Bad news!!!

[rohrer01]

I realize it is hard to get a second opinion but if you have lost trust in Tribus I don't know that you have a choice.

Good luck.

From what I have read and heard, Dr. Tribus gets VERY good results. His post-op cobbs look really good. That is probably because he is so fussy about who he will operate on. I've also heard from another post (not the recent one) that he is lacking in bedside manners sometimes. That doesn't surprise me. Many a doctor in that kind of high stress job lack manners. They are more mechanical thinkers, not psychological thinkers. I can't say that I've lost trust in him. I think he had a really bad day and took it out on his patients - BIG TIME. There are a couple more SRS doctors in the Milwaukee area from what I see on the website. I will give Tribus another chance or two because I do feel that he is a good surgeon. That's what matters most to me. I don't have to go home to him every day - feel sorry for the wife!(if there is one).

I really NEED to get my hands on those chiropractic X-rays! So I will HAVE to make an appointment there. I think it is imperative to know how fast I am progressing right now. It will tell more of the whole story. I think the chiro is afraid of getting in trouble, though.

[jrnyc]

rohr..i believe that you can call any doctor's office and speak to the office manager or the xray tech and ask for a copy of your x rays...technically, you have already paid for them (or your insurance has) so you have a right to them...of course, no telling how long it might take to get them...or you could ask if you could pick up the disk in person...
oh...Boachie is in NYC...he didnt take my insurance...if he still takes any...i did read that he will take "assignment"...of course, i dont have that... i have to go in network....

best regards...
jess

[LindaRacine]

rohr..i believe that you can call any doctor's office and speak to the office manager or the xray tech and ask for a copy of your x rays...technically, you have already paid for them (or your insurance has) so you have a right to them...of course, no telling how long it might take to get them...or you could ask if you could pick up the disk in person...
oh...Boachie is in NYC...he didnt take my insurance...if he still takes any...i did read that he will take "assignment"...of course, i dont have that... i have to go in network....

best regards...
jess

Caution, however. I've heard from people who have called and who have been told that their xrays cannot be found. I would personally go in person and ask for the films. They still could conveniently "lose" them, but I think they're less likely to lie face-to-face than over the phone.

--Linda

[rohrer01]

Caution, however. I've heard from people who have called and who have been told that their xrays cannot be found. I would personally go in person and ask for the films. They still could conveniently "lose" them, but I think they're less likely to lie face-to-face than over the phone.

--Linda

Yes, I know all too well how this can happen. I needed records from a c-section and tubal ligation from a hospital. During the c-section the anesthesiologist either "forgot" to give me the drug to knock me out or didn't give nearly enough, but DID give me the drug to paralyze me for the surgery. I felt EVERYTHING and heard everything as if no drug had been given. A nightmare that can not be explained as far a PAIN and not being able to scream. Long story short, they had NO RECORD that I had ever been admitted to that hospital, even though my son's birth certificate states that he was born there. I don't know how they get away with it.

I am on friendly terms with the chiro and made an appointment for Friday. I don't think she will give me any problems when I explain to her the importance of having copies of the X-rays. There is no disk. She has the old fashioned full blown film. I try to "keep" any I can get my hands on, so maybe she can make me a copy.

[dianeh]

Bad News!!!

Rohrer01,
Your doctor was totally unprofessional during that visit and none of this is your fault. Your pain is real and you don't sound at all like you have a drug problem from your posts. Wish I could give you a hug.
I had a similar experience with a doctor who walked out of the room with me hysterically crying, and I ran after him and watched him get in his car and drive away! This was also someone I liked and later found out he had Lyme Disease and was suspended from practice because he was so sick and over medicated. He had been rude to other patients as well but of course, we don't know these things in the middle of the situation. (Not a scoli doctor)
Others have posted some very good advice on this thread. There is another doctor out there who will treat you as you deserve to be treated.
dianeh

[LynnMarie74]

WOW! Im sorry you had that experience w/Tribus. However, honestly, it doesnt surprise me....my post op checks with him, werent as "personable" and there was one or two times where he was winging it with me (conversaton wise- w/o my chart) and was going on about my anterior and posterior incisions. I corrected him, and said, I only had posterior! He laughed it off...then said I was doing well for being only 3 months out...I was there for me 6 month check. You are right tho, about him being a thinker and highly skilled in his work....maybe there isnt a good balance between that and a bedside manner? There is another gal on here that had a 2nd surgery w/Tribus....I forget her screen name. Her name is Colleen & lives in WI as well. Let me find out for you and get back to you. Maybe she can give some insite as well.......keep us posted!

