Re: Re: six month follow-up with Dr. Bridwell

[Guest guest]

Dear Kelley, I, too, went for an evaluation with Dr. Bridwell and had a similar experience.....I had flown there, gotten a hotel room, gotten to the office early that morning, and then, only saw him for about five minutes after waiting standing room only in the waiting room for almost three hours. I really felt he was way overbooked and hurried. Plus, he wanted me to come back THREE or FOUR times for various tests prior to the revision surgery (some could have been done that day, but he was was over two and a half hours late getting to the office, and I had a plane to catch!) Dr. LaGrone seemed much more "there" with me. He also did not expect me to fly back there for every test and was willing to work with my health care system here. I know they are both wonderful physicians, but Dr. LaGrone just seemed so much more sensitive to the patients' time and money. ly, we just cannot afford for me to fly to St. Louis a total of

five times before even having the surgery! It is at least five or six hundred per trip. Have you tried Dr. LaGrone in Texas or Dr. Rand in Boston? Martha Annekmrevised <kelleymoore@...> wrote: Hi Kam,Well, you're right when you said that it was a crazy day in Dr. Bridwell's office that Monday, July 31st! Unfortunately, that was my initial evalutaion appointment with the man and my husband and I couldn't have been more disappointed. I have concluded that Dr. Bridwell is

exactly the type of surgeon that I don't want caring for me. He's just too busy and there is so much lost in patient care when you can't even "see" the patient. I wonder if he has any regrets about that?Anyway, sorry to be so negative but I guess I'm just frustrated. I feel like I have run the gamut with surgeons and I am so confused as to what to do next. I really prefer the kind of practice that Dr. has in Baltimore and it is so close to home that we are leaning that direction.I did learn a few things from Dr. Bridwell: both of my curves have increased to 49 degrees (were 34 and 35 post-op from initial correction in 1985) and I have a third one that spawned above my T3 fusion level that is 25 degrees. I asked him why my curves would be increasing if I am supposedly fused and he said "that could only be due to non-unions". Also, he didn't think that he would do a staged procedure again because

once you go in anteriorly, to put it bluntly, your innards adhere to your spine more and it can be a real problem safely moving them aside to get to your spine. He would go in posteriorly only (same as Dr. ) and refuse the non-unions but didn't think that iliac screws could be done because my "iliacs have been harvested". It wasn't his opinion that I needed to have an osteotomy done because he felt as though I had enough lordosis in my lumbar spine; it was really my exagerated kyphosis that was causing me the problems (not like Dr. who wants to do a pedicle subtraction osteotomy to correct my sagittal imbalance). When I asked what could be done about that his reply was "make up your mind what you want done because I can't do both. You have to decide which problem bothers you the most." OUCH!!! It ALL bothers me!!! Why can't I just start from scratch and get my whole spine fixed??? Here I have gone

through years of surgeries and none of the fusions have solidified? How can that be when I've had hardware (oh, excuse me Dr. Bridwell, it's "implants" not "hardware" as you so corrected your fellow several times during my evaluation) removed and exploratory surgeries that supposedly verified a "solid fusion mass"? THEN I WANT A REFUND DAMMIT!!!Finally, he couldn't do a complete evaluation because he said I neeeded to have a CT myleogram done first. The man blew in and out of the exam room with his entourage in tow like a mini tornado and we left with a prescription in hand and totally confused as to what to do next. And on top of all that my right leg is now numb up all the way up to my rear end. Also, Dr. Bridwell had to ask me three times which leg was numb! I don't understand why he didn't just do a neurological exam to make that determination. You can pretty much stick a needle in me and I wouldn't feel it!

Guess he was just "too busy".KelleyP.S. Kam, I'm so sorry we weren't able to meet!

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[Guest guest]

Hi...

I can imagine what a huge disappointment it is when you make an expensive trip to see a doctor and they are curt with you and get almost no time with them.

