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  • Have you ever been ignored by your surgeon?

    I reported over a week ago that I was having sciatica-like symptoms where both severe pain and muscle weakness were going down my right thigh? I saw my doctor on Thursday, July 17th, and he gave me all those normal *do you feel this pin sticking you?* and *squeeze my fingers* and *push my hand*. So I guess he determined it wasn't sciatica and said a nerve study can't be given until 3 weeks go by, but he wanted me to go to another part of the hospital and get a bone scan. I did, and since you have to have an injection of nuclear reactive type stuff then wait 2 hours, I was there the rest of the day. The test hurt but only because of the pains I was having with that right leg. The very last thing I asked him in his office was, "What about my Water Exercises?" He said "let's wait until after the bone scan". So I didn't hear anything Friday, but figured I wouldn't. I knew that he and his operative assistant operate on Mondays and Wednesdays, but also knew that she (the PA) has told me that she goes over the voice messages after the day and if one won't wait til Tues, she'll call that evening. So Mon went by, Tues went by, I left another voice message late on Tues. Then on Wed, I left a message with the receptionist who said she would tell her personally that I called. I didn't call again until today and the receptionist assured me that the PA had been getting my messages. What in the hell do you think happened???? Originally, I just wanted the results of the bone scan, but now, I've heard about a Pain Specialist who works out of two clinics near Parkland Hospital, and at this point, even though the leg pain has died down a lot, the lower back pain has not. But the doctor's office has to call the Pain Specialist's office, answer some questions, and fax some information. But she knows nothing about that. From what I gather, I don't actually ever reach my doctor, the PA intercedes for him on the voice mails, etc. She's always been super-nice. I don't know what I've done wrong.

    Does anyone have any ideas?
    Diane in Dallas
    Adult Ideopatic Scoliosis (37%) and Kyphosis (65%)
    Surgery #1 8/4/03 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
    Surg #2 12/8/03 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
    Surg #3 1/10/05 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
    Surg #4 9/10/07 - Dr. Viere, Dallas
    Surg #5 1/28/08 - Dr. Viere, Dallas
    Surg #6 4/27/09 - Dr. Viere, Dallas

  • #2
    Diane,

    If your dr is in the same town as you, just make an appointment and go see him. Did you call the place that did the scan and make sure that they sent it to the correct dr?
    Theresa

    April 8 & 12, 2004 - Anterior/Posterior surgery 15 hours & 7 hours
    Thorasic - 79 degree down to 22
    Lumbar - 44 degree down to 18
    Fused T2 to sacrum
    June 2, 2005 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @L3 7 hours
    MAY 21, 2007 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @ L2, extended the fusion to S2 and added pelvic instrumentation 9 hours

    FUSED T2 - SACRUM 2

    Comment


    • #3
      I got my call back from Dr. V this morning, Friday. As I suspected, the test was just fine. No real explanation for all the pain in the hips and lower back, but is willing to refer me to the pain specialist. Naturally, the info on the pain specialist is at work, so I'll have to call them back.

      Thanks Theresa for your ideas.
      Diane in Dallas
      Adult Ideopatic Scoliosis (37%) and Kyphosis (65%)
      Surgery #1 8/4/03 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
      Surg #2 12/8/03 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
      Surg #3 1/10/05 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
      Surg #4 9/10/07 - Dr. Viere, Dallas
      Surg #5 1/28/08 - Dr. Viere, Dallas
      Surg #6 4/27/09 - Dr. Viere, Dallas

      Comment


      • #4
        Diane-- so glad to hear you finally found out. Let us know how it goes with the pain specialist. Hopefully he/she will be able to give you some pain relief.
        71 and plugging along... but having some problems
        2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
        5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
        Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

        Corrected to 15°
        CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
        10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

        Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

        Comment


        • #5
          Diane,

          I'm glad they finally got a hold of you!!! Pain management is a good idea. Hopefully you'll start getting some relief here soon.
          Theresa

          April 8 & 12, 2004 - Anterior/Posterior surgery 15 hours & 7 hours
          Thorasic - 79 degree down to 22
          Lumbar - 44 degree down to 18
          Fused T2 to sacrum
          June 2, 2005 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @L3 7 hours
          MAY 21, 2007 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @ L2, extended the fusion to S2 and added pelvic instrumentation 9 hours

          FUSED T2 - SACRUM 2

          Comment


          • #6
            Silly me. I had a long answer in process, then decided to look up the creditials of the PM doctor and I lost my answer. I'll never be able to pronounce this name - Prabhav Koti Hanumath Tella, MD. He has an impressive background. He graduated medical school in 1999 at the Andhra Medical College in (get this) Visakhapatnam, India. Then he was a resident at John Hopkins, then a year at Massachusetts General Hospital, then a fellowship at Harvard. Why ever he would wind up in Dallas, has got to be an interesting story. One of the things he specializes in is "failed back syndrome". I don't know what that is but it sure sounds fittable. My mom (and dad before he died) have been seeing the same doctor for over 30 years and he is from India - a super great doctor.

