… and it isn’t completely brilliant I can tell you.
Went for my latest Tysibri infusion on Friday. The clinic was quiet and I got chatting to the very nice registrar who was looking after me. After a nice gossip she started on the old “You can say no if you want but would you be prepared to do us a favour” routine. Turned out that the latest crop of housemen / trainee doctors were just finishing their rotation and in ordere to pass their latest exams they had to do an examination and probable diagnosis / proposed tests for a patient as if they had just come into clinic for the first time.
And I was their guinea pig!
They did not have any of my notes or know what my diagnosis was other than the briefest intro of “this lady is complaining of trouble walking” They were supposed to do take a full medical history and carry out a neuro examination. They had to do this within a set time and they were judged on “bedside manner” as well as their medical know how.
The first student was EXCELLENT. Lovely, friendly and reassuring manner. Took a comprehensive medical history including family history (which - in my case - has a couple of interesting (non-MS) neuro issues). She then carried out an examination that was quick but thorough.
We even ended up laughing when, after checking my walking, she said “now, could you walk with your feet directly one in front of the other - heel/toe. heel/toe?” To which the answer came “you must be having a giraffe mate!”
Finally she went through my “possible diagnosis” based on what she saw saying “well it could be X, Y or Z but I have to say that you have all the classic symptoms of MS but I would need to do these tests before we would be sure”
WHAT A DIFFERENCE FROM NUMBER 2!!!
Didn’t introduce herself.
Didn’t ask my name.
Didn’t take a medical history or even ask me what symptoms had “brought me to the clinic”
In face, she hardly said a word, just physically pushed me, pulled me and hit me with rubber hammers!!!
Please G*d number 2 doesn’t become anyone’s neuro consultant in 5 years of so