Lynn

[LynnMarie74]

As promised....Colleens name on here is ALWAYS SMILIN'

[jrnyc]

rohr...i cant believe what a nitemare that was...a c section and tubal ligation without being asleep...my gosh, i think i wouldve died, and if i lived, i wouldve sued the pants off the doctor who did that!!

the more i read about this Tribus guy, the more i appreciate Dr Lonner....

i refuse to give any doctor a pass just because they may be a really good doctor...they still need to consider their patient's feelings...i'm not saying they have to cry with us...
but if they cant at least acknowledge what we are going thru...then i would move on....seriously, how much can any human being take...?! i've had doctors who werent the most....sympathetic...but if they were truly...disgustingly cold and robotic...i walked! Lyme taught me that! the hard way!! the "scientific geniuses" should stay in the research labs!

jess

[rohrer01]

rohr...i cant believe what a nitemare that was...a c section and tubal ligation without being asleep...my gosh, i think i wouldve died, and if i lived, i wouldve sued the pants off the doctor who did that!!


jess

That's what I mean when I say I'm no stranger to pain. If I say I hurt, then by golly I HURT. That's why I tend to minimize pain is because of the c-section experience. I don't think it gets much worse than that. My back pain can be so bad that I wake up screaming just trying to roll over in bed. It's aweful! I have good pain control now. It's not perfect. I think if I got rid of literally ALL my pain, that would be overkill. I saw my GP today and he was very understanding. I signed my pain contract with him. I think it is a good idea. It keeps the patient responsible for themselves and keeps the doctors out of trouble. We have a very good pediatrician here that lost his ability to prescribe narcotics because someone abused them and got hurt. It's terrible because he is a VERY skilled physician. So the pain contract will hopefully prevent drug seekers from getting these good doctors that are actually trying to help people to be able to live and function with somewhat normal lives from getting into trouble. I absolutely detest people like that, that make it hard for legitimate patients to be taken seriously. I am glad that I have not had that trouble here.

I'm hoping that the docs that I'm seeing next week can help sort things out. Even if I do end up with the stupid pump, at least it will be a lower dose of meds. My GP thought it was a good idea to run some more test. He ordered a cervical MRI and encouraged me to continue to see the Physical Medicine doctor and the pain specialist. I think after taking Linda Racines "quiz" on should you have surgery, I will seek out at least a second opinion for sugery. If it is still NO, then I will stop there. If it is YES, then I'll have to see a third and go with the 2 out of 3. I just don't know how we will afford it...sigh... Thanks for listening!!

[Back-out]

Dear rohr,

Just checking in. Read about the C-section experience and wanted to say how sorry I am you went through that nightmare. I've read of other patients going through similar things. This FWIW is one of the main reasons they are now changing the laws on lethal injection.

The thinking is, the old med combination might be inhumane, because prisoners could die in that same state - in agony, fully conscious but paralyzed, because one of the meds didn't kick in properly. Meanwhile, the medics search for difficult veins, etc while the prisoner is unable to express his/her pain and terror.

Without getting into a discussion of whether they deserve to suffer for whatever they've done, it ls much a function of non-inmate suffering like yours that the methodology is being changed. Even condemned prisoners facing execution are protected against "cruel and unusual punishment"

What you suffered - and as a new mother!

I am already not very happy with anesthetics which combine paralysis with amnesia. Consider that the pt is unable to move (what the surgeon wants) while forgetting their pain (so they can't complain). Missing - analgesia! Pain relief. I am sure such experiences register and change our unconscious minds.

BTW I am becoming convinced Dr. Tribus is flaking out especially from the duplicate comments. Doctors are not gods and they have breakdowns from personal crises and addictions just like the rest of the non-MD populations. Once I saw a shrink in conjunction with a son's ADD and complained about insensitive treatment from a new MD (to have been my new family doctor).

His response, "I can't believe it! That's the fourth complaint I've heard this week". The shrink didn't even have an immense practice. Obviously the doc was letting everyone have it. Maybe he kept it up. I don't know as I never went back.

As a matter of fact, I know (because he told me separately) that he'd been saddled that week with triple his patient load in his group practice, according to the terms of his contract. (Several other docs had left suddenly). Guess that was his way of reducing his load!

Shame they have so much power over us mortals. And the ones who really crack and mess up are protected by the professional cabal against squealers. We had an alcoholic anesthetist who remained in practice for years leaving a trail of deaths and damage in the wake of "his problem" until somehow the truth came out.

So sorry for you who were affected recently. FWIW if a doctor's behavior is unprofessional and really beyond the pale, even just in manners, a letter (if well written ) to the AMA, can sometimes actually force an apology. I regretted not standing up for myself in the experience I referred to above.

[rohrer01]

Dear rohr,

Just checking in. Read about the C-section experience and wanted to say how sorry I am you went through that nightmare. I've read of other patients going through similar things. This FWIW is one of the main reasons they are now changing the laws on lethal injection.

The thinking is, the old med combination might be inhumane, because prisoners could die in that same state - in agony, fully conscious but paralyzed, because one of the meds didn't kick in properly. Meanwhile, the medics search for difficult veins, etc while the prisoner is unable to express his/her pain and terror.

Without getting into a discussion of whether they deserve to suffer for whatever they've done, it ls much a function of non-inmate suffering like yours that the methodology is being changed. Even condemned prisoners facing execution are protected against "cruel and unusual punishment"

What you suffered - and as a new mother!

