From: Ruthie.Hoffman@f223.n260.z1.fidonet.org (Ruthie Hoffman)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Conservative treatment
Date: 21 Jul 92 16:02:21 GMT
Reply-To: Ruthie.Hoffman@f223.n260.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:260/223 - Interstellar System, Vine Valley NY

Index Number: 23208

[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference]

 >> is at the L4-L5...a herniating disk causing nerve compression
 >> (surprise, surprise! <g>) and is the cause of the pain in the left
 >> leg.

 > Stop gloating!  This time, I'm sorry I was right.  No mention of
 > surgery to do a laminectomy?  Humm...

 >> Now here comes the depressing part.  He made only two
 >> recommendations as far treatment is concerned.  One is to go back
 >> for another round of physiotherapy including tens treatment and
 >> ultrasound.

 > This sounds like a normal course.  They always want to try PT
 > before surgery.  Again, sometimes it works.

One thing I've learned since I had my surgery is that it isn't
always the Dr.'s choice as to whether or not the patient has
surgery before he/she tried PT.  Often it is the demands of that
patient's health care plan.  My nuero, after discussing my options
AND my health care plan (Blue Cross/Blue Shield with major medical
and Kodak Extended Health care) became quite open about what
options I *would* have had if I had any of the many other plans
available (such as Preferred Care, Blue Choice).  I would NOT have
had the option of surgery as quickly as I did (6 days later).  I
would have HAD to go for PT for 3x/wk for 6wks before trying
surgery.  This is a requirement of the plan.  Unless he could
state, without a shred of a doubt, that my going without the
surgery asap and trying PT would permanently damage the nerves and
cause loss of use, then I would have had to go through the PT.  I
shudder when I think of the nightmare that would have been at that
time.

Last Fall, the physiatrist I saw, again after discussing my options
and my health care plan, became candid with me after I told her
about my previous experience with the neuro and the surgery and his
comments on the differnt health care plans verus mine.  Her
comments were "Oh...  you mean No Choice and Deferred Care?" and we
both had to laugh, sadly, at that.

BTW, I have had two family docs, once for me when we moved down
here, and once for Gary recently when his retired suddenly, refuse
to take use because we HAVE good old BC/BS.  They want patients who
don't have to pay for their office visits, etc, up front, they want
someone with something like Blue Choice or whatever.  One gal
explained it bluntly to me that people who have the type of plans
we do may have better overall coverage, but are responsible for
their office visits and they, the dr.  office, get stuck too many
times.  This happened at a total of 4 different Dr. offices.  I
politely told them I wouldn't go to them if they were the last ones
on earth and preferred health care that cared more about the
patient than the dollar.  I didn't bother to mention that we have
no problem paying any of our bills with the income in this
household, nor that I am intelligent enough to know how to take
care of the paper work.  WIth the plan we have they have no paper
work to take care of other than giving me my bill and taking my
money.

I sometimes wonder if some of the answers from doctors that are
related here from different folks, especially the ones that seem so
bizarre, aren't at least partly because the patient has poor health
coverage and that ties the docs hands.  I know not everyone can
afford the type we have, I'm not living in a dream world, and I
don't have any answers to our cruddy health care system, but I
always want to ask if the answers and treatments directly relate to
the health care coverage, or lack of.

Ahh..I've rambled on and on I C.  I must be feeling better (I am) :-)

CUL, Ruthie

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