Guest guest Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 At 03:46 PM 12/1/2004, you wrote: >I currently see Dr. Schmale at Children's in Seattle - Dr. Mosca >works at the same clinic. Mosca is certified Ponseti doc, but >Schmale is not.....though Livi's treatment has been very close to the >ponseti method, there have been some slight differences. Now as some >of you may remember, Dr. Schmale is discussing surgery to open up >Livi's akle capsule... he says it's no big deal and he won't mess >with the front of her foot at all... but it's sending up little >warning flags in my mind. uhhhh... yeah. opening ankle capsule? WHY?? What does this have to do with CF? That's a new one for me... (not that I'm an expert... I just haven't heard that one before) >My question is this: is there any of you Seattle parents with long >time experience with Dr. Schmale? OK - is he tiny?? (sorry! couldn't help myself there ya know... schmall in german is small hehe!) Obviously I can't answer this question so I had to make a joke :-! >Is it worth getting a 2nd opinion from a doctor that works in the >same clinic? Wouldn't they be treating the patients the same? ANY 2nd opinion is a good idea. Do not feel like you shouldn't do that. The docs can sure make us feel like we have no right to question them but we totally have the right to and SHOULD get second or third opinions if we aren't comfortable with the plan. Not just for CF, but anything we encounter in our lives. It's just a good idea to have more than one doc's opinion and if a doc doesn't like it... THAT'S a red flag that you should run far away and never look back. >Also, has any of you had experience switching to another doctor that >works in the very same clinic? Was it awkward running into the old >doctor in the hallways? Well... if Dr. Mosca says she doesn't need her ankle capsule opened... when you see him in the hallway you can show him her perfect foot and be very satisfied that you are helping him understand there's a better way to look at this and treat it huh? >Any insight or experience would be so helpful... I guess I'm just >intimidated to step on anyone's toes... but I understand that I need >to do what's best for my baby! I understand how you feel. I coped out telling our first doc that we'd switched by saying Shriners would see us and it was free... but it had nothing to do with that and everything to do with the fact that I wanted a Ponseti Dr. treating my child. But the Shriners thing made for a good excuse and I didn't have to say that I had chosen a different doctor. I would totally say that now though, I am not the same person I was when we first started all this that's for sure! I would ABSOLUTELY have her seen by Dr. Mosca. I am myself considering going to him if Darbi's doc here tries to tell me she can stop wearing the DBB when she's 2 or 2-1/2 so I can get a script for her to wear it till she's at least 3. Everyone loves Dr. Mosca, and if it were me... I would totally want to hear what he had to say about it. I think I would just switch if it were me lol! That IS scary though that the docs in the same clinic aren't consulting with each other. I think it has to do with pride personally... Kori >Darby >Livi 3/15/04 bi cf dbb 16/7 > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 Thanks Kori... I think the same thing- since the two docs work in the same place, you'd think the treatment would be along the same lines? I don't know ... I'm getting kind of overwhelmed - feeling like Livi's feet are going to be more difficult to correct than we originally thought. To this day, we have issues keeping her foot in the DBB - we go back and forth with the orthotist making adjustments with the inserts, switching sizes... nothing seems to consistently work to keep her left foot in - which I think is because it's not all the way corrected. I am very encouraged and will call Dr. Mosca's office tomorrow to make an appointment. Livi's pediatrician was very supportive of me doing this as well, and sent through a referral as soon as I brought it up - BTW if anyone in Seattle needs an excellent pediatrician, go see Dr. Levitt at NW Pediatrics. She was my ped when I was growing up as well. Thank you all for being motivational (as always!) Darby Livi 3/15/04 bi cf dbb 12/7 > > > >I currently see Dr. Schmale at Children's in Seattle - Dr. Mosca > >works at the same clinic. Mosca is certified Ponseti doc, but > >Schmale is not.....though Livi's treatment has been very close to the > >ponseti method, there have been some slight differences. Now as some > >of you may remember, Dr. Schmale is discussing surgery to open up > >Livi's akle capsule... he says it's no big deal and he won't mess > >with the front of her foot at all... but it's sending up little > >warning flags in my mind. > > uhhhh... yeah. opening ankle