Changing Doctors

[Tina_R]

Only if the institution where you were treated acquires another institution where you want to be evaluated.

If you're concerned that your surgeon will share information that might influence other providers, I would recommend that you get a copy of all the clinic notes. Read them over carefully. If anything is incorrect or untrue, you can challenge that information and ask that it be revised.

--Linda

"Clinic notes" -- would this be part of my medical records?

[LindaRacine]

"Clinic notes" -- would this be part of my medical records?

Probably. The notes from each of your office visits. In many clinics, I think the office visit notes are not part of the hospital record.

[jackieg412]

Tina you could also try a different specialist. If you were treated by an orthopedic go to a neurosurgeon or a Dr of physical medicine. That actually may help you the most. A Dr of physical medicine can look at the whole body to determine if something else can cause your symptoms.
And as much as it is difficult to live with, not everything has an answer that can lead to treatment. Sometimes it isn't one answer.

[Tina_R]

Tina you could also try a different specialist. If you were treated by an orthopedic go to a neurosurgeon or a Dr of physical medicine. That actually may help you the most. A Dr of physical medicine can look at the whole body to determine if something else can cause your symptoms.
And as much as it is difficult to live with, not everything has an answer that can lead to treatment. Sometimes it isn't one answer.

I've seen a neurosurgeon.
I'd never heard of Dr of physical medicine so I googled it and it's probably the same as physiatrist. I've never considered one of those. Have you been to one?

[jackieg412]

Yes that is correct. I have seen one. They look at the whole person. They work with you and can help find out your strengths and weaknesses. If one leg is weaker the Doctor can make suggestions to help improve. I know you want clear answers but sometimes getting a little help will improve your situation. It's worth a try and is non invasive.

[Tina_R]

Probably. The notes from each of your office visits. In many clinics, I think the office visit notes are not part of the hospital record.

If they're not part of my medical records, do I have as much right to see them as I do my medical records? And would I have to get them directly from the physician rather than from the medical records section of the hospital?

[Tina_R]

Only if the institution where you were treated acquires another institution where you want to be evaluated.

Institutions in my area have merged into two or three major monolithic hospitals. They are like the Amazon and Google of my area. This is the way the world is going -- monopolies. It's bad for getting unbiased diverse opinions if all the elite spine surgeons work for only two hospitals. I might have to travel far away from here to get a second opinion. Which is ridiculous, because there are plenty of doctors here.

On the other hand, if there is information in your records that is true, and makes it appear that you were a difficult patient, you might consider writing to your surgeon, explaining about your frustration, being careful to not blame them. While I'm sure it's difficult for surgeons to treat patients that make it seem like they're being blamed or accused of doing something to cause a poor outcome (I'm not saying that's what happened with you), they're typically smart and compassionate individuals, who want you to get better.

Are you saying I should write to my surgeon and apologize for anything I might have done that made it difficult to treat me? This isn't going to get me back into his good graces. True, I didn't follow every last edict of his and I had good reasons. But my biggest crime is that I had a bad outcome and patients with bad outcomes get shunned by some doctors. We make them look bad so they want us to disappear.

He's already ghosted me when I needed care, which I consider unprofessional. Can this patient-doctor relationship be fixed after something like that?

I never blamed him for causing this. Maybe he caused it, maybe he didn't, I don't care. It's a difficult, risky surgery. Stuff can happen. I just want to be fixed if I can be fixed. I wasn't seeing any action, just avoidance and assurances that there was nothing wrong. Then finally after too long a time, a curt "Go see a neurologist".

I'm not saying you did anything wrong, but if you can't get help from anyone, perhaps it's a good idea to switch strategies.

I never said I couldn't get help from anyone. Of the other doctors I consulted, no one can figure out what the problem is, and some of them point to each other. The surgeons say it must be neurological, the neurologists say it isn't. There's not enough evidence for any diagnosis.

[Tina_R]

Yes that is correct. I have seen one. They look at the whole person. They work with you and can help find out your strengths and weaknesses. If one leg is weaker the Doctor can make suggestions to help improve. I know you want clear answers but sometimes getting a little help will improve your situation. It's worth a try and is non invasive.

I had only a vague sense of what a physiatrist is and lumped them in with healers I would never think of trying, like chiropractors and acupuncturists. I think the word "holistic" being associated with them is what does that for me. But maybe that's wrong and I should try a physiatrist. They are real doctors, after all. Heck, maybe I should try acupuncture, too, which one of my neurologists practices. Thanks for the suggestion.