For some people seeing a doctor is an experience that happens once a year. For chronic pain sufferers, it's closer to once a month. The process we have to go through in order to be properly treated, is almost like jumping through hoops.
First we have to pick a Primary Care Physician (PCP). This doctor needs to be someone who will listen, and knows how to help. Our PCP then refers us to a neurologist. The referral may be instant, but the waiting list is extensive, mine was 3 months. That seems like a lifetime when you are dealing with so much pain, and nothing your PCP can do is helping. What we need to understand is that this is not the olden days, when the family doctor treated people from birth to death, and everything in between. In the current times, our PCP is just that, primary. They can treat us for routine things, like a check up, but beyond that, they are just a stepping stone to the specialist that can handle your specific problem.
There are many specialists your doctor can send you to. Everything from dermatologists (Drs who deal with skin issues), to podiatrists (Drs who deal with feet), and everything in between. Most of which I cannot even pronounce. If I were to try to list them all, this blog would seem endless. The main specialist that concerns people with migraines, is a neurologist, a doctor that works specifically with the brain and nerves.
I have been to two neurologists and they have been radically different from each other. I will call them Dr. S. and Dr. C.
Neurologist number one, Dr. S.: I saw him about five years ago, Dr. S. was a doctor that pumped me full of pills, and when the pills failed, he told me I was impossible to treat, and he could not help me. So I left.
Because of the way he treated me, I was afraid to go to another neurologist. What if they said the same thing? What if I am untreatable? What if I never get better? So I ended up using the E.R. as my treatment facility for three years. Luckily for me I changed PCP's and got one that really listened. As a result of that, I was referred to a great neurologist.
Neurologist number two, Dr. C.: She is the doctor I wish I had years ago, when my migraines weren't so bad. With her help they may not have gotten as strong as they are. Dr. C. is great. I can ask any question, she answers what she can, and if she doesn't know, she says so. I asked her about Dalith piercings, she "did not have any scientific information one way or another on their effectiveness" and asked if I got one I could help her figure out whether or not to recommend them to some of her other patients. It seems to me that we are working together to solve my migraine issue, and that is the kind of relationship you want with your neurologist. Even when I am not there for a follow up, she still does a mini check up on me, to see where I am, and what she can do. She will sometimes alter a medication here, or eliminate at trigger there. Your neurologist will most likely send you to other specialists, a sleep doctor, psychiatrist, chiropractors, and dentist, just to name a few. There will also be tests; MRI, EEG, blood work ups, and many many more. These are important steps in your treatment process. They serve to rule out many physical barriers, or causes of migraines.
Just because one doctor can not or will not help you, doesn't mean a different doctor will be the same. Five years ago I was untreatable according to my doctor. I was afraid to go to another for help, so I didn't, until the migraines got so bad they are almost impossible to control. If I had tried a different doctor right away, my life might be radically different right now.
It doesn't hurt to try a different doctor, the worst thing they can say to you is, "I can't help you", that's when you move on to one who can. If they don't listen, drop them like hot cakes, and get yourself a good doctor. So what if you see five different neurologists in a year, you are trying to find the best doctor for you, and that is the most important factor in your migraine fight. Like I said in an earlier blog, tell your doctor everything. Be totally honest! It is the only way to get the treatment that will work for you.
**This blog is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical advice**
"It is so important for those living with chronic pain to establish good communication with both their healthcare professionals, and their caregivers. Clear communication about pain is vital to receiving proper diagnosis, and effective treatment." - Naomi Judd
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