capsule? WHY?? What does this have to do > with CF? That's a new one for me... (not that I'm an expert... I just > haven't heard that one before) > > > >My question is this: is there any of you Seattle parents with long > >time experience with Dr. Schmale? > > OK - is he tiny?? (sorry! couldn't help myself there ya know... schmall > in german is small hehe!) Obviously I can't answer this question so I had > to make a joke :-! > > >Is it worth getting a 2nd opinion from a doctor that works in the > >same clinic? Wouldn't they be treating the patients the same? > > ANY 2nd opinion is a good idea. Do not feel like you shouldn't do > that. The docs can sure make us feel like we have no right to question > them but we totally have the right to and SHOULD get second or third > opinions if we aren't comfortable with the plan. Not just for CF, but > anything we encounter in our lives. It's just a good idea to have more > than one doc's opinion and if a doc doesn't like it... THAT'S a red flag > that you should run far away and never look back. > > > >Also, has any of you had experience switching to another doctor that > >works in the very same clinic? Was it awkward running into the old > >doctor in the hallways? > > Well... if Dr. Mosca says she doesn't need her ankle capsule > opened... when you see him in the hallway you can show him her perfect > foot and be very satisfied that you are helping him understand there's a > better way to look at this and treat it huh? > > > >Any insight or experience would be so helpful... I guess I'm just > >intimidated to step on anyone's toes... but I understand that I need > >to do what's best for my baby! > > I understand how you feel. I coped out telling our first doc that we'd > switched by saying Shriners would see us and it was free... but it had > nothing to do with that and everything to do with the fact that I wanted a > Ponseti Dr. treating my child. But the Shriners thing made for a good > excuse and I didn't have to say that I had chosen a different doctor. I > would totally say that now though, I am not the same person I was when we > first started all this that's for sure! > > I would ABSOLUTELY have her seen by Dr. Mosca. I am myself considering > going to him if Darbi's doc here tries to tell me she can stop wearing the > DBB when she's 2 or 2-1/2 so I can get a script for her to wear it till > she's at least 3. Everyone loves Dr. Mosca, and if it were me... I would > totally want to hear what he had to say about it. I think I would just > switch if it were me lol! > > That IS scary though that the docs in the same clinic aren't consulting > with each other. I think it has to do with pride personally... > > Kori > > > > > > >Darby > >Livi 3/15/04 bi cf dbb 16/7 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Darby, Don't be afraid to ask to speak with Dr. Mosca's assistant, or email Dr. Mosca himself in order to get the quickest appointment possible. Many times the people who do the scheduling, don't know to try to get clubfoot babies in ASAP and will just give you the regular " lead time " . Keep us posted, & (3-16-00) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 I'm a little late here, but I just wanted to say that no, the doctors are not necessarily going to have the same approach, and no matter what, it is always good to get a second opinion before doing surgery. Dr Mosca is a very good doctor and has been open to learning about things he did not understand. He treated my son, Kai, for several months before we ran into a speed bump and took Kai to Iowa. Dr Mosca was completely supportive of us taking Kai to Dr Ponseti and he discussed the case with Dr P and was eager to see Kai when we got back and learn all he could about what was srong and where he went wrong (he really did not go wrong, he was just trying to correct something he had no clue about! lol) Also, I would like to pass on a little story. Several months ago someone came here whose child usually sees a different ortho at children's (not Schmalle, from what I remember) who was being told the child was relapsing. Upon a consult with Dr Mosca it was found that in fact the child had femoral torsion - a relatively normal thing for kids - and was not relapsing at all! Again, it was not that the original doctor was a bad doc, simply that Dr Mosca brought a fresh perspective to the sittuation. I encourage you to see him. Do not feel akward about asking a second opinion, nor about changing doctors if that is what you choose to do. A good doctor recognizes that they do not know everything and that sometimes they just are not the right fit for the sittuation. Any doctor who resents a second opinion is a doctor you should stay far away from! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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