I've always had an MD, but recent events have caused me to wonder if a DO might be a better fit. My aneurysm was diagnosed after my doctor ordered a CT and then a CTA scan because I had fallen on the ice and was experiencing left sided pain from a fall (arm, shoulder, neck, head). I've had injectable nubain and fenergen, oral narcotics and barbiturates and finally Aleve. I've weaned myself off of those and today is the first day in almost two weeks I haven't been in pain. I'm wondering if an OD would've ordered treatment for the cause of the symptoms and not just the symptoms themselves. This is clearly a musculosketal issue. Thoughts? I will be following up with a neurosurgeon once I get a copy of the neuroradiologist's report...spaced the name he mentioned the day of my diagnosis. Why doctors think you'll remember half of what they say when they tell you your diagnosis is beyond me. All you hear is "ANEURYSM...blah blah blan...NEUROSURGEON...blah blah blah...DO YOU NEED A TISSUE?"
OD and/or MD's are just a matter of choice...I mostly see MD's, however, my Gynecologist is an OD and she is the best Doctor...but if I need a med she orders it...both Doctors order medicine...~ Colleen
Hi Elizabeth !
Lol, you are absolutely right about the 1st time visit with the Neurosurgoen~on your next consultation with him, maybe bring along a trusted friend who can help absorb the information, when they're talking about YOUR brain its so easy to go into a trance (all you hear are the words.." You've got an aneurysm"--(blah blah blah--panic mode kicks in---blah blah blah--did he say surgery??---blah blah--OMG! WTF??--blah blah blah)
ANd you might want to gather up some questions for him too, such as where is the annie located, are there options in fixing this, what sort of options are there such as clipping (open surgery) or coiling (thru the femoral artery), etc,. etc.what is the 'downtime' likely to be, this sort of thing...and if you're unsettled with the answers or by the surgeon , dont hesitate to seek out another opinion.
As for the GP as opposed to the DO---I really have no idea on that one...are you able to have both? Best of luck to you! Janet
Just called my neuroradiologist's assistant and she gave me the name of the neursurgeon I'm going to see. I have a call in with his asst. waiting for an appt day/time. I will be sure to take a list of questions and write down the answers! I'm pretty sure I have a small (how small, IDK) unruptured fusiform cerebral artery and I believe it's near the middle cerebral artery. They've put me on their neurovascular conference schedule because my case is "interesting." I guess most folks with fusiform aneurysms are older with atherosclerosis? I'm so happy my head interests them;)
And I'm glad you're all there for me...people without aneurysms don't really like to talk about them!
I'm going to get to my first neurosurgeon appt and then worry about a PCP. I'm mostly concerned about my head right now, anyway:) Waiting for his assistant to call me back with an appointment day/time. She probably left work early because we're having lovely winter weather...
Elizabeth, aint it grand that your head is so fascinating?? (Lol) yeah I can think of better things for them to be interested in ! (somebody elses knoggin !) peace, Janet
Thanks so much, Jo! I asked the hospital how to get a copy of my CTA report, but totally forgot to do it until you mentioned test rests.