Hopefully im not to late with this...but just remember it is your health and you are in charge here....

People don't become neuros because they care, it's because they can charge out the b-hole and not have to have any answers. In all honesty the neuros I have seen are just guessing, they say maybe and could be. What happened to docs that want answers instead of money.

exactly heather we are the boss in that office and we could always fire our neuros too.

I think I am in the minority here. My neurogist is very caring and searches for answers to my MS questions. He started a well known MS center in my area. He is also a highly recognist MS specialist throughout the US as well as world wide.

Think about firing his a--, your in charge and if you don't feel comfortable, time to move on contact your local ms foundation for names of other doctors in your area and try your insurance carrier too, good luck

i hate to disagree sky... but i dont see anyone spending that amount of time or money in med school if they dont care.. Yes there are some out there who do not possess the bedside manner to which we would like but that does not nessecarily make them bad dr.s..
I'm in Canada... if all the dr.s and Neuro's here cared about was making money they would be in the states.. here there is a set rate they can charge..yet they still continue to pratice medicine in Canada.
I just do not agree with sterotyping all neuro's because we happen to have a bad experience with one or two.. i dont think that is fair to all the other ones out there who have worked so hard to achieve so much in their field..
Had it not been for them we would not have come so far as we are in the types of treatments that we have for MS that we do today...

I have an appt. on Tuesday with the same neuro who told me 5 years ago that I just had muscle aches two year after my definite diagnosis. So I know where you're coming from Calamyitybb. We just have to rise above it all and play nice. lol

Piling on all neuros just isn't right. I know it's easy to do, especially when we feel frustrated and vulnerable. But neurology is a complex field -- and MS is a "master of mimicry" when it comes to other diseases. In clinical practice, there's a lot of "grey areas" to wade through -- and solid answers aren't as easy to come by.

I've gone through 5 neuros since my dx in 1999 -- mostly because of their retirement or because they (and later I) moved. I've only "fired" one of them -- a specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ.

My current neuro is the only one for about 200 miles -- he does the hospital circuit in the mountain towns in my area in addition to running a full clinic in my town of Show Low. The guy isn't getting rich, believe me!

Not all neuros are jerks -- you just have to find one that "fits" you -- just like any other healthcare professional.

-Karen

So how did your appointment go? I understand the nerves, I really do. If you are not comfortable with your neuro, you need to find another one. Seriously. They are not all arrogant jerks. Mine is very caring and takes time to talk to me and explain things to me. Sometimes I get frustrated with him because I am not getting the answers that I want, but that really isn't his fault, its the nature of this villian we all are dealing with. Take care all and God Bless.

The neuros i've had have all been great. Every one was a referal to a better one. I cannot condemn them. Their input to neurology is known worldwide. Their input to my health is paramount. Unfortunatley, your is something else.

Why are you guys wasting your time with a neurologist and not an MS specialist? They're out there...

In my case, the closest MS specialist is a 4 hour drive away -- whether I go to Tucson or Phoenix, and my insurance doesn't cover out-of-state care, so anything in New Mexico isn't an option.

Regular neuros in remote areas can often give very good care, as they get "everything" coming through their door. I personally know 6 people in my small town with MS (I'm sure there's more) -- and we all see the same doc. This is a much higher percentage of MSers in his practice, than if we were in a large city.

-Karen

Hi and thanks for commenting on my saga. A couple of things. I spent about an hour waiting, he tends to go long most times, and constantly reminded myself that I (actually the state)pays his fees. That helped. So by the time I finally got in there, things were ok for me. I was a little upset but that started because I was in pain and was trying to describe the pain to him. Which, I might add, I was able to finally demonstrate after he did a spasticity test on my good but offensive leg. So, he says, it's not that it really tight, it's the sensation that it's really tight and gets tighter. Oh!
Good thing for me, I guess, I finally got through to him.
And another thing. My neuro is one of the specialist in MS in this State and the country. He started out in research, MS research. So he does know his stuff. And I don't doubt for a minute that he doesn't care, he just has no facility for expressing this side of his personality. Many highly skilled research physicians are like this, actually many highly skilled anything are like this. They are so dedicated to their field they have little or no people skills.
And so thanks again. I made it through the appointment, I have another in 6 weeks, and I think this time things will be fine.
Thank you Thank You Thank you
You guys are the best!

YOU HIRE THEM.......

You have every right to be treated with respect, professionalism on their part, patience, and empathy......

HIre another if he / she is still un-professional!

They're just dumb doctors, lol. As my boyfriend would say about being an engineer, can't help his insensitivities sometimes, "just a dumb engineer." I love my neuros and I know htat probably sounds Pollyanna as heck but when I made up my mind to always level with them, be human, and take charge of my care, I get along with them so well. My regular one was is so quiet and reserved and I appreciated him tho so made it a point to communicate with him. Of course, if that is not an option and you just can't get along with on eof them, try out another. Life's too short to not be comfortable. My second one even gave me a hug. I think they got so many lawsuits and such and pressures that they sometimes forget we are all human. A lot of pressure for them when we look to them as a God sometimes who has all the answers. Hope things go better but if not, find another? :)