I had another two appointments today. I had my neuro and also rehab as I am still trying to recover balance from MVD in 2013. I was wondering how often you went to the doctor or neurologist? We are all different in how we respond to pain and medication but after 3 years I am getting kind of tired of all these appointments. Will the frequency of appts continue? I see my doctor on a need to basis which is often every few months. I see my neurologist every 8-12 weeks or more if needed. And I have rehab every 2-3 months now that progress seems to have slowed down. Don’t get me wrong; I am so thankful that I have access to supportive medical professionals but I wouldn’t mind needing less time with them.
Hi Patty,
My last Neuro of many years saw me every 3 months, GP as needed.
My new Neuro has me coming every 4-5 months.
With BOTH Neuros I had/ have arrangements on how to contact in case of pain crisis.
My pain specialist on an as needed basis, which has been a lot lately, but for Botox every 3 months.
Talk to your doctors/ specialists, see if you can extend the time between visits.
(( hugs )) Mimi
I know what you mean about the never ending appointments.
My main problem is that the different doctors I've seen don't necessarily agree with each other..not even with the doctor who referred me to them! The neurologist my family doctor referred me to said he didn't think it was TN or even nerve related, and my family doctor thinks it is definitely nerve related. All the other doctors/medical professionals say it is nerve related as well, but it's strange that the neurologist doesn't think so since he's the expert on nerves! I see some oral pain specialists as well. One of them wants to try injections and the other one says injections might make me worse.
I wouldn't mind the different appointments if only the doctors agreed, lol. I feel like I need to narrow down the list to people who I think are the most knowledgeable and likely to be successful, but they all seem to be smart and confident.
I don't think I'm ever going back to the neuro. Might try to find another neuro in the future if I think I need one. I see my oral pain specialist every 6 months and my family doctor on an as needed basis. When I gave physiotherapy a try, I was going 1-2 times a week. I guess I'm averaging about 1 appointment a month, and luckily they're all quite close to me so I don't have to travel more than half an hour.
Here's a trick if you want to "break up" with a doctor without being rude...when the receptionist asks when you want to come in for a follow-up, just say that you're quite busy around that time and you'll call after checking your schedule. Most likely, the doctor and staff will be too busy to track down where you went and you'll get lost in the shuffle. Then, if you decide that the doctor was helpful after all, you haven't burned bridges and you can always go back. It's not lying because we do get kept really busy with all these appointments!