I think this is one of the unfortunate circumstances that we have to put up with to be seen by many of the top docs. I’ve waited as long as four hours to even be called in for clinics at UCSF (not just spine). It’s frustrating, but I understand that I’m just one of thousands of their patients. I’ve seen these doctors take a lot of time with patients, and I’ve seen them take almost no time at all. When they’re behind, and a lot of patients are waiting, there’s not a lot they can do.

I think that if you select a doctor in a non-university setting, you have a much better chance of getting more personal attention.

Regards,

On 8/9/06 3:31 PM, " Martha Gilliam " <marthalsiii@...> wrote:

Dear Kelley,

I, too, went for an evaluation with Dr. Bridwell and had a similar experience.....I had flown there, gotten a hotel room, gotten to the office early that morning, and then, only saw him for about five minutes after waiting standing room only in the waiting room for almost three hours. I really felt he was way overbooked and hurried. Plus, he wanted me to come back THREE or FOUR times for various tests prior to the revision surgery (some could have been done that day, but he was was over two and a half hours late getting to the office, and I had a plane to catch!) Dr. LaGrone seemed much more " there " with me. He also did not expect me to fly back there for every test and was willing to work with my health care system here. I know they are both wonderful physicians, but Dr. LaGrone just seemed so much more sensitive to the patients' time and money. ly, we just cannot afford for me to fly to St. Louis a total of five times before even having the surgery! It is at least five or six hundred per trip. Have you tried Dr. LaGrone in Texas or Dr. Rand in Boston?

Martha Anne

[Guest guest]

Hi Kam...

I don’t know if you’ve already figured this out, but I think Dr. Bridwell is painfully shy. Once you get to know him, he seems normal, but in the beginning he can come off as awfully cold.

Regards,

On 8/9/06 8:52 PM, " advokam " <advokam@...> wrote:

Kelley/Martha G. -

I am sorry that you both had less than great appointments with Dr.

Bridwell. I have done my best not to sugar-coat his bedside manner in

my posts here. However, I was blessed to speak with a few of his

patients before my first visit and knew what to expect more or less.

I wrote a post with a subject line like 'Bridwell vs. LaGrone' or

somesuch and talked about their differences. If I remember, I'll

search for it and post the number again since it seems many are

considering one or the other.

What I learned from Dr. Bridwell's patients and a friend who also saw

a top doc at because she had an aneurysm, is many of the top

docs do not warm up to patients on their initial visit seemingly

because of the VOLUME of patients they see, many which will never

come back. Once scheduled for surgery, and certainly post-op, these

same doctors are remarkably different. I, like Suzanne stated, wanted

a doctor who was going to evaluate and solve my problem. When it

comes to this, Dr. Bridwell's genius shines through. I LOVED that he

spent the majority of my visit focusing on my films and my records

and when I received his notes from my initial visit, I was blown away

by the detail. The man is a researcher and wanted to make sure he'd

done all of his homework. I, too, am a researcher and like to explore

every detail of a situation. I related to this analysis quite well. I

made the statement after my first visit that I'd rather have a doctor

who is focused on fixing me and has incredible skill and experience

than someone I'd like to have dinner with. That's my preference. If a

patient is looking for great bedside manners and someone who will

take the time to explain things and show compassion, Dr. LaGrone is a

more appropriate choice. I think I told you (Martha) this in the

first email I sent you. As stated, research institution vs.

private practice is a factor here as well.

For the record, I'd LOVE to have dinner with Dr. Bridwell now. He

softened SO MUCH at my second appt. and we joke with one another (in

a very dry humor sort of way) each time we see one another. He is an

extremely caring man, but his way of showing it has more to do with

helping his patients the best way he knows how than with giving them

a shoulder to cry on. Please don't take this as criticism in any way.

Dr. Bridwell is not for everyone...neither is Dr. LaGrone. Both are

top notch and I thank God that I live in a country that allows me to

have choices about things such as this.

I wish you both the best in your search for the right doctor. Thank

you for posting your thoughts. It will be incredibly valuable to

future readers!

kam

[Guest guest]

It's interesting to read of this sort of thing happening with docs elsewhere - many people stuck with the NHS seem to think that it is something which only happens to us, and that clearly the NHS must be abolished and private is the way to go because, gee, it would all be perfect then.

