Surgery

[BearBearNweather]

You are welcome and glad that you are ok now, but sorry to hear about your neck.It must be a pain to always have neck pain like that. I can't believe that doctors and all can't cure it. Health is always really important and I hope that one day a miracle will happen so that your neck can be cured.

Thanks again. Most doctors tried to find the cause (hence the scans and x-rays) but they all claimed they couldn't "see" anything and some came up with the nerves explanation. Almost everyone tried to prescribe something or made me go through treatments but none worked. One particular doctor didn't bother to get me to take x-rays etc, neither did he give me any medication. He just told me that it will never go away and it will be worsen with age. Rather than getting angry, I actually like him for saying something different,

Yes, I think it will take a miracle to see that pain removed.

[BearBearNweather]

I hope your neck heals! I'm so glad you're better though!

Eww.. a bed pan does sound gross! Luckily I've never been hospitalized. When my older sister was less than 2 she went to a birthday party with my dad (luckily for me, I was only a few months old so I was home with my mom). Everything was fine until suddenly, the desk collapsed. My aunt got the worst of it and wound up on the bottom of the pile (she's find today except for chronic back pain). My sister fell and fractured her skull and got mulitple bruises along with 2 black eyes (I am not sure if she had to get surgery). She was hospitalized for a while and had all these tubes around her. Today she's perfectly healthy and remembers nothing of the ordeal.

I'm so glad that a surgery could fix my sinuses. The treatment I have to use for my sinuses is really uncomfortable and makes me feel like I am drowning in salt water (it doesn't help that I have a slight fear of oceans).

Your sis manages to survive all that?! Wow. That sounds like a miracle to me. Skull fracture sounds very serious.

I think your aunt and I have suffered the side effects - her chronic back pain and my neck pain.

I'm glad for you too. Anything to remove discomfort and inconvenience is good

Thanks for the hugs, I'm overwhelmed with sweetness, hehe

[Trinie]

Thanks again. Most doctors tried to find the cause (hence the scans and x-rays) but they all claimed they couldn't "see" anything and some came up with the nerves explanation. Almost everyone tried to prescribe something or made me go through treatments but none worked. One particular doctor didn't bother to get me to take x-rays etc, neither did he give me any medication. He just told me that it will never go away and it will be worsen with age. Rather than getting angry, I actually like him for saying something different,

Yes, I think it will take a miracle to see that pain removed.

You are very welcome and I think it is sooo messed up of some doctors to say what they say. I question a lot of these soul called "doctors" since a lot of times they would say really stupid things that pisses everyone off... I wonder how they got through medical school and got their MDs because a lot of them sound really idiotic...And to think that my stupid relatives think being a doctor is so great and constantly brag about anyone that will become one or is one.


One day you may experience a miracle and I hope that you do. Health is the most important thing because without health, you cannot do or enjoy anything in life...

[BearBearNweather]

You are very welcome and I think it is sooo messed up of some doctors to say what they say. I question a lot of these soul called "doctors" since a lot of times they would say really stupid things that pisses everyone off... I wonder how they got through medical school and got their MDs because a lot of them sound really idiotic...And to think that my stupid relatives think being a doctor is so great and constantly brag about anyone that will become one or is one.

I know what you mean. I was told to discharge from the hospital after a night in it but my parents were worried because I was unconscious when I was sent in. They voiced their concern to a "doctor" (who turned out to be a trainee) and he told my parents that they should get me to another hospital if they didn't trust this hospital. My parents also asked the actual doctor but he said I was fine since x-rays didn't reflect anything abnormal and I had regained consciousness.

So I went back home after a night, only to be rushed into another hospital (because my parents didn't trust the earlier one ) the day after because I got ill later at home. Scanning was done this time and this 2nd hospital arranged for me to be sent to a 3rd hospital on the same day for the neurosurgery.

What puts me off is the attitude of the trainee doctor? There's nothing wrong for family members who have limited medical knowledge voicing their concern. And this man was going to be a doctor next time

I have heard other stories on doctors' questionable professionalism, experienced some myself and heard how superior some think they are. I can understand their family and relatives being proud of them but going non-stop is unnecessary. Fortunately, I have met good doctors as well

[Trinie]

I know what you mean. I was told to discharge from the hospital after a night in it but my parents were worried because I was unconscious when I was sent in. They voiced their concern to a "doctor" (who turned out to be a trainee) and he told my parents that they should get me to another hospital if they didn't trust this hospital. My parents also asked the actual doctor but he said I was fine since x-rays didn't reflect anything abnormal and I had regained consciousness.

