Doctor Update

[Guest guest]

I had asked about new pains in my mouth/jaw and hip a few weeks ago

and I got to

see my doctor I see for my RSD today this is what happened.

Well, here's what happened. My RSD doctor is paid by workers comp so

he can only treat my workers comp injury. I told him about the pain

and he said it could be the RSD spreading. The problem is he cannot

diagnose this, another doctor has to, then he can submit that to the

workers comp company and they can decide if he should be treating me

or if another doctor should. So I could actually end up with having

to find 2 doctors to treat my RSD, if thats what is causing these

flareups.

So, he said I should go to the UCSF (University of CA) Oral Maxillo-

facial pain clinic for the pain in my mouth & gums. He said it also

sounds like tri-geminal (sp?) nerve pain which they may be able to

help me with.

And to ask my primary doctor about Neurontin for the on & off hip

pain. I took Neurontin (started at 100mg 1xs day, went up to 200mg

3xs a day) in 2001 when I first got hurt and it didnt help, but he

said it might help it stop from spreading or getting worse so to try

it again and see if I get less flareups in these new areas. Again he

cannot treat it at this time, but will speak to my primary doctor if

they need it to help make sure I get treatment.

So I get to start another chapter in the " figure out what's wrong

with me " part of my life. I really wish I could just see one doctor

for everyting and they could help me, but between insurance

restrictions and doctors not knowing whats wrong or not wanting to

say, it seems like this is the story of my life! Im good for a

while, and then have to see a bunch of doctors who jerk me around.

One of the dentists also recommended an MRI of my mouth/jaw, but

this was back last year before I had insurance and there was no way

I could pay for it. He said I should try to get that report from

that dentist and give it to the oral pain clinic and see if they can

get auth for an MRI of my jaw.

So, tomorrow I have to start making appointments..

[Guest guest]

Well, this is what happened. I went online and easily found the

facial pain clinic my doctor talked about at

http://www.omfs.ucsf.edu/clinics/index.cfm/orofacial_pain_clinic/

So I call them and the person who answered said I got the surgical

clinic, and gave me a different number. OK, I call that & got the

dental implants clinic. They gave me another number which brougt me

back to the first guy in the surgical clinic!

So he gives me the main hospital number and says to ask the

operator. I asked her & she connects me back to the same guy the 3rd

time, wo STILL says he's not in the oral pain clinic and doesnt have

any idea what I'm talking about!

So I call the operator again and explain I have this website..blah

blah.. and she tried over 10 different numbers for me, all the wrong

# or disconnected. Finaly, she called the main Pain Management

Clinic and asked them and they said the oral clinic was shut down.

However, I could come and see them but I need a referral from my

doctor and they dont take Medi-Cal (my insurance)

So I called my doctor I see for RSD and left him a message to see if

he knows of any other pain management doctors that take medi-cal.

Then I called my primary doctor's office to ask them. They said I

could either wait for an appointment with my regular doctor which

will be in April (I already have an appointment with her in March)

and *MAYBE* she could refer me to someone. Or I could come in sooner

as an emergency and they could probably give me medicine for the

pain, and probably the neurontin, a few weeks supply but I'll still

need to wait until my regular appointment for anything more.

They also suggested I go to my regular dentist, maybe she can refer

me to a specialist. But she already told me there are no specialists

that take Medi-Cal in the area, and the one specialist I did go to

last year charged me over $200 to look in my mouth and spend less

than 5mins. with me and tell me there's nothing I can do but take

some Motrin if it " gets really bad " I told ihm it is really bad and

he said go buy some Motrin then. I'm not paying for that again, plus

we had to borrow money to pay last months rent and may have to next

month too, I cant afford anything for doctors or dentists right now.

I also have 2 front teeth that the crowns broke off of and I cant

afford to fix those either, and Medi-Cal refuses to pay, my dentist

appealed them 8 times since May. I even went to a hearing in front

of a judge in August & was denied.

So I'm pretty much back where I started, I could go in as an

emergency asking for painkillers on top of painkillers when I get

flareups (which I try not to do, have only done once out of 4 major

really bad flareups now) or just do nothing, like I have done for

over a year now, with the new pains.

I just wish I could go, pay a doctor and have everything done at

once. This insurance run-around is one of the reasons I think I

developed RSD in the first place, I was not able to get any

treatment, no physicaal therapy, not adequate painkillers, no

alternative treatments like TENS, biofeedback etc. for 3months

because of workers comp not approving my claim and medi-cal refusing

to cover me because it was a workers comp injury. Workers comp says,

just pay out of pocket & we'll pay you back when your claim is

approved! But I was working full time, my husband part time, when I

got hurt. I remember that first month with no paycheck or disability

or anything we lived off $700 when our rent alone was $540, when we

were used to having $100-200 after rent & bills & groceries to do

what we wanted to. And I'm supposed to pay hundreds of dollars per

visit for treatments?! And HOPE I'll get approved & ever see that

money again?

Anyway, if anyone is reading this thanks :-) It helps getting it out

it's all so frustrating as always!

>

> I had asked about new pains in my mouth/jaw and hip a few weeks

ago

> and I got to

> see my doctor I see for my RSD today this is what happened.

>

> Well, here's what happened. My RSD doctor is paid by workers comp

so

> he can only treat my workers comp injury. I told him about the

pain

> and he said it could be the RSD spreading. The problem is he

cannot

> diagnose this, another doctor has to, then he can submit that to

the

> workers comp company and they can decide if he should be treating

me

> or if another doctor should. So I could actually end up with

having

> to find 2 doctors to treat my RSD, if thats what is causing these

> flareups.

>

> So, he said I should go to the UCSF (University of CA) Oral

Maxillo-

> facial pain clinic for the pain in my mouth & gums. He said it

also

> sounds like tri-geminal (sp?) nerve pain which they may be able to

> help me with.

>

> And to ask my primary doctor about Neurontin for the on & off hip

> pain. I took Neurontin (started at 100mg 1xs day, went up to 200mg

> 3xs a day) in 2001 when I first got hurt and it didnt help, but he

> said it might help it stop from spreading or getting worse so to

try

> it again and see if I get less flareups in these new areas. Again

he

> cannot treat it at this time, but will speak to my primary doctor

if

> they need it to help make sure I get treatment.

>

> So I get to start another chapter in the " figure out what's wrong

> with me " part of my life. I really wish I could just see one

doctor

> for everyting and they could help me, but between insurance

> restrictions and doctors not knowing whats wrong or not wanting to

> say, it seems like this is the story of my life! Im good for a

> while, and then have to see a bunch of doctors who jerk me around.

>

> One of the dentists also recommended an MRI of my mouth/jaw, but

> this was back last year before I had insurance and there was no

way

> I could pay for it. He said I should try to get that report from

> that dentist and give it to the oral pain clinic and see if they

can

> get auth for an MRI of my jaw.

>

> So, tomorrow I have to start making appointments..

>