As I mentioned in my last entry, I’ve had some trouble with my back. My wonderful general practitioner, Dr. Patrick O’Neill, took great care of me. Unfortunately, the spine specialist/surgeon he referred me to was not so great or wonderful. Dr. Larry Parker, from The Orthopaedic Center’s (TOC) Spine Center, was a disappointment. Since the MRIs had shown I had torn disks in my lower back and a narrowing of the spinal column in my upper back, Dr. O’Neill requested an urgent appointment with Dr. Parker. I was told to bring the MRI films and reports with me to my appointment.
The staff at TOC’s Spine Center impressed me. They were friendly and efficient. Additionally, Dr. Parker’s aide, David, was personable and helpful. While I didn’t catch his name, the physician’s assistant also seemed quite competent. In the waiting room, I filled out the required paperwork, including a form and diagram where I was to write down all of my symptoms and identify their location on an outline drawing of a body. When I was called back, x-rays were taken of my neck and back.
Dr. Parker was in the exam room with me for less than 3 minutes. He glanced at the films and told me I didn’t need surgery at this time. He said he was going to have me go to physical therapy and would see me in two months. He explained nothing and was about to leave so I asked about the torn disks. He acknowledged that I had tears. I asked about the numbness and burning in my arms. He told me that "people do seem concerned when they lose feeling in their extremities" but offered no other explanation. Why, yes, Dr. Parker, I can see why people would be concerned about their hands going completely numb! He offered to prescribe more pain medication. Since my family doctor had already provided a prescription, I declined. I asked what I should or should not do. He said I should let pain be my guide which is not much help because just about everything hurts. If I’d not been in so much pain, I’d have been a smart ass and asked if I should try levitation because everything else was pretty damned painful. Dr. Parker said I’d strained the muscles in my back. This made little sense to me since I was not doing anything strenuous when my back “popped” but when I started to ask him about that, he interrupted me and said he was going to let me change back into my street clothes – implying he’d be back. He did not return.
It seems that no one read the forms I was required to complete. The information I’d verbally provided to the assistant wasn’t reviewed by Dr. Parker, either. Dr. Parker is a surgeon and it seems once he determined I didn’t need immediate surgery, he had no time for me. I understand he’s busy and I was worked in but I left his office not knowing any more than I did going in. I didn’t know if I should continue using the back brace, ice or TENS unit. I didn’t know if I should return to the chiropractor. I didn’t know what, if any, symptoms should cause me to return to the doctor. I wanted to ask, “Should I expect to be in this intense pain for the next 8 weeks or will it get better? Do tears heal by themselves? How long does it take? Are the pain and burning and numbness in my hands and arms something I just need to get used to? Will I always have shooting pains in my legs and hips? Are there restrictions on how much I can or should lift while my back is healing?”
I didn’t get the chance to ask any of those questions. I expected more from this well-regarded specialist.
I’m more than a little bit peeved that I pay a pretty penny for my insurance premiums and co-pays. I’m not at all happy that I Paid For That.
*Photo is Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine
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