DR's Visit...SO Mad

[loulou]

Hi everyone,

I have been seeing the same Dr here in Boston since I was DX'ed in 1997. I have only had one MRI in 1997. I have two friends that see Doctor's at the MS clinic At the Brigham and Womens the are MRI'ed at least once a year. I am on Avonex, have had a couple of steroid treatemts, and various meds for symptom control. I get it into my head that it would be good to get a fresh pair of eyes to look at my MS, and I make an appointment at the MS center. They assign me to a doctor who graduated in August. Fine, I think, I'll go and give it a chance. Well, she asks me to walk for her. Then she asks me how mant times I have fallen. When I tell her zero, she looks at me like I am lying!

She aks me a series of questions about my MS history and then does a physical exam. She tells me that she thinks I have secondary progressive MS. She would like to do a an MRI on my brain and spinal cord. Fine. I know a have lessions on my spine.

Then she asks me if I consider myself depressed. I said I do suffer from anxiety. Well, she asks if I have ever seen a therapist. I said yes I have, and she says that obviously I have not found the right therapist. She says I will never feel better until I find someone I can talk to about my feelings. What???? I can't believe what I am hearing. I tell her that I am not interested in psychotherapy, and she says, "well, the you will never feel better"!!! I was in shock. I came to the center to see if a different approach to my treatment might help me, and in 15 minutes she is telling me that if I don't find a good therapist, I will never feel better! BTW, it's not like she had any therapist recommendations to make. I told her I am a 45 y/o mother of a 3 year old who struggles to accomplish what I need to do every day. I don't have the time, desire, or energy to look for "the right" therapist for me.
Then she has the nerve to tell me, it's hard work to feel better.

I asked her if there was another Dr. at the MS center that I could see. I could see that that shocked her. She says yes, takes me out to the waiting room, and tells me that when I check out to ask to make an appointment with someone else. Fine. But at this point I am starting to cry, (she did not see this), I and I just left.

I am so dumbfounded. Should I see someone else there? I wonder if this is the MO of the MS center?? My suspision is that this is a new doctor who has benefited from therapy, and is on a crusade to convince everyone to see the light. BTW I had several years of therapy, my mother is a therapist, I am cool with therapy. Just not what I was looking for at an MS center.

[MS Bites]

Did you tell the doctor this ' I had several years of therapy, my mother is a therapist, I am cool with therapy. Just not what I was looking for at an MS center.'

I would have told her. I would just see a different doctor at that center. I do not recall any neuro ever telling me to go to therapy. My PCP did.

Are you getting the MRIs?

[gonnamakeit]

Hi everyone,

I have been seeing the same Dr here in Boston since I was DX'ed in 1997. I have only had one MRI in 1997. I have two friends that see Doctor's at the MS clinic At the Brigham and Womens the are MRI'ed at least once a year. I am on Avonex, have had a couple of steroid treatemts, and various meds for symptom control. I get it into my head that it would be good to get a fresh pair of eyes to look at my MS, and I make an appointment at the MS center. They assign me to a doctor who graduated in August. Fine, I think, I'll go and give it a chance. Well, she asks me to walk for her. Then she asks me how mant times I have fallen. When I tell her zero, she looks at me like I am lying!

She aks me a series of questions about my MS history and then does a physical exam. She tells me that she thinks I have secondary progressive MS. She would like to do a an MRI on my brain and spinal cord. Fine. I know a have lessions on my spine.

Then she asks me if I consider myself depressed. I said I do suffer from anxiety. Well, she asks if I have ever seen a therapist. I said yes I have, and she says that obviously I have not found the right therapist. She says I will never feel better until I find someone I can talk to about my feelings. What???? I can't believe what I am hearing. I tell her that I am not interested in psychotherapy, and she says, "well, the you will never feel better"!!! I was in shock. I came to the center to see if a different approach to my treatment might help me, and in 15 minutes she is telling me that if I don't find a good therapist, I will never feel better! BTW, it's not like she had any therapist recommendations to make. I told her I am a 45 y/o mother of a 3 year old who struggles to accomplish what I need to do every day. I don't have the time, desire, or energy to look for "the right" therapist for me.
Then she has the nerve to tell me, it's hard work to feel better.

I asked her if there was another Dr. at the MS center that I could see. I could see that that shocked her. She says yes, takes me out to the waiting room, and tells me that when I check out to ask to make an appointment with someone else. Fine. But at this point I am starting to cry, (she did not see this), I and I just left.

I am so dumbfounded. Should I see someone else there? I wonder if this is the MO of the MS center?? My suspision is that this is a new doctor who has benefited from therapy, and is on a crusade to convince everyone to see the light. BTW I had several years of therapy, my mother is a therapist, I am cool with therapy. Just not what I was looking for at an MS center.

You are not the problem here, the so called "doctor" is the problem. There is nothing wrong with asking for a different physician either. Good for you.

Hope you get to feeling better.

gmi

[newlyb12def]

I think that a lot of centers are training grounds for new MDs who don't know much about MS- I hope that doctor has learned something from her experience with you & doesn't make assumptions about future patients.
Change doctors as often as you need to- until you feel comfortable.
You can call the center and tell them frankly and politely that you would highly prefer a more seasoned MS specialist and you don't even need to get into why if you don't feel comfortable.
When I'm asked about depression/anxiety and psychotherapy, I simply tell the person that I have tried it in the past and that my condition is well under control with medication.
It's hard to get anywhere with some people when they have strongly ingrained ideas about something. In that case, you just have to try to brush it off as their problem not yours (as hard as that is to do).
In the meantime, go get that MRI because it'll prove helpful to which ever doctor you settle on. It'll also help answer some lingering questions you have as well.
I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with someone you went to see for help. I hope everything works out well for you Loulou.
-Kay

[stillstANNding]

Loulou, what a bad day! I can tell you that that is not the "MO" of the B & W MS Clinic. Also, I have only ever seen my MS specialist or a Neurologist training to be a MS Specialist/neuroimmunologist. No residents or students.

