Looking for a "regimen" to call my own...
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 11:42 am
I'm new here... just posted an intro, started poking around, found this thread and realized everyone posting is lightyears ahead of me.
A little background: I was diagnosed in 12/04. Decided to go to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a corroborative opinion because it was close by and seemed like an institution on the cusp of research. I was mostly asymptomatic, so willing to do all the diagnostic stuff for the benefit of research. Shortly thereafter, started experiencing a more prominent symptom (parasthesia) which progressed relativly fast, thereby freaking me out. As such, I lost my nerve and went running to a neuro with a good reputation.
I'm lost now, though. Everyone I speak to (3 neuros so far) has a different recommendation. No one contradicts the others, but they all recommend different treatments (various interferons or copaxone, but not tysabri). After reading up on some members' experiences with interferons and copaxone, I'm starting to have even more doubts. Now I want to jump into tysabri.
One of the problems is that I haven't picked a neuro. The first one didn't seem knowledgeable enough. The second one was primarily interested in research. The third one seemed swamped with so many patients that I felt as if I was "just a number."
Am I being too picky? How important is comfort when it comes to picking a neuro? In your opinion, is it more important to consider convenience or experience?
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!
A little background: I was diagnosed in 12/04. Decided to go to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a corroborative opinion because it was close by and seemed like an institution on the cusp of research. I was mostly asymptomatic, so willing to do all the diagnostic stuff for the benefit of research. Shortly thereafter, started experiencing a more prominent symptom (parasthesia) which progressed relativly fast, thereby freaking me out. As such, I lost my nerve and went running to a neuro with a good reputation.
I'm lost now, though. Everyone I speak to (3 neuros so far) has a different recommendation. No one contradicts the others, but they all recommend different treatments (various interferons or copaxone, but not tysabri). After reading up on some members' experiences with interferons and copaxone, I'm starting to have even more doubts. Now I want to jump into tysabri.
One of the problems is that I haven't picked a neuro. The first one didn't seem knowledgeable enough. The second one was primarily interested in research. The third one seemed swamped with so many patients that I felt as if I was "just a number."
Am I being too picky? How important is comfort when it comes to picking a neuro? In your opinion, is it more important to consider convenience or experience?
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!