Yiayia
Junior Boarder
Posts: 26
|
|
Re:shoulder pain after surgery 1 Year, 10 Months ago
|
Karma: 0
|
|
Brenda,
What an incredible experience!
Last time I saw my neurologist, which was the 2nd time overall, I came away quite angry. He would not listen to my questions so therefore he would not answer them. Early on, when I told him I still have some numbing of the fingers 3 months after the surgery (which he had recommended), he said "well since the surgery failed we will have to now examine your neck and back and blah blah blah."
Since the surgery failed? Why does he think the surgery failed? Everything I know about this says that the numbness can take a while to go away.
He also insisted that I have to get the other elbow done ASAP, while the surgeon recommended to "watch it" and to avoid positions that I now know to aggravate the condition.
I asked my surgeon for a recommendation of another neurologist.
Yiayia
|
|
|
|
|
cindy
Expert Boarder
Posts: 120
|
|
Re:shoulder pain after surgery 1 Year, 10 Months ago
|
Karma: 0
|
|
Brenda,
What an ordeal, I think you took the right actions. There is no way I would let a doctor who's angry conduct the test on me. A good dr is worth the drive. Do you have someone that can drive you to your new appointment? Good grief girl - maybe I'll send you a big sign you can hang around your neck that says "Hello, my name is Brenda - I'm allergic to Latex!" then perhaps the message would get across!
My heart goes out to you,
Cindy
|
|
|
|
|
cindy
Expert Boarder
Posts: 120
|
|
Re:shoulder pain after surgery 1 Year, 10 Months ago
|
Karma: 0
|
|
Yiayia wrote:
Brenda,
Last time I saw my neurologist, which was the 2nd time overall, I came away quite angry. He would not listen to my questions so therefore he would not answer them. Early on, when I told him I still have some numbing of the fingers 3 months after the surgery (which he had recommended), he said "well since the surgery failed we will have to now examine your neck and back and blah blah blah."
Since the surgery failed? Why does he think the surgery failed? Everything I know about this says that the numbness can take a while to go away.
Yiayia
Hi Yiayia,
If your questions are not being answered then I say yes switch. However, if they want to test your neck and back further I would let them. It's good to rule out you have nothing else going on. Maybe let your new one test further? It now looks like I have mutiple issues, the cubital tunnel was just one of them. I guess you just don't know until you look further.
Cindy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re:shoulder pain after surgery 1 Year, 10 Months ago
|
Karma: 0
|
Howdy Yiayia!
Yeah that jerk was a "winner" for sure...NOT! My surgeons office sent a new script to my new Neurologist today, and I am already scheduled tomorrow afternoon for a complete NCS/EMG! Yeah, wow, they got me right in! Before I drive up there tomorrow, I will call to be SURE they have Nitrile gloves!
After that experience my tolerance for treatment is met. If I even get a fuzzy feeling, I will switch doctors ASAP. From what you're describing with your last appointment, you might want to consider getting another opinion. I've found that doctors that don't want your input on your own body, they are either burned out, or really bad with managing their time, and thus they rush people through!
What's scary is most of these 'cutters' haven't been cut themselves! They see we are nervous, scared, angry etc., but they don't truly "get it." It's a big deal to be cut on, and I really wonder if some of them look at us like "Joe the mechanic" or something eh?
At 3 months he is saying failed surgery? Did he get an MRI, electrical study etc. done to validate this? It took me a good year to get my finger function and feeling back to near normal!! That's odd. Before I let him cut on me again Yiayia, I think I would get another opinion. Please let us know how it goes. 
Brenda
|
|
|
|
Mar 08 ACDF with Instrumentation C5/6
April 08 Subcutaneous Ulnar Transposition, Guyon's Release and claw fingers release
Aug 09 ACDF with Instrumentations C6/7
Oct 09 (new) Degenerative disk disease with Osteophytes C7/T1 Degenerative disk disease C2/3, disk bulge, Osteophytes
|
|
|
|
Re:shoulder pain after surgery 1 Year, 10 Months ago
|
Karma: 0
|
|
Howdy Cindy, *HUG*
Thanks! My surgeon wasn't too thrilled on this joker and his behavior towards me either. It is nice to know that there won't be anymore referrals to that office. It's too bad too because the primary Neurologist there (the one I always saw before this visit) is excellent and caring. Apparently he is conducting a lot of training at the medical university, and as such, this "partner" is doing more and more of his patients. I just hope his practice doesn't get tanked before he figures it out!
I have my appointment tomorrow afternoon. Since it *is* a nerve pain medication, I am going to wait until I get back to take my Lyrica. If it was an NSAID or something, I would take it, but not nerve meds. Drive me, nope gonna have to get up there and back on my own - this is not going to be fun! I'll let ya know how it goes. Hopefully this doctor will give me a brief on his findings before I get the official report. My prior conduction studies, I got a "heads up" on the good, bad, and the uglies! (G) Wish me luck!!!
Brenda
|
|
|
|
Mar 08 ACDF with Instrumentation C5/6
April 08 Subcutaneous Ulnar Transposition, Guyon's Release and claw fingers release
Aug 09 ACDF with Instrumentations C6/7
Oct 09 (new) Degenerative disk disease with Osteophytes C7/T1 Degenerative disk disease C2/3, disk bulge, Osteophytes
|
Yiayia
Junior Boarder
Posts: 26
|
|
Re:shoulder pain after surgery 1 Year, 10 Months ago
|
Karma: 0
|
BrendaB wrote:
Howdy Yiayia!
At 3 months he is saying failed surgery? Did he get an MRI, electrical study etc. done to validate this? It took me a good year to get my finger function and feeling back to near normal!! That's odd. Before I let him cut on me again Yiayia, I think I would get another opinion. Please let us know how it goes.
Brenda
Hi Cindy and Brenda,
I should have explained that I went to see the neurologist just to get a 2nd opinion about a small cyst on the side of my hand and numbness in my palm after I injured my palm by squeezing a dumbbell too hard (5 weeks after original surgery). My palm had a strange flatness to it as well. I didn't need to hear vague things about checking my back and shoulder or that the original surgery failed when I told him that the problem was specifically in the palm due to an injury.
A week after that neurologist visit, I had surgery on the palm where the surgeon found a muscle strangling the nerve. A second incision took care of the small lump which wasn't a cyst (it was a very small piece of dead muscle). The palm is now numb-free and so is my ring finger. The palm "plumped up" again and looks normal.
I have had severe atrophy and weakness of my hand since before the submusc. transposition. Strength is slowly coming back though the pinkie remains numb. Despite that numbness, even the pinkie is stronger since my 2nd surgery a month ago.
If I need more neurological tests, I'll be going to another neurologist.
Yiayia
|
|
|
|
|
|
