Well, I finally got to see the Hand Specialist. What a waste of time! Turns out she is the female version of Dr. Worthless.
I guess I should have done my homework before I went so that I would at least know what to expect. Not that it probably would have done any good. She left me waiting for a half-hour in a cold room because she was busy with other patients. When she finally did get around to seeing me she acted like she was not really interested in helping me. She--the specialist--asked me what I wanted her to do! Then she took out a mallet, tapped it on my wrists and said "I really can't help you." That was it.
I told her about going to therapy. I said I had not gotten a diagnosis, that I'd had the test for carpal tunnel but nobody had ever bothered to go over the results with me. Funny, the therapy center had no problem determining that I had impairments in both hands but the test Dr. Worthless prescribed turned out normal. I mentioned that I had heard of something lately called "Thoracic Outlet Syndrome." Well, she said, there is another doctor who specializes in that. He's the only one in this area.
Anyway the next day a letter arrived from the clinic with the form I had filled out and in that form was her diagnosis. It wasn't carpal tunnel. It wasn't thoracic outlet. It was brachiothoracic something. Now I asked her about that because the therapy center had hinted that that might be the problem and she said, no, it was not. I took the form over to the therapy clinic and the head therapist looked at it and said, yes, that is exactly what I thought it was. Well, why didn't the specialist say so? Apparently she's willing to talk to the insurance company about my issues but not me. Well, they say money talks and insurance is the one paying.
I couldn't help thinking of the speaker we had into work the other day and how she said that you have to be your own advocate and if you don't like the way you are being treated, speak up. It turns out that this specialist apparently has a reputation for not communicating well with her patients. I do not understand why my primary care physician, who KNOWS I have Aspergers, would send me to someone like that in the first place. I stopped over at her office on the way to therapy but she was not in. I told the receptionist to tell Dr. F. that I was not happy with the specialist that she referred me to and why. I do not intend to see any more specialists for my condition unless they are willing to sit down and talk with me about it. If they are so busy they don't have time then I don't have time either. I am getting the help I need at the therapy center.
It just so happened that the man who suggested that I try his clinic was present last night when I went in for therapy and I told him, "your people are the only ones who have ever sat down and done anything to help me with this problem." He was very happy to hear that the therapy was working.
In the meantime I've been doing some research and it seems that nerve problems involving the arms and hands are very hard to diagnose and test for. Sort of like autism. Everyone seems to have their own opinion. For example, when I googled brachiothoracic syndrome some of the websites said it was the same as thoracic outlet syndrome. Yet the specialist and the therapy center say no, it is not the same thing. I guess I should be happy that whatever it is, what they are doing is helping.
This is why I am not really interested in seeking a formal diagnosis of Aspergers. I have a feeling it will only be another long frustrating wild goose chase and for what? There's no therapy to help with that, not at my age. For younger people, that is a different story. By all means go for that diagnosis. But be prepared for a lot of hassles . . .
I guess I should have done my homework before I went so that I would at least know what to expect. Not that it probably would have done any good. She left me waiting for a half-hour in a cold room because she was busy with other patients. When she finally did get around to seeing me she acted like she was not really interested in helping me. She--the specialist--asked me what I wanted her to do! Then she took out a mallet, tapped it on my wrists and said "I really can't help you." That was it.
I told her about going to therapy. I said I had not gotten a diagnosis, that I'd had the test for carpal tunnel but nobody had ever bothered to go over the results with me. Funny, the therapy center had no problem determining that I had impairments in both hands but the test Dr. Worthless prescribed turned out normal. I mentioned that I had heard of something lately called "Thoracic Outlet Syndrome." Well, she said, there is another doctor who specializes in that. He's the only one in this area.
Anyway the next day a letter arrived from the clinic with the form I had filled out and in that form was her diagnosis. It wasn't carpal tunnel. It wasn't thoracic outlet. It was brachiothoracic something. Now I asked her about that because the therapy center had hinted that that might be the problem and she said, no, it was not. I took the form over to the therapy clinic and the head therapist looked at it and said, yes, that is exactly what I thought it was. Well, why didn't the specialist say so? Apparently she's willing to talk to the insurance company about my issues but not me. Well, they say money talks and insurance is the one paying.
I couldn't help thinking of the speaker we had into work the other day and how she said that you have to be your own advocate and if you don't like the way you are being treated, speak up. It turns out that this specialist apparently has a reputation for not communicating well with her patients. I do not understand why my primary care physician, who KNOWS I have Aspergers, would send me to someone like that in the first place. I stopped over at her office on the way to therapy but she was not in. I told the receptionist to tell Dr. F. that I was not happy with the specialist that she referred me to and why. I do not intend to see any more specialists for my condition unless they are willing to sit down and talk with me about it. If they are so busy they don't have time then I don't have time either. I am getting the help I need at the therapy center.
It just so happened that the man who suggested that I try his clinic was present last night when I went in for therapy and I told him, "your people are the only ones who have ever sat down and done anything to help me with this problem." He was very happy to hear that the therapy was working.
In the meantime I've been doing some research and it seems that nerve problems involving the arms and hands are very hard to diagnose and test for. Sort of like autism. Everyone seems to have their own opinion. For example, when I googled brachiothoracic syndrome some of the websites said it was the same as thoracic outlet syndrome. Yet the specialist and the therapy center say no, it is not the same thing. I guess I should be happy that whatever it is, what they are doing is helping.
This is why I am not really interested in seeking a formal diagnosis of Aspergers. I have a feeling it will only be another long frustrating wild goose chase and for what? There's no therapy to help with that, not at my age. For younger people, that is a different story. By all means go for that diagnosis. But be prepared for a lot of hassles . . .