It's never good to be on the receiving end of a bad day for the doc, I've had my share of them. And it's true enough that some of them seem to have nothing but bad days, either because they're totally oversubscribed, or just because they don't actually *have* any empathy left (for whatever reason), or like my first surgeon seem to just enjoy the power of the situation, and only pull out the charm after they've worn you down with a load of attitude. I try to have sympathy with them being busy and overworked though - I had a knee surgery cancelled on me on the morning it was due, because the anaesthetist had been called in around midnight, because she was needed due to a car accident where there were several requiring surgery. The nurses were surprised I was so placid about the whole thing, they were used to people screaming, swearing and yelling and even needing to call security.

When it came to revision, I had a choice between a warm, nice guy with a wacky sense of humour, and a dry, initimidating, distant man who just didn't seem to connect, and frankly scared me a little. I chose the latter one without a moment's hesitation, because I felt no need to *like* my surgeon, I just wanted the best person for the job. He convinced me that he was that person - he went through every risk that there possibly was, right the way down to the percentage chance of what kind and degree of nerve damage, the percentage chance of infection and what forms it could take and the risks associated, what sort of hardware he was going to use etc. The only bit he was vague on was the same as the other surgeon, which was what sort of osteotomies and where. I didn't warm to him in the slightest, it was absolutely a business transaction and I was a puzzle to be solved.

I'm still sure that I made the right choice ) And he's a lot warmer these days - to say friendly would be pushing it, he still just wants to get the appointment over and done with and onto the next, but it is different. And I still don't mind him being blunt or abrasive at times as I know that whatever happens, if there's a fix to be found, he'll find it. (*)

All of that said, had I found a surgeon who made me feel as safe and sure of them as I did of the one I chose, and who was also easier to take to, to talk with and get on with, I've little doubt that I would have chosen them. In the end, it is a personal thing - I'm not someone who feels a need for much hands on stuff, I just wanted to be fixed and then left in peace to sort myself out, so my choice is probably not surprising. I do know from a surgery someone else had with him that the surgeon I chose against is also excellent, and I wouldn't worry about anyone going to him for treatment. The main thing is to make a choice that you can live with for good or for bad, no surgeon is for everyone.

titch

* Just to add some amusement to it all though, I should probably admit that I've taken to him better since he visited me in HDU a couple of hours after the surgery and stood there with his strong featured face and pale grey hair, talking to me in his deep voice, towering over me and standing directly in front of a light fitting, so that he had a delicate golden halo - it still amuses me no end and how I managed to keep a lid on it and not just laugh outright or tell him he did a good impression of god, I'll never know ;o)

-- The wages of sin are death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it's just sort of a tired feeling - a Poundstone

[Guest guest]

Kelley, I can really understand what you mean. It is really tough just picking a doctor, but your husband sounds great! I loved the "write bad checks!" If you are looking at Rand and Bridwell, from all the input of this group, you are doing the best you can for yourself. Now that I have made a decision, somehow I just am less distressed, i.e., I don't cry in my cornflakes as often. I had narrowed it down to Bridwell and LaGrone. When I realized that either one would be tops and considered how fortunate I am to have a husband with a similar attitude as yours, who said, "You make the decision and I will be there to support you 100%.", then I could make a decision without so much agony. Kam's email compairing the two docs was really great. I am still really scared. As Sept. 25th approaches, I will probably be posting quite a bit for the support and encouragement of all the brave and honest folks who are in this