You are rightly BS about your treatment. Drs. Weiner (sp?) and Samia Khoury are co-directors. An email to one of them should help you get those films done and a better visit from someone else.

Best to you,
ANN

[wumberlog]

Maybe you should give Dr. Rintell a shot. He's a psychologist who's been there a while and might be able to help you get more out of the place

[agate]

Hi loulou,
It sounds as if you were unlucky enough to land a doctor with an agenda, as you yourself suspected. Since she just graduated in August, she's probably still inexperienced but she may think she can easily spot somebody who "needs" psychotherapy.

I think you're right to seek out a different doctor. You don't need to be pushed into psychotherapy if you yourself don't feel inclined. You said you were anxious, not depressed, and you point out that your life is too busy for you to have much time for therapy appointments. Feeling you had to report for therapy appointments might only make you more anxious, it seems to me.

[loulou]

Thank you so much for the replies everyone. I'm calling today and making an appt. with a different doctor. I'm calmed down. :)

[Abby2006]

They always plays the depressed card and then when they have pushed every button I have the 'other' side of me comes out <smile> and they call it something else

Abby

[deconour]

If you live in the burbs, there is a great MS center in Framingham in the Metrowest Medical center. There are nurses, neurologist, psychlogist (Dr. Rintell), psychiatrist, PT, OT, etc. Every week there are MS patients who come in for a chat and peer support. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. You would NEVER be treated like that there. My neuro there is proactive and always
listens. All neuros go through a list of questions and neurological tests but everyone should be treated with respect.

Elana

[terric]

Well for sure that Dr belongs somewhere else. Certainly not dealing with people at all. Maybe she should do research of some kind or get out of the medical field, unless she improves alot. That's an exaggeration, but I am that angry for you.

terric

[gonnamakeit]

Well for sure that Dr belongs somewhere else. Certainly not dealing with people at all. Maybe she should do research of some kind or get out of the medical field, unless she improves alot. That's an exaggeration, but I am that angry for you.

terric


My experience is that people don't change and the doctor will always be a prima dona snotbucket.

gmi

[AlohaWahine]

Try not to be discouraged by this bad doc.
I have some pretty awful doc stories too, you need to perservere and find one who is a patient advocate, so many are antagonistic.
You mentioned that you have friends who are happy with their docs there, why don;t you try to get an appointment with one of those docs?
Best of luck, hang in there, good docs do exist.

[msmaggie]

I am a veteran of the MS clinic at the BWH/Partners. I have been going there since 1991. First I must say, that a 'new graduate' doctor on staff likely means a doctor who has graduated from their MS fellowship program, which is an additional two year training past neurologist training. They have in fact increased their training to have two doctors in training as an MS specialists, and any of them are introduced to you-the-patient as an MS fellow in training, and will do the initial evaluation, then report their findings to a full-time MS doc on staff, who will then come in and examine/discuss things with you. I am totally unaware that the MS clinic has hired anyone new in the past few years who has not gone through their own training. (and I go there every two weeks for appointments). So, I must repeat that this doctor is not a 'newbie' to the extent that has been remarked about here. Granted, her demeanor and poor personal reaction with Loulou wasn't a good experience, but that may not be anything more than a bad match. And there are plenty of other good doctors there who can hopefully work out better with you.

But I would strongly suggest that you reconsider making another appointment with someone else there, particularly given that you were recommended to have an MRI and it was suggested about how progressive your MS is at this point.

Dr David Rintell, by the way, works at both MS clinics in Boston and Framingham, and is the resident psychologist who provides counselling to the individual patients and their families. He, personally, had a father with MS and grew up seeing the disease first hand.

I'm sorry, but I have been treated well there for 18 years now, and would highly recommend it, but have, of course, seen bad mismatches and poor personalities come and go over time. I've never seen a prima donna snotbucket there and don't think the MS clinic would tolerate it.

I'd be happy to send you my personal opinions about specific doctors there if you send me a personal note.

msmaggie

[BBS1951]

Try not to let the doc rattle you. Letsee, in high school and college she had to maintain a straight A average in order to get into medical school. This did not allow her enough time to sharpen her people skills.

In fact, she will not have a chance to improve her ppl skills until she is in private practice. WIth luck, and hard work, she may learn better bedside manner during the first five to ten years of practice. In the meantime, she is going to alienate quite a few patients.

She is young and green. She said these things because she was trying to help, not realizing she was not being helpful at all.

[loulou]

It turns ot the Dr. is a "fellow'. I have made an appointment with someone on staff at the MS center for this Thursday. I'll let you know how it goes. I am seriously considering writing a complaint letter about my last visit. The MS center has such a good reputation, I am sure they will want to hear about this incident. Just hate complaining about someone at their job.....

[newlyb12def]

Write the letter, but hang on to it. If in a week or 2 you reread it and are still comfortable with it's tone and content, send it.

[loulou]

Good Advise newlyb12def. Thanks.