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kaitly...
kaitly...

Trying to get in control of this situation the best I can

So I am trying to get Kaitlyn seen by another neurologist but I am having no luck. For some reason I can't get her seen by any other hospital here, the nurse told me that they don't take referrals from our ped's because the neuro that she is already seeing works with the other ones also and they won't take a pt from anothe doctor. I don't know. I just want to explore all of our options and make the best and more informed decisions for her and I feeel like I flying blind here. I am trying so hard to gather all of the information that I can to get this where we are one the ones who make the decisions and not the doctors. I want to feel like we have a say in the treatment plan, and i want to feel like the doctors are taking this as seriously as we are.

I feel like she is just another pt that has seizures they don't have to tell us more about it because its not their kid, why would they care. I am still waiting on hearing when we are doing the MRI and from what I have heard it will be about 2 weeks out, why on earth would they wait that long? She's still a baby, she's not even two yet. I am also waiting on the blood work to come back, and I am waiting on the nurse to call me regarding what other tests are going to follow. I want to figure this out. I can't just sit back and let it be the way that it is. I want to know why this is happening and I need to know if it's genetic.

I just need some hope, I am running low on it right now. I feel so hopeless right now, and it doesn't help that I don't feel like we have the best doctors possible. Maybe we will have to travel somewhere else to get a second opinion if no one here can deal with us.

Is it possible just to travel somewhere else to be seen by another specialist? And is it going to give me more information than what I am getting now?

Need some light at the end of our tunnel right about now...

By kaitly... at Mon, 04/02/2007 - 11:27am | 228 views | 5 comments
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Sorry I missed some things. Tell them it is not acceptable about waiting that long for an appt to get a test done or getting test results. If they say results are 3-5 days, you call in 2. P/U pizza in 25 min. BS, it is done in 15!
They tell you two weeks to get in for a test. Again, BS! There is a way to get you in sooner. An MRI takes about 45-60 min and with Kaitlyn they may have to sedate her a bit so she will be easy to do. You can bother them and they will get you in just so you start bugging them. You are entitled to good service even from a health care provider!
Tell them you need to know and you DESERVE to know what is going on. This is your daughter. It is okay to get firm with these people. If you don't get firm now, they will act this way the entire time you deal with them. You have to train them, not the other way around.
Please keep me posted.

seizur...

THANK YOU! I am going to try and fight for everything some more tomorrow. I feel like the doctors don't take me serious because I am some what younger than most of the moms that come through there, and I think they think that I over react with everything but now it seems like I was over reacting all with a good cause. I know Kaitlyn, no one else does, you know. I have been noticing some really bad attitude changes with her the past two nights and I am having a hard dealing with this changes!! Is this normal? She has been acting very aggressive lately, and this is not normal for her. I still haven't started the Topamax (I'm a horrible mom, I am trying to wait to start it until I find out if I can get ahold of another neurologist and then start the meds. I don't know what the justification is, but I am just scared to start it and then stop it and have worse side effects than waiting to get a second opinion!)
Well I will take all of your words of wisdom to heart tomorrow when I take on another day of calling and fighting with the doctors. I am new the area that we live in, which makes it harder so I am going off of recommendations. I have looked on this website for a referral and the ones they show don't include any of the doctors that I have access to, because the ones they show are the ones that I called today and they all said no, or they were too full. How could they all just be too full?? I called today wanting the results for her blood work and they said it wouldn't be until Wed. and they hadn't even scheduled the MRI, I don't know how they can just take their time doing so. Obviously they aren't too concerned with her like I am. Grr... damn doctors!

But thanks!

kaitly...

Hello. You have a beautiful daughter! I can totally relate to everything you are experiencing, the feelings you have, the fear, everything!! I have had seizures for 30 years and my daughter was born on a Sunday in 1989 and at 5 days old she started having tonic clonic seizures, one every 3-5 hours. We were just sick and scared to death! With my history, we took her to ER immediately b/c she was fully involved; arms, legs, whole body. Not to mention I had just gotten out of the hospital from having two brain surgeries for my seizure problems ten days before her birth. She was wired up with EEG, IV, and everything else. They did test after test and as usual, it all was "normal." But that is not uncommon. I have had plenty of "normal" reads in my 30 years but continue to have seizures to this day.
I agree with some of the other chatters, keep talking to the doctors, even if they are in the same practice until you feel comfortable with one you like. Don't be afraid to leave the practice you are with and go somewhere else. Kaitlyn is YOUR daughter and not theirs. YOU have to feel comforable with her care and deserve the best for your daughter.
Fortunately, we were able to find a good ped neuro and get our daughter on the right med-this was in '89 so she was on phenobarb and we were able to mix it with her formula. She stayed seizure free for a year and then we weened her off her meds. She has not had any re-occurances of any seizures and she just turned 18 last month.
Does Kaitlyn have an "active" personality? This was the case with my daughter. She was active from the minute she was out of the womb; looking around, loud as can be, busy in the nursery, just afraid she'd miss anything. The doctors said that her was brain was "too active" for her body and this is what caused her seizures. The brain was too mature for the body and it could have been responsible for the seizures as the body could not handle the differences. As she grew "into her brain" I guess things evened out.
My neurologist told me children can not inherit epilepsy but they can inherit "epileptic tendencies". This is from Dr Luders, MD/PhD head of the epilepsy dept at the Cleveland Clinic who has cared for me the past 20 years.
I will be thinking about Kaitlyn and your family.
Keep me posted if you will. Take care. Richard-seizure boy is a nickname from my step daughter. Humor gets me thru a lot of things.

seizur...

hi it's me again, it sounds like you got a nurse who doesn't care. is this through a children's hospital? she is wrong, even if the doctors are in the same practice if you don't like one you try another. i'd call her back an explain to her, you need a doctor that explains things and it's your choice who your daughter sees. if that doesnt work try another an tell them the same thing. just say also the doctor you have makes you uncomfortable as well. also check with your insurance company and what they will cover if you go to the next town. also you can question them on your right to pick which neurologist your daughter sees. see if they can give you a name of an epilepsy spesilist. your insurance company if you get a symaphtic ear is your best freind when everythin else fails. i've done it. and since kaitlyn is just a barely a toddler use that to your advantage when you talk to them.
let me know how it goes ok? and don't forget, deep breathing to stay calm. if your not healthy you cant take care of those around you!!!!!

banffgirl

The place we are being seen at right now is Childrens Hospital but when I look for a referral they aren't listed plus they don't explain stuff. They have other neuro's I could try and see, I just saw two other ones. But I figured since they were in the same office, they might be a little weird. I was trying to get her seen by University of Nebraska Medical Center, they are a Epilepsy Care Center and I thought that would help, but they obviously don't care. I am still waiting for my daugthers neuro to call back.
Maybe you can help with one of my questions that is bothering me, how do you time the seizure? How do I know when it starts vs when it stops if they aren't grand mals? And when do I need to call 911? I am afraid that I am either going to over react or under react.

Thanks!

kaitly...