"situation" at various stages! At any rate, Amarillo, here I come. Just hang in there Kelley. Read all the posts and the files. There's also the group, another group, will posts and files which are also helpful. Both groups are just so helpful during this time. Lots of love, Martha Annekmrevised <kelleymoore@...> wrote: Thank you all so much for your replies regarding my visit with Dr.Bridwell. Your input is invaluable

and I am going to have my husbandread all the posts when he gets home tonight.I guess to think that any one man is capable of taking in so muchcomplex information about so many different cases in one day and thenbeing able to accurately focus on one without confusing it with anothermust truly be a "genius".I admit is is difficult for me not to feel personal about someone thatwill ultimately be in a position to either heal all my suffering orscrew me up permanently. This is my body and I have to live with it forthe rest of my life and I've so "been there and done that"! I wish Icould separate that somehow, but I can't. I appreciate the fact thatthese guys see so many patients that they have to have on their "gameface", if you will, when going through the processes of their days "inclinic". But now matter how hard I try I keep looking down and only seeme in my own shoes.My fear is that tiring of this

search for the right doctor, I willsettle for the wrong one. My emotions tell me to choose the nice guyclose to home. My brain tells me to go back to Dr. Rand, Dr. Bridwellor continue on the search for the "miracle doc". My husband tells me heloves me and he will travel to the ends of the earth and write badchecks for me to get the care that I need.I have to go cry in my cornflakes now. (Thank you all, again, so much ~ Kelley>> It's interesting to read of this sort of thing happening with docselsewhere> - many people stuck with the NHS seem to think that it is somethingwhich> only happens to us, and that clearly the NHS must be abolished andprivate> is the way to go because, gee, it would all be perfect then.>> It's

never good to be on the receiving end of a bad day for the doc,I've> had my share of them. And it's true enough that some of them seem tohave> nothing but bad days, either because they're totally oversubscribed,or just> because they don't actually *have* any empathy left (for whateverreason),> or like my first surgeon seem to just enjoy the power of thesituation, and> only pull out the charm after they've worn you down with a load of> attitude. I try to have sympathy with them being busy and overworkedthough> - I had a knee surgery cancelled on me on the morning it was due,because> the anaesthetist had been called in around midnight, because she wasneeded> due to a car accident where there were several requiring surgery. The> nurses were surprised I was so placid about the whole thing, they wereused> to people screaming, swearing and yelling and even needing to

callsecurity.>> When it came to revision, I had a choice between a warm, nice guy witha> wacky sense of humour, and a dry, initimidating, distant man who justdidn't> seem to connect, and frankly scared me a little. I chose the latterone> without a moment's hesitation, because I felt no need to *like* mysurgeon,> I just wanted the best person for the job. He convinced me that he wasthat> person - he went through every risk that there possibly was, right theway> down to the percentage chance of what kind and degree of nerve damage,the> percentage chance of infection and what forms it could take and therisks> associated, what sort of hardware he was going to use etc. The onlybit he> was vague on was the same as the other surgeon, which was what sort of> osteotomies and where. I didn't warm to him in the slightest, it was> absolutely a business

transaction and I was a puzzle to be solved.>> I'm still sure that I made the right choice ) And he's a lot warmerthese> days - to say friendly would be pushing it, he still just wants to getthe> appointment over and done with and onto the next, but it is different.And> I still don't mind him being blunt or abrasive at times as I know that> whatever happens, if there's a fix to be found, he'll find it. (*)>> All of that said, had I found a surgeon who made me feel as safe andsure of> them as I did of the one I chose, and who was also easier to take to,to> talk with and get on with, I've little doubt that I would have chosenthem.> In the end, it is a personal thing - I'm not someone who feels a needfor> much hands on stuff, I just wanted to be fixed and then left in peaceto> sort myself out, so my choice is probably not surprising. I do knowfrom

a> surgery someone else had with him that the surgeon I chose against isalso> excellent, and I wouldn't worry about anyone going to him fortreatment.> The main thing is to make a choice that you can live with for good orfor> bad, no surgeon is for everyone.>> titch>>>> * Just to add some amusement to it all though, I should probably admitthat> I've taken to him better since he visited me in HDU a couple of hoursafter> the surgery and stood there with his strong featured face and palegrey> hair, talking to me in his deep voice, towering over me and standing> directly in front of a light fitting, so that he had a delicate goldenhalo> - it still amuses me no end and how I managed to keep a lid on it andnot> just laugh outright or tell him he did a good impression of god, I'llnever> know ;o)>> --> The

wages of sin are death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it'sjust> sort of a tired feeling - a Poundstone>

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