Miss Diagnosis: How Many Doctors does It Take

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

How Many Doctors does It Take

How many doctors does it take to get a diagnosis and cure? Still counting...
I've tried to make a list, off the top of my head, of every practitioner we have seen, but chances are I've forgotten some.

Endocrinologist (12) ~ for all the endocrine issues (currently 3)
Neurologist (3) ~ for the 24/7 migraine
Neurosurgeon (3) ~ for consultations and surgery
Ophthalmologist (3) ~ for vision issues caused by the tumor
Orthopedist (2) ~ for broken bones caused by excess cortisol
Gynecologist (3) ~ for irregular female hormones
Laprascopic Surgeon ~ (3) for consultations and surgery
Gastroenterologist ~ for the GI issues (GERD and Crohn's)
Pediatrician ~ for everything
Oncologist ~ for unusual blood tests
Hematologist ~ for severe anemia
Otolaryngologist ~ for frequent sinus infection created by surgery
Cardiologist ~ for heart problems including atrial fibrillation
Immunologist ~ for the compromised immune system
Podiatrist ~ more broken bones (Cushing's makes them break easily)
Psychologist ~ for the docs who said it was all in her head
Physical Therapist ~ after bones and muscles recovered from breaks
Dietitian ~ for the docs who wouldn't believe she was eating 1000 calories a day and gaining weight
Nutritionist ~ same as above
Chiropractor ~ for migraines and misalignment due to the distended belly
Acupuncturist ~ for migraine pain
Biofeedback specialist ~ for migraine pain
Dentist ~ high cortisol destroys teeth
Orthodontist ~ palate damage from thumb sucking (from pain and stress)

3 comments:

AmberApril 4, 2012 at 8:58 AM
All I can say is WOW! I feel very fortunate... but now thinking about it I should list out the doctors we have seen just so I can see it myself because I know it is quite a few, but not as long as this!
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MaryOApril 4, 2012 at 9:35 AM
I agree with Amber. I hadn't thought I'd seen that many but looking at your list, I have seen most of those doctors, too.

Great post to help get the word out there :)
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Hi, I'm ReneApril 4, 2012 at 10:04 AM
I don't even want to think about how many she'll see in a lifetime! Nearly all of these were by the time she was 15.
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Transphenoidal Pituitary Surgery- From the UCSF web site

What happens during surgery?
The surgical removal of the pituitary adenoma is performed by a technique called a transsphenoidal operation. The word 'transsphenoidal' describes the path the surgeon follows to reach the pituitary gland. The word comes from 'trans', meaning 'to cross or pass through', and 'sphenoid', the name of the cavity (the sphenoid sinus) that is passed through to reach the pituitary gland. Newer techniques and improvements in technology now allow removal of these tumors without the need for an incision under the lip or within the nostril. The surgeon begins the approach by entering through the nostril on one side. The surgeon uses a brilliant fiber optic light to illuminate the internal anatomy, a microscope to magnify the area of surgery to 12 times the actual size, and very tiny microsurgical instruments especially designed for this particular operation. The surgeon guides the surgical instrument into the nasal cavity and an opening is made in the sphenoid bone. The sphenoid sinus is entered, and then an opening is made in the wall of the sella turcica to expose the pituitary gland. The adenoma can be readily distinguished from the normal pituitary gland tissue and is removed without removing the normal gland. After the surgeon removes all the tumor tissue, the small cavity that is left is treated with alcohol to destroy any tumor cells that may remain. This cavity is then sealed, sometimes with a piece of fat that the surgeon removes from the patient's abdomen. The surgeon then applies a biological 'glue' that helps seal the pituitary area from the nose and promotes natural healing. No nasal packs are used with this approach.