This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

This post is solely dedicated to Dr. Mark Freedman of the Ottawa General Hospital.

I only ask that you post your experiences with this Doctor. I would love to hear about all the dealings [removed].

In my opinion, [removed].

However, please, let us share our stories about this man, [removed]!

Here is a link that gives first hand account of patients [removed]:

http://www.ratemds.com/doctor-ratings/6 ... wa-ON.html

With highest MS incidence rate, Canada deserves better!!!

Although it is obvious that most of those people aren't talking from firsthand experience, they're just CCSVI'ers from different places who are mad about what he's said in the media.

I'm not into slamming Drs...but this [removed] takes the cake. I live in Ottawa and he was my neurologist - up until a couple of weeks ago. He wasn't too bad at first - as long as you don't question him or his methods. As CCSVI became a more apparent solution to our symptoms, I wanted to ask him about it. Basically, he said to me "If you had too much iron in your brain, then why isn't your head red?" I am not kidding, I take quoting my Drs very seriously and would/could never have made this up!

I disagree with this post. As much as i am concerned with Dr. Freedman's position on CCSVI ......... this is not the way to challenge it.

Therfore I am asking that this be removed from TIMS .

It smacks of a personal vendetta against one person - Dr. Freedman-

This only serves to make this great informational site -TIMS- look bad.

I'm all for freedom of speech ..... but this clearly crosses the line.


Mr. Success

It smacks of a personal vendetta against one person - Dr. Freedman-

This is not a personal vendetta. I admit that he is a genius in the research lab [removed].

hargarah wrote:It smacks of a personal vendetta against one person - Dr. Freedman-

This is not a personal vendetta. I admit that he is a genius in the research lab, [removed]

This smacks of a personal vendetta against one person, regardless of what you say.

I totally agree and was hesitant to make the post...no matter my experience with him as a professional. I wouldn't care if we removed the thread - either way. If folks who have had a similar experience want to chat about it less specifically - such as in other threads - this would be good too.

Fernie12 wrote:Basically, he said to me "If you had too much iron in your brain, then why isn't your head red?"

Crazy. But I think he mixed up his response. There is an argument that the backing up of venous blood should cause a red face. (Counter-argument is that this would only be the case if it were extreme, which would be more likely with a total thrombosis than the insidiuous life-long ccsvi to which the body has (insufficiently) adapted.)

Thanks for the info, CeCe...at the time, I did point out two unexplained red marks on my forehead that my family had pointed out in the last couple of years...he didn't even look at them or respond to my point

hey Cece.. full circle back to the old ..'red face' posts.. of which i am a fervent believer.. today i was told that my right jugular is abnormally small.. advanced aerobic exercise, all the way back to middle school, resulted in a face so red that coaches and family were startled?
Blood rushing in has no route out?.. too simple? i don't think so.. and why can't it be simple? It took 5 decades for my symtoms to present themselves.. if my insufficiency is subtle with issues tied to elevated vascular situations, physical and emotional stress, then this makes sense too.

sorry i'm trespassing..

I feel the frustration with our doctors.. we have our own 'gem' out here on the west coast. But, i agree with Mr Success.. and i would rather learn and discuss and share. Just sayin'..

Before this gets removed I must admit that he has been the one person who has infuriated me the most in canada with all the comments I have seen him make - don't like this guy.

Apparently, you are not allowed to say that a doctor is [removed] on this forum. [removed]
(and I agree, he is [removed], just like a lot of other doctors and people who aren't doctors)

Here is a letter written by Dr Rob to Chronic patients. The letter has seven main tips to have a good relationship with our docs.

I like tip number 6, don't put up with the jerks. If have a doc you don't think is helping at all, then vote with your feet.

If you think that this doc has seriously crossed some line then report him/her. Speak to the chief of the hospital and write a formal complaint.

I spoke several times to the chief of the hospital where my mum was treated for terminal cancer. There were some docs that were utterly jerks, uncompassionate. I complained to the chief and he took serious measures. I'm so glad that I did not stay quiet.

Here are the tips of Dr Rob:

1) Don’t come on too strong – yes, you have to advocate for yourself, but remember that doctors are used to being in control. All of the other patients come into the room with immediate respect, but your understanding has torn down the doctor-god illusion. That’s a good thing in the long-run, but few doctors want to be greeted with that reality from the start. Your goal with any doctor is to build a partnership of trust that goes both ways, and coming on too strong at the start can hurt your chances of ever having that.

2) Show respect – I say this one carefully, because there are certainly some doctors who don’t treat patients with respect – especially ones like you with chronic disease. These doctors should be avoided. But most of us are not like that; we really want to help people and try to treat them well. But we have worked very hard to earn our position; it was not bestowed by fiat or family tree. Just as you want to be listened to, so do we.

3) Keep your eggs in only a few baskets – find a good primary care doctor and a couple of specialists you trust. Don’t expect a new doctor to figure things out quickly. It takes me years of repeated visits to really understand many of my chronic disease patients. The best care happens when a doctor understands the patient and the patient understands the doctor. This can only happen over time. Heck, I struggle even seeing the chronically sick patients for other doctors in my practice. There is something very powerful in having understanding built over time.

4) Use the ER only when absolutely needed – Emergency room physicians will always struggle with you. Just expect that. Their job is to decide if you need to be hospitalized, if you need emergency treatment, or if you can go home. They might not fix your pain, and certainly won’t try to fully understand you. That’s not their job. They went into their specialty to fix problems quickly and move on, not manage chronic disease. The same goes for any doctor you see for a short time: they will try to get done with you as quickly as possible.

5) Don’t avoid doctors – one of the most frustrating things for me is when a complicated patient comes in after a long absence with a huge list of problems they want me to address. I can’t work that way, and I don’t think many doctors can. Each visit should address only a few problems at a time, otherwise things get confused and more mistakes are made. It’s OK to keep a list of your own problems so things don’t get left out – I actually like getting those lists, as long as people don’t expect me to handle all of the problems. It helps me to prioritize with them.

6) Don’t put up with the jerks – unless you have no choice (in the ER, for example), you should keep looking until you find the right doctor(s) for you. Some docs are not cut out for chronic disease, while some of us like the long-term relationship. Don’t feel you have to put up with docs who don’t listen or minimize your problems. At the minimum, you should be able to find a doctor who doesn’t totally suck.

7) Forgive us – Sometimes I forget about important things in my patients’ lives. Sometimes I don’t know you’ve had surgery or that your sister comes to see me as well. Sometimes I avoid people because I don’t want to admit my limitations. Be patient with me – I usually know when I’ve messed up, and if you know me well I don’t mind being reminded. Well, maybe I mind it a little.

More info:
http://distractible.org/2010/07/14/a-le ... c-disease/

whyRwehere wrote:Apparently, you are not allowed to say that a doctor is [removed] on this forum. [removed]
(and I agree, he is [removed], just like a lot of other doctors and people who aren't doctors)

No comment but point noted