this as Chicken Pox, and yes it can be more painful when you get it as an adult.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varicella_zoster_virus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpes_zoster

Many are concerned that the new vaccine recommended for children, is not protecting adults later in life. So there are more known cases of reactivation of a more severe form of this disease.

[Bernard]

Bernard - you wrote... "I guess I assumed that the seizure activity you referred to was epilepsy"
and yet all that epilepsy means is recurrent unprovoked seizures. I could be caused by PCOS, or magnesium deficiency or hormonal imbalance, or what about even "stuttering brainwaves".. that last one is my analogy.

Help me if I am wrong.

Would it have helped if I had written idiopathic epilepsy?

[RobinN]

Perhaps... I just get so lost in the labels. I have yet to find an analogy in life to help me understand why when you have so many causes, symptoms, reactions.... the result is listed as E and it never goes any further than that. Meaning they simply don't follow the trail to the root cause.

Is there any other medical situation that this is similar to?

[Bernard]

Cancer?

[RobinN]

Yes I would have to agree with you.
I do think seizures are then a good warning that something isn't right. With cancer, you ignore some of the symptoms until it is too late to reverse it. I guess in that regard Bernard, we should all be grateful that the body is letting us know.. enough is enough.

[forward2007]

I went to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota in 1984. In terms of regular Neurologists, I've had 3 in which I saw for most of my life once I was diagnosed at age 5.

[Mumfe]

Hi everyone!
I am new here. I have been through a lot of stuff with my epilepsy...many doctors, many medications, VNS, side effects... to make it short and simple, I spent over 10 years going in and out from the hospital before getting "under control". I am 31.

I am looking for alternative treatments to help. If ever you have an idea...
thank you very much

whishing you the best

[stringbean]

I also can't remember exactly how many I have seen, Between ones I have seen on regular basis and ones in the ER and ones in the hospital when having video EEG's.
Most of them I've seen at the clinic I go to now, they have changed a couple of times because of the previous one leaving, my current one and the one before have been the best I have seen in the last 20+ years. Between the two of them they are the ones that finally figured out that I wasn't having panic attacks when I had all those partial and complex partials seizures, they were seizures, and I finally got put on meds that also was to treat them the one Dilatin was only treating the Grand Mals because that is what the docs before thought I only had. My current one is the one that finally put me in the hosp. for a video EEG because no out of several different meds were controlly the p's and complex partial's at all. And he is the one that sent me to a neuosurgeon after and then all the damage to my left temporal lope was discovered and then the surgery. My current one is now wanting me to go in again for a video EEG because the p's and c'p's and one status in the last little over a year. I didn't even know about any other seizures before seeing my last two neuros.

[wonderdogs]

I have not been to too many doctors re: my epilepsy yet.

At first my family doctor thought my memory loss and fatigue were a side effect of Wellbutrin which I had began taking in May due to anxiety and irritablity, and depression induced by a job I hated. In July I changed jobs and I weaned off the Wellbutrin but the symptoms were unchanged. Also, on my family doctor's recommendation I started taking folic acid supplements (something about neurons and synapses that arE aided by folic acid). No change. So then they wanted to rule out MS as I also had tingling in my feet and hands, tunnel vision, and dizziness. Saw an eye doctor, got glasses, and had an MRI which was normal. They sent me to a Neurologist who ordered an EEG and diagnosed epilepsy. I really like my neurologist. I am comfortable talking to her and she answers all my questions so I understand them. She runs late a lot but I have worked with neurologists at the hospital before and that seems to be their nature.

[keyna]

My big number is 13, I've seen 13 dr.'s. I finally found help at Albany Medical Center, no I'm not cured, and yes I still have LOTS of seizures, but my Dr. there does the one thing no one else did, he listens, he never rushes, always takes as much time as I need, and he doesn't make me feel like an idiot.
The worst Dr. I ever had was my first neurologist surgeon, he put in my VNS, then when I tried to tell him something was wrong he told me to go back to bed and rest. After a couple of days when I couldn't stand the pain anymore, he said he would meet me at the hospital, I was dying. I had 2 kinds of infections, and when he took the bandages off the puss just poured out of the wound. He had put the VNS in wrong causing infection, it had to be removed and I spent 3 weeks in the hospital.

[stilldancing_98]

Wow, Breathe

[ashmstng]

I have seen so many that I cant keep count. I felt half of them just wanted there money from the Doctor visits instead of helping me. I didnt feel like I was getting any better or any change in my life.

[stilldancing_98]

I have seen teams of Dr.s I dont know how many now. But I interview my Dr.s before I decide to use them. I do my own intake. I see if we can #1 in my book communicate. Because if we can't and there is no mutual respect, then no matter what its not going to work. I have a child with epilepsy kidney disease and so on. You can't wait. Stay on top of it!

[hawke86]

I have seen a lot of doctors. I have only found a few good doctors. Some doctors don't care.

[nana1]

I have seen 6 neurologist so far. Every timr you change they have to go threw your meds from scatch again ( like you a ginny pig). Either they are to far away or only spend 3 minutes seeing you at appointments ( that not enough). I do not drive so they got to be around for me to walk or take state car to but do have time limits on ride also. Some doctors do not want to listen or talk with you, it is your body you should have some say so in your life and medical. Like when they run test and doctoe suppose to let ya know what results are, they should sit down and talk and explain.



nancy

[hawke86]

I have seen more doctors then I have fingers and toes. I guess that's a lot.

[haird18]

Yes I've seen many doctors in my lifetime and it was because of the strange case I have!!! My doctors are scared of me. They look at my case file and won't touch me and I move on to the next. Until 1999 a doctor in Dallas,TX took me on since I had such a rare deformity of the brain. I have learned to be in control of my doctors instead the other way around!!!