So I went back home after a night, only to be rushed into another hospital (because my parents didn't trust the earlier one ) the day after because I got ill later at home. Scanning was done this time and this 2nd hospital arranged for me to be sent to a 3rd hospital on the same day for the neurosurgery.

What puts me off is the attitude of the trainee doctor? There's nothing wrong for family members who have limited medical knowledge voicing their concern. And this man was going to be a doctor next time

I have heard other stories on doctors' questionable professionalism, experienced some myself and heard how superior some think they are. I can understand their family and relatives being proud of them but going non-stop is unnecessary. Fortunately, I have met good doctors as well

Boy that trainee doctor is an idiot... I know that there are a lot of patients in the hospital and it is hard to care for all of them equally, but what he did was really stupid... There are good doctors and bad doctors just like there are good and bad in every field. I just think that it is worse in the medical field because there are times that a person's life is in your hands so if everyone reacted like that idiot doctor that you encountered, he may have been sued for putting someone's life at stake.

I remember once my dad had a backache and went to the doctor and guess what the doctor said?? He said that my dad should go and study more English and his back will be better. I was like "WHAT!??" What a stupid response. It was even more ridiculous coming from him who is supposed to be a "doctor". Sadly, some people look up to doctors like they are gods and always use that label to label their children who they think will become a doctor or is one... How pathetic...

[BearBearNweather]

I remember once my dad had a backache and went to the doctor and guess what the doctor said?? He said that my dad should go and study more English and his back will be better. I was like "WHAT!??" What a stupid response. It was even more ridiculous coming from him who is supposed to be a "doctor". Sadly, some people look up to doctors like they are gods and always use that label to label their children who they think will become a doctor or is one... How pathetic...

Did your father reprimand him?! How can any human being with the right brain spout nonsense like this? Did he purchase his medical qualification?

[Trinie]

Did your father reprimand him?! How can any human being with the right brain spout nonsense like this? Did he purchase his medical qualification?

I don't remember what my dad did since I was not there. I just heard from him. I think my dad just got really mad and just left that doctor's office and never came back. Can you believe the nerve of some doctors??? I personally can't.... Honestly, I question if that "doctor" actually bought his degree or did he actually earn it??? I have heard of some cases where people have fake degrees or they actually purchased them since their family was rich...

[Guo Xiang ( :]

I just went to another ear, nose, and throat doctor. He was (no offense to the elderly) a crazy old man. Every piece of equipment he used looked like it was from the '50s. He kept sticking a weird metal thing up my nose. He wouldn't listen to a word we (my mom and I) had to say and he just kept scolding, "I'll talk about that at the end." He said surgery was unecessary unless it was life surgery and although my nose had problems it was "nothing to write home about." His great ending speech went like this,

"Kelsey, we all have problems, your problem is allergies, and you'll just have to live with that. Your allergies will get worse as you get older and you just shouldn't go outside or, when you get a job, work outside. Never open windows and keep the windows in the car closed at all times. Migraines are caused by food allergies. So to get rid of your migraines you should never eat:
chocolate. Chocolate is VERY bad!
milk. Milk is for cows NOT for people!
eggs. Eggs are for hatching chicks NOT for people."

And he kept repeating himself.

When he finished his *ahem* wonderful speech he motioned for me to get up from the examination chair but then scolded me when I stood. Then he got this odd smile on his face and said, "13, that makes you almost a full grown women." That really creeped me out. Guess I've got to get a third opinion now.

[Wanlie Tong]

When my older sister was less than 2 she went to a birthday party with my dad (luckily for me, I was only a few months old so I was home with my mom).

I didn't go to the party it was your aunt Marita that took your sister. Also, you were home with me and not your mom.

[ChuckC]

When he finished his *ahem* wonderful speech he motioned for me to get up from the examination chair but then scolded me when I stood. Then he got this odd smile on his face and said, "13, that makes you almost a full grown women." That really creeped me out. Guess I've got to get a third opinion now.

Sounds like you didn't have a good chemistry with this doctor, so if you want another opinion go for it. Sinuses are just one of those complicated areas of the body, so you will get mixed opinions on it.

However, I agree with this doctor at least as far as preferring not to get you into surgery. Troublesome sinuses are just not easy for any type of doctor to fix. The ENT, at best, will prescribe antibiotics but antibiotics don't penetrate the sinuses easily -- it's mostly bone mass. That's why drug therapy probably hasn't helped you much.

I'm not a doctor, myself, so I can't decide whether it's necessary that you get surgery on the sinuses. If you had a relative that had it done successfully, then perhaps it's fine. You and your family would know best so whatever happens, I'm rooting for you.

