This week I went and saw a new neurologist. With some of the MS related symptoms I'd been having plus the amount of training I've been doing, I figured it would be good to get acquainted with a new doctor before things really hit the fan, if they in fact did.
First impressions, I like this guy. All ready Dr. K out shines Dr. M by a long shot. He had the same views Dr. M had about my not doing the disease modification shots, but he expressed them in such a way that felt way more respectful. Instead of telling me (and I'm paraphrasing) that I'm stupid for not taking the shots, he expressed his belief that they work and it would be in my best interest if we could find something I would be willing to commit to. He gave me all the statistics Dr. M gave me, but he prefaced his opinion with, "It's your body, you have to live with what ever choice you make and what ever you decide thats how we'll proceed."
That's all Dr. M ever had to say to get me to trust her. Rather than push the hard sell as though she had a personal stake in getting me on something (and I am alluding to some financial kick back from the drug company, she was so pushy), all she had to do is listen to what I was feeling and be willing to work with what I felt I could do. That little bit of consideration goes a long way.
Another thing I really appreciated about Dr. K was his willingness to give me time to think things over. He could see by my lack of enthusiasm, that I wasn't in a position to make a commitment right then and there and he respected that I needed time. The last time I saw Dr. M, I told her my position on the shots, how they made me feel and all she could do was tell me, not recommend but tell me, that she was putting me on a different medication, handed me a release paper to sign on the spot and a big fancy marketing packet proclaiming all the great things about the drug. She left me no room to say no, or to think things over.
It got to the point that if she told me that I needed to eat a bar of chocolate every day I would have developed an instant dislike for all things chocolate and refused to eat it.
