How many Drs have you seen?

How many Drs have you seen for your seizure control

  • 1-2 Drs

    Votes: 52 25.1%

  • 3-4 Drs

    Votes: 66 31.9%

  • Went to Mayo clinic

    Votes: 5 2.4%

  • Went to John Hopkins

    Votes: 2 1.0%

  • More than 4 Drs

    Votes: 82 39.6%
  • Total voters
    207

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Dont forget to be informative about your condition when you go in. Be a different kind of patient. I know this sounds wierd but know your body , talk to your Dr. really talk to them. I know my Dr. so well now. We are good friends. It is kind of taking a chance and letting your dr. know who you are. Trust is a big issue.
 
I too had more Doctors than I can count most of them cannot treat me or half of them sent me to the hospital with allergic reactions with some of medicine they prescribed for me
 
I had a harder time when I was younger , then I ended up at Harborview and have been there for I don't know 13 years. Something like that. But my son, I am in the middle of changing docs for him again.
 
When I was new here and first diagnosed, I had only seen one doctor, and I thought it was overwhelming that people would need to see so many.

Now that I've had E for a few years I don't even remember how many doctors I've seen. And I can't pronounce most of their names because they are all so hard to say, hehe. Most of mine are at IU Med Center, but I still see the very first doctor I started seeing in the beginning.
 
I had 1 Neurologist ask me...

If i was in love--because my EEG's are abnormal...he said that they are abnormal in about 10 % of the population, but didnt elaborate. Like okay, so i do some research and i see abnormal EEG's are common for these two: seizures disorders and a certain type of pshizoprenia. I am not p.hrenic and was not in love at the time. What a nerd who called himself an epileptologist.
 
I've been lucky I guess...in the entire course of being diagnosed and treated for over 30 years, I've had about 4 doctors. 1 when I was living overseas as a toddler, my pediatrician here in the states, 1 after I graduated from college and worked in Iowa, and then my current neuro. All my docs have been really great about getting me the latest info, and talking to me about issues I hadn't even thought about...such as weight control, diet, exercise, smoking, having children, fertility, stress management, etc.

In fact, my current neuro actually gave me a hug when I told him I quit smoking....he's been on me for the last 10 years to quit. I was shocked he actually hugged me because he is a good Muslim, and only has touched me in the course of doing exams in the last 10 years...needless to say, I was a bit surprised...but it made me feel a lot better about quitting smoking too...gave me yet another person I don't want to disappoint.
 
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I had only seen a few neurologists but found them to be extremely condescending & unhelpful. I always left feeling as though I was being blamed for the fact that they couldn't control my seizures.

Finally I decided to start looking for a new one but not to take any abuse. I went through over a half dozen one right after the other. The only one I liked didn't like me. My GP even said that we were going to run out of neurologists.

I finally lucked out & found a fantastic neurologist so I'm sticking with him but sadly I'm moving soon so I'll have to find a new one again. I'm not looking forward to that.
 
I've worn out 3- neurologists in my 7- yr career. (When it gets this serious, you have to look at it differently, like a joke, kind of)
 
I'm a bit surprised that the Montreal Neurological Institute hasn't been mentioned. It's world famous for its pioneering work in E by the late Dr. Wilder Pennfield. People from all over the world have been referred there.

(I was there for an assessment for neurosurgery. No surgery was possible b/c of the focus of the seizures in my brain. I'd have been worse off than before.)
 
Zj, i

must say, I like your sense of humor. At least you're keeping your mind open!!
 
1st - Wife lost him when we got married and moved to CO
2nd - This was one I never came into contact with because this was when my wife was little and her parents wanted a 2nd opinion.
3rd - Seen this one when me moved to the Colorado Springs.
4th- Got this winner when we moved to Oklahoma City and gave us the boot last week. Good Riddance.
5th - TBD
 
McGill said:
I'm a bit surprised that the Montreal Neurological Institute hasn't been mentioned. It's world famous for its pioneering work in E by the late Dr. Wilder Pennfield. People from all over the world have been referred there.

(I was there for an assessment for neurosurgery. No surgery was possible b/c of the focus of the seizures in my brain. I'd have been worse off than before.)
Click to expand...

That's where I'm being seen! They have a good staff and are pretty understanding.
 
So far I have seen just two neurologists, the first in hospital. He did not listen. He told me possibly my seizures were caused by snoring, after I had explained in detail that they happened during the day when I am wide awake and at night before I fall asleep and in the am when I wake up. At none of those times am I snoring. Needless to say, I did not follow up with him when I was discharged.

My GP was clueless too.

Recently I started seeing a new neurologist. The first visit I liked her, although she was in a rush to see me out the door since she was suffering from migraine.

I think others on this board might call her a pill pusher. *sigh* So far the meds have not made a significant difference but I am not yet up to a "therapeutic dose" of Vimpat, my latest medication.

On the last visit she told me my sz were caused by childhood spiral meningitis; today I told her about a concussion I suffered (unconscious for three days) and now she says that has caused them. Both of these bits of history I mentioned myself; I got no questions about previous medical issues / damage to my head. Possibly it's not important to know the likely cause?

I've had a number of EEGs which showed nothing out of the ordinary. She ordered another one, which gave the same result. I really and truly would like to understand what is going on. I am bewildered and scared by these episodes.

Again, maybe she thinks it's not really important to know what part of the brain is misfiring since she is counting on the broad spectrum medication to control it. This is my body, and I DO want to know. I also want more information about additional things I might do to lessen the chance of having seizures.

She always seems in a rush though and I get escorted out the door once I have my prescription in hand.

I would go to Rush Medical Center to see one of their epileptologists, but I cannot drive now and would have to depend on my mother driving me. She is too ill and handicapped to be away from home for so long. She depends on oxygen.

/gripe
 
Well I have one consultant but I've been seen by about 12-16 doctors of that consultant.
All of which are NOT in touch with each other,so I have to explain my epilepsy and what has been going on at EACH appointment.Which is very frustrating.

The service here in Ireland is terrible.
 
I have only ever seen neurologists/epitiologists in regards to my epilepsy.
I have had the same regular neurologist for the last 9 years.

Because I had brain surgery in March I am part of a epilepsy program at the hospital where I had my surgery.
The epilepsy program has a group of neurologists/epitiologists & neuro psychs who all work in together. As part of the program I have to visit the epilepsy clinic at the hospital for follow up appts with one of their neurologists & neuropsych.

At the moment I don't have to see my regular neuro while I am part of the epilepsy program but the neurologists & neuropsych I see at the program always keep my local neuro up to date with my progress.
 
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i believe im at 11 ... if im not forgetting any , 1 family doctor ( the one who first suspected E) then a toooon of neurous & 1 epileptologist while in the hospital for my VEEG
 
I don't know anymore how many Dr.s Ive had or do have. Most of them are at Harborview. Hey CQ, my sons great gramma is from Australia. She calls him Master Alexander. lol. I love her. She has my Birthday to.
 
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