[NuDaFu]

Thanks for the concern . It has been years so I'm alright now...to certain extent. The blood clot in my head is removed but they couldn't do anything to my neck. There is this perpetual pain at this particular spot in my neck that no doctors, Western and Chinese, seem to know how to cure. X-rays, scans, medications, vitamins and various sorts of treatments, nothing helps. The pain never goes away, the only difference is the level of pain. Sometimes it's tolerable, sometimes I have to use ice to numb it, sometimes I have difficulty sleeping, it's always there

In terms of medicine as a whole, I don't think it's necessarily the entire system that doesn't work, just that you haven't encountered an exceptional doctor from their own field/system. And no, a 'specialist' does not necessarily equate to an exceptional doctor. Contrary to the common belief that an evidence based system of medicine somehow endows their practitioners with equal levels of knowledge, neural processing capabilities, or skill - despite similar education - unfortunately, it takes the effort of the patient to find a good doctor.

If there are no positive results from radiology or biochem tests, personally, I don't think that 'proves' that nothing is wrong. If you feel pain, it means your CNS is telling you something.

Maybe seeing a really, really good Osteo could help (if your GP graduated from Osteo Med, they should be familiar with the techniques). I say 'really, really good' because being a good Osteo amounts to having superior knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics (not necessarily a requirement for a GP). If it's the sensitive area of the neck, an Osteo expert at the indirect and subtle techniques would be more comfortable.

"Kelsey, we all have problems, your problem is allergies, and you'll just have to live with that. Your allergies will get worse as you get older and you just shouldn't go outside or, when you get a job, work outside. Never open windows and keep the windows in the car closed at all times. Migraines are caused by food allergies. So to get rid of your migraines you should never eat:
chocolate. Chocolate is VERY bad!
milk. Milk is for cows NOT for people!
eggs. Eggs are for hatching chicks NOT for people."

And he kept repeating himself.

When he finished his *ahem* wonderful speech he motioned for me to get up from the examination chair but then scolded me when I stood. Then he got this odd smile on his face and said, "13, that makes you almost a full grown women."

Sounds like you didn't have a good chemistry with this doctor, so if you want another opinion go for it. Sinuses are just one of those complicated areas of the body, so you will get mixed opinions on it.

However, I agree with this doctor at least as far as preferring not to get you into surgery. Troublesome sinuses are just not easy for any type of doctor to fix. The ENT, at best, will prescribe antibiotics but antibiotics don't penetrate the sinuses easily -- it's mostly bone mass. That's why drug therapy probably hasn't helped you much.

No, it wasn't an issue of chemistry - chemistry suggests an incompatibility from both sides. It sounded like a one-sided issue: the specialist was not being professional, simple as that. Firstly, no doctor should use the language 'problem' in reference to a medical condition...colloquially using it once is a cultural and native tongue slip-up, but he was using it continuously - serious sign of non-awareness. He also made mistakes of using future tense, which implies he can predict an outcome...such statements are legally liable.

"Migraines are caused by food allergies"

Medical personnel should always be careful when making such generalisations if not supported by epidemiological studies. For the record, he is wrong. There are myriad causes for migraines - if the causative factor was so obvious and singular, it wouldn't be such a prevalent condition. I would seriously challenge his research knowledge if he said something like that to me.

The doctor stated potential allergens e.g. chocolate, milk, and eggs without seeming to consult a serological validation that you have allergies to such substances? That's not evidence based medicine.

The last comment about your age in relation to womanhood was very unprofessional. It does not add or help to the consultation, nor is he even accurate socio-culturally - age denoting adulthood varies across socio-economic groups.

I would suggest another opinion simply because that specialist was not professional, helpful for your condition, or informative.

Guo Xiang, whether or not you need surgery depends on you if your condition is potentially fatal (either right now or in the future). If it affects your breathing so much that it could kill you, I think even without your input, your GP and/or surgeon would pop you straight on the operating table. If, based on results from thorough examination, various radiological and biochem tests, if you want to be absolutely sure that is - sometimes a surgeon may just base it on his/her absolute professional judgement based on signs and symptoms - then maybe a decision can be made if surgery would be the best option. Remember, anything is an option (your right to choose...seeing a doctor should be about making an informed decision, where the decision allows input from you as well as the doctor), with of course the exception of fatality, which doesn't appear the case here.

[Guo Xiang ( :]

Thanks everyone, I'm getting the surgery on Monday.

[Han Solo]

Best of luck and wishes.

Han Solo

[Guo Xiang ( :]

Best of luck and wishes.

Han Solo

Thank you very much. The surgery went fine but I'm in a lot more pain that I expected.

[LuNaR]

Thank you very much. The surgery went fine but I'm in a lot more pain that I expected.

nice to hear ^^