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    This is shocking!

    I hope no one here had or has Dr Terry Millette for their Dr!

    For more than 10 years, three Singing River Health System neurologists complained that Dr. Terry Millette was misdiagnosing patients with multiple sclerosis but no action was taken, a lawsuit says.

    In May 2016, the three neurologists — Lennon Bowen, Christopher Karcher and William Evans — got fed up with the inaction and put their concerns in writing.

    In the letter, the neurologists reported concerns about the “inappropriate” diagnosis of neurology patients that “went beyond diagnostic error or uncertainty.”

    By October 2016, Evans — clearly upset over the handling of their complaint — sent an email to Dr. Randy Roth, SRHS chief medical officer, to ask when someone at the hospital was going to “stand up and say ‘enough is enough.’”

    Read more here: https://www.sunherald.com/news/local...#storylink=cpy
    1st sx '89 Dx '99 w/RRMS - SP since 2010
    Administrator Message Boards/Moderator

    #2
    So sad. Both the Dr. and hospital should be held accountable. Even if contract emoyee, the fact other docs questioned his diagnosis and the hospital was advised, they were negligent.

    I feel sorry for the patients. First you think you have MS. Now you don't, but don't have answers for your health issues. And you took unnecessary medicines with high costs.

    I think a second opinion after any major diagnosis is a good idea.
    Kathy
    DX 01/06, currently on Tysabri

    Comment


      #3
      In my experience physicians almost never criticize each other so when that happens it is worth serious consideration.

      What an awful story although I have to say I wish I was misdiagnosed.
      He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
      Anonymous

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Jules A View Post
        What an awful story although I have to say I wish I was misdiagnosed.
        Millette, who has said he believes in early diagnosis and treatment of MS patients, has denied any wrongdoing.
        Nobody wants to expose themselves to these kinds of immune suppressants, let alone walk around thinking they have MS when they don't. Or mainly, be treated for the wrong thing.

        Looked up this doctor in propublica and he did not seem to be heavily subsidized by any big pharmas - maybe he really was overzealous.

        Yesterday my friend told me her now-terminally ill friend was misdiagnosed by an overworked oncologist who looked at her hip bone tests and said she did not have cancer, when she did.

        We all want human empathy from our doctors, but maybe the idea of supplementing them with AI diagnostics will be one of the very best uses of AI.
        All the best, ~G

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Jules A View Post
          In my experience physicians almost never criticize each other so when that happens it is worth serious consideration.

          What an awful story although I have to say I wish I was misdiagnosed.
          I've been Misdiagnosed or I should say diagnosed then undiagnosed by certain neuros

          I listened to his version in the tape on the link that was provided. He said now with the improvised McDonald it's easier because it's more standardized and easier to treat.

          I would imagine that about 3 times since my diagnosis, I've been told by "a house neurologist" in the hospital that I don't have MS. I thank them for that info and don't argue. My MRI isn't a usual MS MRI, one big lesion in the medulla (which on a MRI scan is harder to pick out) and lots of smaller lesions. Since I was diagnosed about 20 years ago when accumulating lesions at an alarming speed, and seeing some of them get larger, but not large That plus my cascade of symptoms helped the diagnosis. I've even had one of my early neuros say I had conversion disorder.

          Obviously for me, this late in the game, the diagnosis is sealed by the symptoms and MRI doesn't really matter....so once the hospital neuro has examined me, they backtrack on the "you don't have MS" statement. Except they ponder over the fact I have no reflexes in my knees or ankles...to which I remind them I have a baclofen pump.

          This charged neuro said he'd rather treat early than late, and for years MS was a clinical diagnosis and symptoms outweighed what was seen on an Mri. I personally think they rely on MRI results too much especially with the new research into gray matter damage.

          The amount he diagnosed with less than 1% of patients seen in their clinic. I look at it more like an old school, versus new school, neurologist (I noticed he had young doctors criticizing him.) He evidently had plenty of doctors and patients stand up for him against the accusations of the doctors.

          And looking back, there are probably plenty of patients (on MSWorld) know they were not diagnosed early, but had to wait years to meet the MRI criteria, and wish they had been treated early, especially on the research that some of the new DMDs work much better if they were started early in the MS journey.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by rdmc View Post
            the fact I have no reflexes in my knees or ankles...to which I remind them I have a baclofen pump.
            ddmc, with apologies to the OP for this diversion...

            Could you explain...? I'm sorry to say I really don't understand.

            Jer

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by 502E79 View Post
              ddmc, with apologies to the OP for this diversion...

              Could you explain...? I'm sorry to say I really don't understand.

              Jer
              When they tap on a patient's knees with one of those rubber axes...or
              hammer (neither of those analogies of the instrument really explain it
              but I'm hoping you know what I mean) the usual reflex is for your leg
              to kick out a bit.

