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Possible neurological problem
Sent to Health Experts August 19 11:19 AM

My 33 year old daughter has presented with many problems beginning in the past several months none seemed significant alone but they have now begun to manifest in distinct ways. First I noticed that she was more tired than usual this being over the last few months more than someone her age should be feeling. In the middle of July she called me one night complaining of severe pain in her back and vomiting constantly. She stated the pain raidiated from her back into her lower abdomen. We called an ambulance, when she got to the hospital the vomiting subsided as soon as they controlled the pain she also complained of head pain on the rt side of her head. She was sent home with a pain med and nausea medicine. They did a CT on her abdomen and pelvic area and all areas were clear they also did some blood tests and they were also neg. We were not satisfied that they took every effort to pin point the problem and only treated the symptoms so when this continued the next day we took her to another hospital, they did a pelvic exam and did not find anything suspicious there, they sent her home and told her to continue the meds that she already had. Approx 2 days later she woke up with a dramatic limp and still had a nagging pain in her back.   We took her to the Dr and he put her on a Steroid and Migraine med sample. It seemed that within several days the limp had subsided. During all of this she has complained about not feeling like herself and having very severe head pain on the right side of her head that nothing had helped. She complained of a swimmy head and she did not feel the Dr she went to was able to help her pinpoint the problem. I again took her to my family Dr and when she found out that she had had a seizure several years ago she felt like this might be seizure activity she put her on Topamax. This took away the swimmy head but did not change the headache. On Aug the 9th she had a vehicle accident and totaled her vehicle, this was a one vehicle accident and she does not know how it happened. She was not injured in the accident. I called my family Dr because that was the last Dr she saw, she told me to take her to the ER. I did and they asked her where she had bumped herself or felt sore from the accident. She told him that her elbow and back her were sore. He told her to bend her elbow and then to walk she did and he told her that nothing was broke. She had seen this same Dr the last time she was in this ER and she tried to explain what else was going on with her, he told her that this was not a Drs office and that she needed to see a private Dr. She called the med center that she saw for her school physicals and told them what happened they told her to come right in they stated it could have been a seizure so they increased the Topamax and told her to take 4 advil every six hours.   Nothing got better and her head was causing her so much pain she was nauseated all the time and the headache the rt side did not ease off. I again took her to another ER and they did a CT on her head they said there was no brain bleed or no tumor just continue the meds except they gave her a perscription for Motrin instead of taking the advill. Now a week later she wakes up with the limp again no back or leg pain but now she has a tremor in her right arm and hand and says it feels like her whole rt side is shaking. The headache has still not subsided. Today she complains of her headache being worse and today is day five of the limp. She has no insurance and cant drive with the limp or the headache. I only hope this treatment or lack of has nothing to do with the fact that she has no medical insurance. Can you give us any insight as to what may be going on?

 

Optional Information:
Female , Age: 33

Already Tried:
ERs and Drs to no avail. No ins

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
August 19 3:58 PM (4 hours and 39 minutes and 5 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark

I am so sorry to hear about her treatment to this point.

She needs to be evaluated by a neurologist as soon as possible and at the very least needs a MRI if her brain and an EEG. She may also need spinal x -rays or an MRI of her spine. Her symptoms are suspicious for a tumor of some sort or a blockage in her cerebral spinal fluid flow. I am very concerned and recommend a neurology evaluation As soon as possible!

I understand that she has no insurance and that this is very expensive. Here are some options:

1) If you can at least come up with the cash for the neurological evaluation and get the presciptions for the MRI and the EEG, you can then schedule an appointment for the tests at your local hospital and request to be billed and set up on a payment plan. Most hospitals will do this. They also will charge less for "self-pay" patients.

2) Once the neurologist evaluates her, he will HAVE to order these tests which she so clearly needs!

3) Take a list to your neurologist with all of her symptoms broken down:

***headache with vomiting

***back pain and lower abdominal pain

***limp

*** tremors

***"swimmy feeling in head" and one car accident that may indicates seizure or loss of consciousness

***history of seizures

***feeling tired

Seeing these symptoms, there is NO WAY that a neurologist will not order a full neurological work-up with all the tests she needs.

She is very lucky to have you on her side. Please seek help as soon as possible and let me know how it works out!

Please feel free to ask any follow-up questions or to request more information.

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Reply
August 19 6:35 PM (2 hours and 36 minutes and 31 seconds later)
         
Reply to Nancy's Post: Nancy we have tried to get her an appoint with an neurologist but this far the earliest we have been told there is an opening is November.
Answer
August 19 8:40 PM (2 hours and 5 minutes and 20 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark

The fastest way to get an appointment would be to have someone from the medical center where she was seen to call and request an appointment as soon as possible. Try going through a nurse or medical assistant in the medical center and ask THEM TO CALL to set up the appointment. The fastest way to get an appointment would be to have the doctor call himself. They will have much more success getting an earlier appointment than you will.

If they are not willing to work with you on this, keep calling and request to to be called in the case of any cancellations. Also, call other neurologists and get put on their "call if there are cancellations" list. This is a tough time of year to get appointments with doctor vacations.

I think your best bet will be going through the medical center to get the appointment. You are going to have to be persistent to get what you need.

Please elt me know if you ahve any other questions!!

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