            Thank all of you that responded. I still don't understand why it took over a week for me to get the doctor's response. While talking to him this morning, I started crying and apologized for it, but told him that this has affected every aspect of my life; that it has totally changed my life from what it used to be. After each surgery before, I had pain for a little bit, I healed and it went away... well, until something broke. But the doctor assures me my back is just happily fusing away. He won't address the kyphosis though, and the next person who says to me, "you can stand up straight if you just wanted to", will incur wrath like they've never seen.. and that includes my boss. He has stopped with the name calling and even though lately, due to the morning pain, I'm not getting there until 10:30 or so, he never says a bad word about it. I'd guess someone set him straight about the disability laws. I do take that earlier statement back. During 2001 through Aug 2003, I had daily pain 365 days a year, and I took at least three hydocodones per day. I don't remember them making me sleepy back then. It could possibly be the combination of medicines I'm on now in connection with my insomnia.
            Diane in Dallas
            Adult Ideopatic Scoliosis (37%) and Kyphosis (65%)
            Surgery #1 8/4/03 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
            Surg #2 12/8/03 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
            Surg #3 1/10/05 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
            Surg #4 9/10/07 - Dr. Viere, Dallas
            Surg #5 1/28/08 - Dr. Viere, Dallas
            Surg #6 4/27/09 - Dr. Viere, Dallas

            Comment


            • #7
              Diane-- your PM doctor sounds like just what you need! Keep us posted on how that goes. Did your surgeon say you could resume your water exercises? I think, even though it may have seemed awkward for you, that it may have been beneficial for him to know how deeply this has affected you. When they deal with this on a daily basis with countless patients, it's probably quite easy to forget that these patients are human beings who have pain, fears, -- lives being changed by it all, etc. You may have helped him remember that aspect of his patients... and maybe he won't wait so long to respond with results the next time. Is he ignoring the fact that you are having a kyphosis problem?

              I'm glad your boss realizes he can't treat you that way anymore. It must have been really terrible to be in pain and having so many problems, PLUS getting put down at work too. I'm so sorry-- but at least that has changed for the better now.
              71 and plugging along... but having some problems
              2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
              5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
              Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

              Corrected to 15°
              CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
              10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

              Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

              Comment


              • #8
                Many thanks to you, Susie, and Theresa. My emotions are so close to the surface, that just reading your last message brought forth a new flood of tears and nose blowing. It's canny sometimes Susie that you can articulate something that's been rolling around in my mind, but just never has made it to the surface.

                During the conversation, I reminded him that the last time I saw him prior to the bone scan, I asked about the water exercises and he said to hold off. Yesterday, he told me I could restart them and I will call PT on Monday and get set up. They don't have that many patients who use the water tub on a regular basis, so the routine is to call to see if it is going to be occupied, then if not, drive up there, traveling about 10 min, for my 40+ min routine, which is all on my own. They are supposed to have a plastic enclosed sheet ready for me that has all the exercises. I figure I will turn these into my Flex Pay... it's $60/month.

                I clicked on your pictures again Susie, and I see you use one of the album places. Is that all it takes? Like I have pictures scattered from here to there at different places. However, you have only one link (I think) so does that mean you put all the ones you want viewed on the same page? Then perhaps next time, you'll have others all grouped together? Are there other ways to do it? If there's a place on this forum that explains how you do it, just point me in that direction.
                Diane in Dallas
                Adult Ideopatic Scoliosis (37%) and Kyphosis (65%)
                Surgery #1 8/4/03 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
                Surg #2 12/8/03 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
                Surg #3 1/10/05 - Dr. Shelokov, Plano
                Surg #4 9/10/07 - Dr. Viere, Dallas
                Surg #5 1/28/08 - Dr. Viere, Dallas
                Surg #6 4/27/09 - Dr. Viere, Dallas

                Comment


                • #9
                  Diane-- it's good to hear that our words help out some... As for the pics, I'm such a novice at that sort of thing. Pam had given me some instructions last winter on how to add things to your signature. I had never used an internet photo place before-- but I created the album and have 2 different pages-- one for the x-rays and one for the pics. It took me forever to figure out how to get them into the order I wanted them!!!! I'm pretty sure I don't do it the right way, but it works. I finally noticed that they are in alphabetical order by file name under the photo description (where it says "something.jpg") -- not by the title you give it to go by. Anyway, if you'll look closely, my pic file names are in abc order. There is probably some better, smarter way to do it, but it was the only way I could figure out in photobucket.

                  I think the only forum info available is in the FAQ section-- and it will tell you how to do normal attachments, but not in your signature. I figured it out a couple times when attaching something to a regular post.

                  The water tub sounds nice. I hope that works out well for you.
                  71 and plugging along... but having some problems
                  2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
                  5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
                  Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

                  Corrected to 15°
                  CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
                  10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

                  Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

                  Comment

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