I am already not very happy with anesthetics which combine paralysis with amnesia. Consider that the pt is unable to move (what the surgeon wants) while forgetting their pain (so they can't complain). Missing - analgesia! Pain relief. I am sure such experiences register and change our unconscious minds.

BTW I am becoming convinced Dr. Tribus is flaking out especially from the duplicate comments. Doctors are not gods and they have breakdowns from personal crises and addictions just like the rest of the non-MD populations. Once I saw a shrink in conjunction with a son's ADD and complained about insensitive treatment from a new MD (to have been my new family doctor).

His response, "I can't believe it! That's the fourth complaint I've heard this week". The shrink didn't even have an immense practice. Obviously the doc was letting everyone have it. Maybe he kept it up. I don't know as I never went back.

As a matter of fact, I know (because he told me separately) that he'd been saddled that week with triple his patient load in his group practice, according to the terms of his contract. (Several other docs had left suddenly). Guess that was his way of reducing his load!

Shame they have so much power over us mortals. And the ones who really crack and mess up are protected by the professional cabal against squealers. We had an alcoholic anesthetist who remained in practice for years leaving a trail of deaths and damage in the wake of "his problem" until somehow the truth came out.

So sorry for you who were affected recently. FWIW if a doctor's behavior is unprofessional and really beyond the pale, even just in manners, a letter (if well written ) to the AMA, can sometimes actually force an apology. I regretted not standing up for myself in the experience I referred to above.

I actually thought about writing a letter. I'm not sure who to write it to. I would write it directly to Dr. Tribus if I thought he would read it, but there is no guarantee there. He wans't like totally rude, but not with where we were last month. He is the one who told me to come back if my neck got worse because he couldn't believe I wasn't having more pain in it due to the high thoracic curve. In fact he said he was surprised that I could turn my head, then to say it is unrelated when I do come back. It was a 2 hour drive for me to go there and waste my time!

[rohrer01]

This is a whole 'nuther kettle of fish I think. I didn't realize your curve progressed 6* in one year. That is not the paradigm for sub-surgical curves by a long shot and I think you have something going on there beyond the "usual" or average progression rate in AIS.

If that rate continues, you will hit surgical territory very soon although your arm issues won't be resolved but your upper back issues might be.

I realize it is hard to get a second opinion but if you have lost trust in Tribus I don't know that you have a choice.

Good luck.

As it turns out, I started seeing the chiropractor in April 2008. ALL my progression appears to have happened since then. I finally got the X-ray. She measured it at 41*, which was where I was in 2000. In 2005 Dr. Tribus measured me at 40*, now in 2010 I'm 46*. I know the chiro treatments caused the progression. BUT I was already having severe PAIN when my curve was in the upper 30's.

So the question is, do I keep having chiro treatments so I can get into "surgical territory" and finally be able to have the surgery that I need? Or to let the pain guys get their hands on me and stick a catheter in my spine? I have an appointment for an MRI of the neck on Tuesday along with seeing a PA-C from Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. I'm taking my chiro X-rays along with me to see what they think.

I'm also considering traveling out of state to get a 2nd and 3rd opinion. If the 2nd opinion says NO to surgery, I'll stop there. But if he/she says Yes to surgery, I'll get a 3rd opinion and go with the 2 out of 3. Dr. Lonner in NYC does minimally invasive surgeries with seemingly good results. I would like to consult with him. Dr. Lenke in St. Louis also seems to get some good results considering the age group he operates on. So I thought he would be a good one, too.

If anyone has any other suggestions they are more than welcome to recommend a doctor. Dr. Gupta is closer to me, in Chicago. I don't want to go back to Minneapolis, I was treated badly there by Dr. Perra. He was more concerned with numbers than the patient sitting in front of him. His magical 50* no matter what. He also didn't believe scoliosis caused pain. So will NOT go back there (that was 2000 - not progressing at the time). Thanks again!

[jrnyc]

oh, rohr...please be careful using a chiro to speed up the scoli...he/she might do more damage...or damage to some part of the back other than the scoli...that will cause problems that wont be fixed with the surgery...i just think it is a dangerous plan...and i'm afraid for you...

jess

[rohrer01]

oh, rohr...please be careful using a chiro to speed up the scoli...he/she might do more damage...or damage to some part of the back other than the scoli...that will cause problems that wont be fixed with the surgery...i just think it is a dangerous plan...and i'm afraid for you...

jess

I'm just being snippity. My daughter said the same thing about doing something so foolish. I'm not going to do anything stupid like that. I told her she wasn't allowed to touch my T-spine. I did get a neck adjustment. My neck still hurts, so it is probably a waste of my time, I don't know. It seems I get relief, but it is short lived. The muscle work, however, was just a quick massage where she was able to get her little fingers kind of under the scapula where the muscle spasms are. I haven't had any bad muscle spasms since. I know she won't hurt me with just massage, and she's hiring a massage therapist to work in her office. That is probably who I will be seeing. Massage DOES help with pain for sure.