              That's a normal response. MS spasticity can cause hyper reflexia
              and then there's an overreaction in this reflex and the leg will swing out
              much more than usual. That's one of the symptoms of MS, our reflexes
              are more exaggerated than a normal person. (I've heard reports of people
              actually kicking neuros.)

              When they tap on my knee...nothing happens I have no reflex at all, my leg
              just stays hanging with no movements.

              A baclofen pump is an implanted pump that drips baclofen directly in the spinal cord,
              eliminating the majority of spasticity so when tapping on the patient's knee it doesn't
              make the kick the neurologist was expecting.

              Hope that helps explain my response in my post.

              Comment


                #8
                To RMDC, I agree with your thoughtful response to the accusations against this neurologist. Strangely enough, I always have no reflexes or a very small reflex response. I have never had hyperreflexia and none of my neurologists could explain why. I do not have a baclofen pump.

                I find it hard to implicate this neurologist without more information. There is a wide range of interpretation in the McDonald Criteria and I have seen neurologists come to completely different conclusions while presented with the exact same information. In my case, I have been in limbo, then diagnosed with MS, then undiagnosed, then told probable MS, then absolutely not MS, then diagnosed again. This has been going on for 14 years plus. Even now with my current MS diagnosis, it has been labeled as very atypical. If I, again, get undiagnosed, I will not be surprised. I have had several neurologists that did not agree with one another, at any given time, too.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by rdmc View Post
                  When they tap on my knee...nothing happens I have no reflex at all, my leg
                  just stays hanging with no movements.
                  Thank you rdmc, were you made aware that eliminating the majority of spasticity (using a Baclofen pump) would result in no reflex at all?! Is this problematic in any way?

                  I cannot give a specific example but... say a friend tosses you the keys or a ball unexpectedly... are you so relaxed (sorry, best word I can think of) that you don't react?

                  Guess that I have often wondered how treating spasticity (which is often localized more in one location than another, my entire right side for instance) with a baclofen pump would adversely affect less spastic areas....?

                  Appreciate your explaining this rdmc.

                  Jer

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Jules A View Post
                    In my experience physicians almost never criticize each other so when that happens it is worth serious consideration.

                    What an awful story although I have to say I wish I was misdiagnosed.
                    Jules, me too! But only if it was something that could be “fixed”. When I was diagnosed I was falling so much some friends thought I had ALS, and despite how bad MS is, I am grateful that it wasn’t that alternative.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      This does sound scary. But what I worry about more is over reaction which would result in no one being diagnosed. Neurologists are already so cautious about making this diagnosis anyway that many would miss out on the opportunity to have treatments that prevent disability.

                      Whenever a doctor is sued, it causes an hysteria. Doctors are already practicing defensive medicine resulting in so much over testing, under treating and over treating. So whenever something alarming happens and it reaches the public ear it creates a wildfire while many other injustices and unethical activities are being ignored.

                      The example that is most prominent is the reaction after Michael Jackson died. The moment I heard he had died I knew it was going to be drugs and I knew it was going to affect medical care. The doctor who was caring for him did something so far outside normal practice that he was put in jail but the result was a snowballing effect that led to th heroin epidemic, which has made pain medication virtually inaccessible to patients now.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by MyGirlsMom View Post
                        Jules, me too! But only if it was something that could be “fixed”. When I was diagnosed I was falling so much some friends thought I had ALS, and despite how bad MS is, I am grateful that it wasn’t that alternative.
                        Agree 100% ALS and also Huntington's terrify me so I'll keep MS over those options for sure.
                        He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.
                        Anonymous

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by 502E79 View Post
                          Thank you rdmc, were you made aware that eliminating the majority of spasticity (using a Baclofen pump) would result in no reflex at all?! Is this problematic in any way?

                          I cannot give a specific example but... say a friend tosses you the keys or a ball unexpectedly... are you so relaxed (sorry, best word I can think of) that you don't react?

                          Guess that I have often wondered how treating spasticity (which is often localized more in one location than another, my entire right side for instance) with a pump would adversely affect less spastic areas....?

                          Appreciate your explaining this rdmc.

                          Jer
                          I'll try to give a quick answer not to pirate the thread. You're assumptions are correct in part. You could have your pump deliver so much baclofen that you wouldn't be able to stand up. There's a fine line to balance setting the dose to alleviate spasticity and pain and yet leave enough spasticity to allow one to stannd and walk. As to the one side or the other, the catheter is inserted into a certain veterbral space and anything below that vertebra, the med will affect. Use the baclofen pump in the search option on this site and you'll receive past threads with tons of info.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Thank you again rdmc.

                            And I apologize to the OP for my diversion.

                            Jer

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