You won't believe this!!

[linnilue]

Hi, Susan:

Well, that's a new one!  If this happened to me I'm not sure if I would be amused or angry.  An audiologist, with a PhD., no less, working in a hospital, demonstrating her total ignorance regarding treatment options for acoustic neuroma tumors....to a patient.  Good thing you were informed and knew she was talking out of her...er, nose.   

Write the letters.  Be polite but clear that this audiologist with a PhD. is disseminating false and possible harmful information of a medical nature.  She is grossly misinforming AN patients because she is misinformed, herself.  Of course she should know better, but she obviously doesn't.  Help her to get straightened out by her superiors, because anyone with a PhD working in a medical capacity is never going to accept correction from a mere (informed) patient.  Only someone with a medical degree and the status to demand her attention can help this woman and correct her ridiculous misinformation that she merrily passes on, probably with an air of great authority, to patients already under stress and trying to sort through the shock of being diagnosed with an Acoustic Neuroma tumor in their head.

Bravo to you for at least trying to cut through her ignorance.

Jim  

   I'm with Jim...Isn't it scarey that she is and ENT with a PhD...I'm not surprised though, i'm pretty synical about the medical profession in general (and yes, I am a nurse).  I had an ENT spend less than 2 minutes with me in his office and he told me that I didn't have an AN even though the MRI (which he had in hand) and the report (which he had in hand) said I did.  He then looked at both of thme and said "oh yeah' but it's nothing."  He then left the room, I didn't even have time to say "umm..."  So as shameful as that ENT is, it's no different then what happened to me.  However, I laready knew I had an AN becasue my neurologist told me and he showed me the MRI and the report and HE sent me to the ENT for further opinion!! NO lie...  so, as Jim says, go to the top and let them deal with her.  Good Luck, Holly 

[pattibobatti]

Hi All,

I am glad we are talking about this.  It is one of the hardest things that I have had to deal with concerning this AN.  I hope all of the people faced with the bad news of a brain tumor will not just believe everything that is told to them. We have so much available to us now, this forum for one, that we can actually look out for ourselves and research the info that doctors give us. 

Two doctors told me completly false information, telling me how really bad off I was with this brain tumor..... Then, a neuro doctor who did know what he was talking about, clarified everything..

We just cannot take in everything as fact!

Patti

[sloxana]

I also forgot to mention that there was a graduate student sitting there in the room listening very intently to everything this person was telling me!!  Now she (the student) is going to have incorrect information also!!!

It just makes me realize how important it is to get out there and do your own research on whatever the medical diagnosis is....not just ANs , but everything!

Thanks for all the comments.  I'm so glad there are others out there that share my frustration with this entire experience!
Susan