Doctors and their opinions

[whiteflagship]

It baffles me to no end when I read about how some people say their doctors (neuros especially) discount some symptoms when it is widely accepted that those symptoms are a part of MS. For example, on one thread in another forum (not MSW) someone said they told their neuro about Optic Neuritis symptoms and the doc thought it unimportant (after being firmly dx'd with MS). My doctor personally does 'hmmm' when I tell him about some things that I am going through.

For God's sake, these doctors have studied MS and many neurological conditions, patients' experiences, the theories and the practices, they consult other doctors, they write and publish papers and still they discount some things that patients feel.

I dont get it. Are doctors on the whole here to tell you what is what or *explain* to you what is what?

Sorry for this frustrated post.

[jazzgirl]

They're a tough breed, for sure. Any doctor who discounts our symptoms, ESPECIALLY optic neuritis, is not worth our time...period, end of discussion..

oh, BTW, welcome to MSWorld!

[Waydwnsouth1]

Docs are like alot of things in life " We can't live them and we can't live without them". I have been in the car business for 23 years with 21 of those years spent in management. If there is one thing I know to be certain it is, if 5 used car managers appraise the exact same car you will get 5 different appraisals.

That's the way docs are. Give 5 docs a list of sx and you will get 5 different opinions. The docs that write us off or just say "Hmmm" or that's nothing to worry about are in my opinion useless. HELLOOOO we are worried about it that's why we are telling you about it and we would VERY MUCH like a D#@N OPINION! Now if you do not care to do that then I will take my records with me and move on.

I think docs assume patients are ignorant. Evn though we live in the information age where we can research any topic and educate ourselves about anything. It would be safe for a doc to assume that the patient has done that and he would not make a fool of him/herself. I think MSer's especially research things. We have become very educated about the disease we have and all we want is to be taken seriously and not taken for granted!

OK, I will get off my soapbox. This just happens to be one of a multitude of subjects that are near and dear to my heart.

[terie-tk]

At my first Neuro visit

after I had optic neuritis & an MRI that were ordered by the eye doctor ---The neuro declared that he would have NEVER ordered that MRI for optic neuritis (for a first time SX) because they cause so much stress on the patient waiting for results!?!?!

I think it was his way of telling me the rest of my SX I developed after the ON, were just stress related ---but I had my MRI results in 24hrs ?!---

Anyway, I was uneducated about MS then, didn't get DX'd for another 2.5yrs, but I knew I had been to BAD MD. And this Neuro is considered a MS specialist ....