Re: What a Difference a Doctor Makes

[Guest guest]

Hi .

I couldn't agree more...a doctor does make all the

difference!!! Believing in someone, a doctor, helps

us feel confident and helps us feel listened to!!!

Glad things are working out!

Best of luck to you!

Lori

--- <chelsmommy@...> wrote:

> My son, , is 7 yrs old started fevering

> this year. When I

> realized it was becoming a pattern I requested

> testing done and my

> ped ran basic blood work as well as Lyme disease

> and Epstein -Barr

> tests.

> The only odd thing they found was a mildly elevated

> ESR. That was

> enough to concern my ped.

> We started at infectious disease. That doc was

> convinced we had a

> viral sinus problem due to allergies and started

> Nicky on claritin.

> This based on all of his symptoms being above the

> neck & his eczema

> on his body. He also just happened to have a fever

> during that first

> visit. When she ran blood work his ESR was fine but

> he had a low

> neutrophil count--so she was convinced we were

> dealing with a virus.

> Fortunately the ENT/Allergist didn't agree and a CT

> scan proved he

> had no sinus problem.

>

> On to the Rheumatologist. My ped wanted me to see

> Dr. Gottlieb. She

> could not get me in until mid July. He called her

> and nothing could

> be done so she suggested we meet with her

> colleague-Dr. Eberhard.

> That appointment was in May--and was a complete

> waste of my time.

> Dr. Eberhard rotated every body part she could and

> sat down, looked

> at me and said he has . Thats it. She told me

> we could try

> prednisone, cimetidine or tonsillectomy. She told me

> to ask the ENT

> about doing the tosillectomy. She told me to

> research online-

> and come back in a month for a follow up.

> When I called her the next day to question some

> things I read about

> she told me that if I didn't like that

> diagnosis then have

> someone test him for cyclic neutropenia.

>

> OK --so I talk to my Ped and he tells me to make the

> follow up with

> DR. Gottlieb since I had a month or so to get an

> appt.

>

> Now here it is Mid-July and I see Dr. Gottlieb.

> She takes us in for the exam, rotates every body

> part. Jokes with my

> son. Marvels at his flexibility ( he is apparently

> hyperflexible--a

> condition that really exists). Then she sits down

> with me and asks

> all sorts of questions--including our families

> nationalities (

> finally-someone asked.!) She then commented on his

> neutropenic

> episode and said he need to be tested for IGD and

> Cyclic neutropenia.

> She said she only uses prednisone for emergency

> situations--going on

> vacation, parties etc.. She frowned at a

> tonsillectomy--said she

> prefers to use that for severe cases and as a last

> resort.

> She took blood for the above tests and said he

> needed to go for blood

> work 1x per week for 4 weeks or until he fevers---to

> check for cyclic

> neutropenia. Then if all is negative she would like

> to try cimetidine.

> If after a trial of cimetidine he doesnt't respond

> she will then

> start genetic testing. She says she won't do that

> right away since it

> is very costly--over $600 per testing--though they

> would try to

> convince insurance of it's necessity. She explained

> about genetic

> mutations and that it could skip generations-so we

> can't rely

> completely on family history.

> I mentioned the NIH to her and she said it is a

> great thing and did

> say there was a long wait to get in.( I told her it

> would take that

> long for me to save enough money for the genetic

> testing anyway--LOL)

>

> So now it is 1 & 1/2 weeks later. His initial blood

> work was fine with

> a slightly elevated ESR ( 20)--we expected a fever

> last Tuesday and

> it never came. This past Monday's lab work was all

> OK with an ESR of

> 30. He fevered on Tuesday and was back to normal by

> Wed evening. So

> we are going to start cimetidine this weekend. We

> have a follow up in

> Sept at which time she will evaluate the

> effectiveness of the

> cimetidine.

>

> I am amazed a how different 2 doctors in the same

> practice could be!!!

>

>

>

> Mom to age 7

>

>

>

>

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