Trading car advice for medical advice...

e9Leveque

e9Leveque

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I've learned so much from all of you here on the forum over the last 4 months. Everyone has been congenial, informative and thoughtful with their responses, even when my questions reveal my new-ness to all of this. Since I haven't been able to return the favor quite as much, I thought that perhaps I can give back in some other arena in which I am a bit more knowledgeable. When I'm not spending nights and weekends under or inside of this E9, I spend my days as a spine-focused neurosurgeon mainly dealing with patients with back pain, arm pain, leg pain, etc who are considering or having surgery. Since most of you on this forum fall squarely within the general demographic I see in the clinic and the OR (even if only 50% of the population seems to be represented here), I suspect that some of you will have to deal with such problems in the future. So, if there's some issue that's going on for which you have seen a surgeon or are considering surgery, I'm happy to serve as an independent second opinion. I'm only licensed in the states of Washington and Alaska, so I'm not going to say that I'm providing medical consultation. Let's say it's more along the lines of "thoughts from someone with experience". Because just like I see here daily, there are different opinions on how to solve some of these medical problems and sometimes knowing the different options helps you make a more informed decision. Without tooting my own horn (I guess pun intended), I am good at what I do, and I handle everything from the simple outpatient to the complex procedures that are more equivalent to the barn find restorations some of you guys are taking on. So feel free to reach out - send a direct message and we can hop on a call. Just my attempt to pay some of the favor back and have a great Sunday.

JC
 
JC, a generous and timely offer for many of us square in the demographic bulls eye you describe. I am a firm believer in second and even third opinions based on our experience with back and arm pain issues. Your comment, "...we can hop on a call." reminds me of the time when, along with a fellow E9er, autokunst, we did a run of CSREGISTER grill badges. One of the buyers was a surgeon in Ohio. I am not being sarcastic when I say doctors are truly busy people.

But we were on a deadline, and I had to call the Doctor about his badge:

Me: This is Steve ONeill and I need to speak with Dr. Smith.

Receptionist: I am afraid that is impossible.

Me: Please just tell him it is about the BMW part he ordered, and we are running out of time.

Receptionist: Please hold.

Within 30 seconds: Hi this is John, what's the problem?

I suspect his receptionist knew how important this call was and acted accordingly.

One more Doctor story, please indulge me.

Thirty-five + years ago when our children were younger we were looking for a new Pediatrician. A Dr. Fitzpatrick was highly recommened by all the parents. But I heard his practice was closed. It was Dr. Tom and his nurse-wife Jinke. So I drove over in my 2800CS on a warm summer day and gave it a try anyway. I walked in and asked Jinke if we could join the practice. She said I'm sorry but Tom's practice is closed. At that moment he charged out of his office, asked me if that was my Coupe in his parking lot.
I said yes, he said, Jinke they are now in our practice. He was a BMW/Porsche guy and he knew the sound of a BMW six.
 
Ha, yes, true on all counts above - chances are the BMW and/or Porsche conversation will turn the coldest person into your best friend, and these days, it’s often about the classics rather than the new thing on the lot
 
Well now....I must say this is a rare and valuable offer. I will be sending a message about the outcome of my original investigation of what happened when I tried to find out what was going on with my ignition switch.....More to come. Mike
 
JC, great idea. I definitely have received more than I’ve been able to pay back on this forum. Maybe between the two of us neurosurgeons we can help people avoid the only thing worse than buying a rusted coupe—unsuccessful or unnecessary back surgery! Haha.
If anyone ever needs my help in the Intermountain west—glad to review films and give a second or third opinion. Hope it’s never needed by anyone here for the cranial side of things—I can already anticipate the jokes.
Chuck
 
ccr2002 said:
JC, great idea. I definitely have received more than I’ve been able to pay back on this forum. Maybe between the two of us neurosurgeons we can help people avoid the only thing worse than buying a rusted coupe—unsuccessful or unnecessary back surgery! Haha.
If anyone ever needs my help in the Intermountain west—glad to review films and give a second or third opinion. Hope it’s never needed by anyone here for the cranial side of things—I can already anticipate the jokes.
Chuck
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Very generous, thanks @ccr2002 and @e9Leveque!
 
Well, considering that my other two primary spine practice partners are orthopedics surgeons (who reside in our department of neurosurgery) and that when thought I might need spine surgery (for a problem which later improved) I turned to a orthopedic surgery friend whose work I know and trust, I’d say you need “someone who specializes in spine surgery”, be that Neuro or ortho. There are differences, and some problems some handle and not others, but I always think second opinions are a good idea if you don’t have background knowledge, so maybe seek one from each. I also tell patients to ask whom else outside their practice they would have do surgery on them if they needed it. As long as you don’t have some crazy problem, anyone who says “no one else can do this” should raise a few red flags. You want confident without cockiness.
 
No matter how significant or insignificant a health/medical problem migh be I as the doctor treating me, "Who would you have treat you?" Many are more than willing to give me an answer. An important part of making that decision, but certainly not the only one.
 
e9Leveque said:
Well, considering that my other two primary spine practice partners are orthopedics surgeons (who reside in our department of neurosurgery) and that when thought I might need spine surgery (for a problem which later improved) I turned to a orthopedic surgery friend whose work I know and trust, I’d say you need “someone who specializes in spine surgery”, be that Neuro or ortho. There are differences, and some problems some handle and not others, but I always think second opinions are a good idea if you don’t have background knowledge, so maybe seek one from each. I also tell patients to ask whom else outside their practice they would have do surgery on them if they needed it. As long as you don’t have some crazy problem, anyone who says “no one else can do this” should raise a few red flags. You want confident without cockiness.
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Agree that you want confidence without cockiness. I am a derm, skin cancer is 90 percent of what I do, and I am wary of any doctor who says "I am the greatest". We are all human, some are better than others, some have better judgement than others. The best surgeon is often the one who doesn't operate. Or knows when to refer to someone else. My doctor wife had chronic pain and she thought it was the low back radiating to her hip. She saw a wise neurosurgeon who examined her carefully and looked at her films. While she did have some disc herniations on the MRI (most of us do), he said "I don't think it is your back. Get your hip checked out". It was a torn labrum in her hip after all. She had that surgery by a hip specialist, and her problem was fixed.

Example of self-proclaimed "world leader":
Please avoid folks who make these kind of statements about themselves.

 
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