My Trip to the Neurologist
All my life something has been just a tad off; I’ve been just a little clumsy, and I’ve had multiple doctor appointments for “weird” things that just never made much sense to the doctor. The older I got, the more pronounced my symptoms became, and my walking deteriorated rapidly. My family physician was confident I had multiple sclerosis, and in early 2000, I was sent to my first neurologist.
Dr. Kelly, that first neurologist, was good and also confident that testing would confirm MS. And, he did a battery of tests—some of which are rather painful. Without any surprise, some of them came back abnormal, but they didn’t show MS. So, I got to do the golden standard for diagnosing multiple sclerosis—a lumbar puncture (spinal tap). That was one of the worst experiences I’ve faced, and even writing about it 25 years after the fact makes me queasy.
The spinal tap showed nothing, but Dr. Kelly told Tammy and me that within 10 years I would have full-blown MS, but it was just too early to diagnosis. Well, almost 10 years to the day, I started having more serious problems, but, because Tammy and I were living in a different location, I was sent to a different neurologist.
The new neurologist did tests after tests after tests, and, yes, some were rather, let’s just say, unpleasant. Needles stuck deep in the flesh all the while being told to hold still and relax. A totally incompetent neurologist even yanked a chunk of muscle from my leg, and she didn’t even use local anesthesia. She was looking for muscular dystrophy, but her clinical notes, I later learned, showed the condition was in the central nervous system. That totally begs the question, “Why was she testing my muscles when the problem was obviously in my brain or spinal column?”
Not a single neurologist (and there were many different ones in those days) even tried to help. They had no problem running painful test after painful test, tell me nothing diagnostically significant showed up, run another painful test, tell me the same thing, run another test…. Well, I think you get the picture. They never treated me as a human being, and they never tried to ameliorate my symptoms; I was simply a lab rat.
When I lost consciousness at the dentist’s office, my PCP asked me to see my neurologist in Clear Lake. To say I was not a happy camper would put it mildly. I knew I had no choice if I wanted my tooth fixed, so I made the appointment. However, I told Tammy she was going with me because all neurologists are quacks, I have no respect for the specialty of neurology, and I wouldn’t submit to another neurological test as long as I live (yes, I actually said all that). I had been treated poorly, and I refused to consider for even a moment going through it again.
I had seen Dr. Chen briefly after I moved to Texas just to establish care, but I didn’t follow up and I didn’t go regularly as he wanted. (Remember, I don’t like neurologists!). I couldn’t have picked Dr. Chen out of a lineup, I remembered little of our two or so interactions, and I really didn’t want to go. Tammy told me later that she didn’t realize what a hard time I had with neurologists until she saw me that morning (yes, I was a total wreck).
However, Dr. Chen was lovely. He listened. He cared, and he was ready to help. No unnecessary neurological tests, no horrible poking and prodding because I was a science experiment. Rather, respect for me as a human being, care for my problem, and a desire to help.
Well, I hate to admit it, but I was wrong about neurologists. One neurologist ruined (and that’s a mild word) what I thought of that entire specialty.
How many Christians ruin the impressions others have of the Lord Jesus and his church? You know how important it is to be light instead of darkness: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:14-16). Be light. Shine brightly. Attract people to the Lord Jesus and never, ever, ever do anything to turn them away.
This article was originally written by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., for the weekly newsletter at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.