Brain tumor or something?

Post Reply New Topic

I visited a neurologist that gave me an MRI, and he told me that no problems were evident in the MRI.

I've seen the neurologist again (same one as before, but now they have a side entrance for non-prisoners). The meeting did not go nicely, as he apparently became very annoyed with my speech impairments.

I presented him the printed advice from main-stream classical neurologists Kutt and McDowell that supported the strategy I wanted to follow, but he shoved it aside as not "standard."

I told him that the strategy was working best for me, and that I was just going to tolerate my partial seizures and try to preclude the secondary tonic-clonics with minimal Keppra (since over-doses and intoxication from various AEDs never helped), he responded with "So you're not doing very well, do you have a brain tumor or something?"

After being often nick-named "brain tumor" in public school, graduating from the university with a B.S. degree magna cum laude, and reaching my latter 50's in age, the monicker "brain tumor" still sticks, except now, instead of teasing kids, it's Medicaid neurologists using it.

Is this a common phenomenon?

I've been fairly lucky with my seizures the last few days, more ecstatic and bland partials over unpleasant partials, mainly with speech problems otherwise and normal migraines, with only one threat of a generalization that Keppra soon stopped.

Tadzio

Your doctor sounds like an as*hole. Even if he was kidding, what the hell is that about?

Can you see anyone else?

Yeah, he sounds like the kind of doctor who's on a power trip and expects patients to bow to him, obey without thinking, and consider themselves subservient.

So here you come in, having actually done some research; and unwilling to go right along with whatever said doctor wants. Is it any wonder that Dr. Narcissist is pissed off and starts accusing you of having a brain tumor?

Your experience isn't unique, unfortunately. I've got a GP who is obsessed with my weight and won't believe me when I say that being in his office makes me nervous enough to raise my blood pressure... even though my BP has been normal when measured anywhere else. He won't believe you can be fat and in shape, even though I doubt his skinny couch potato butt could keep up with me on a hike. He's also told me to "stop eating so many fried foods", without even asking whether I did. (I don't. They don't agree with me. But of course all fat people eat nothing but fried food.) One of these days I am going to tell him off, really.

He is the only Medicaid neurologist available, and all my regular doctors are refusing anything dealing with epilepsy unless it goes through him. I feel like my regular doctors are always trying to dump their Medicaid patients off on each other, and since the neurologist is the most distant and difficult to get to, (67 miles round trip, and no public transportation except a "petitioned pre-requisition indebted" points program with all kind of requirements and restrictions) the prison's external medical center is treated as a disposal unit for unwanted patients, who quickly exhaust their medical travel points.

Whenever my speech impairments are bad, whether from seizures during the time, or Aspergers interfering with my speech/body-language during informal social situations, other people often assume I'm an ignorant imbecile. (Adult Protective Services, doctors, the EEOC, and the Federal Courts have given me many examples of such intense prejudice). At times, I have to write down, then read off aloud my words (like hello) in a very awkward manner, to technical situations, where my university professors would often joke that they were tempted to tape my know-it-all mouth shut.

After going over my notes and transcripts again, I think I'll probably give up on medical services through Medicaid all together, because the drawbacks outweigh the benefits most of the time. This is probably what my doctors want too, they just won't say it and instead hide behind technicalities to drive Medicaid patients away when they become unprofitable. I wonder if the government then will start pestering me for refusing the "treatment."

Tadzio