The Nerve Center

No one comes to the reception desk in the Neurosciences Center “at the beginning” of their illness or when first presenting symptoms. Many folks have already been to numerous providers to finally arrive at the door of the specialists here that have the ability to make an expert diagnosis and begin a treatment plan. You may be weary. You may be wary. Know that we will welcome you.

And yes, you will have to begin at the beginning. Being a “good historian” is so helpful when first meeting with a physician. If you aren’t one, bring someone who is: a spouse, a child, a close friend. Sending ahead or bringing thorough medical records with you helps provide this history. So do scans and labs, etc.

At that first visit you are a puzzle that the physician has to piece together through observation, information gathering and possibly some new scans and labs. If the doctor seems to be doing more thinking than socializing, that’s OK. These are a group of extremely bright and well-trained physicians. They are the teachers and mentors of the next generation of physicians. When their thinking caps are on, you are the beneficiary.
 
You know the expression, “it’s not brain surgery?” Well here, many times it IS brain surgery ...  or nerve biopsy ... or magnetoenphaography ... or ... Deep Brain Stimulation. Or 100 other diagnostic tools and treatment options, many of which we will discuss in this blog, which I'm calling "The Nerve Center." We will also talk about successful clinic visits and successful communication with your care team.

So, this is my beginning with you here in The Nerve Center. I’m not a physician or a nurse or a social worker. I’m an old English major who has a generalist’s background. That sounds almost military, but I’m not that either. I’ve been lucky to learn enough along the way to be helpful to patients and families in the areas of education and support. I’m hoping that being a “lay person” will allow me to write about the neurosciences in a way that is understandable and helpful.
 
I hope to be able to gather information and stories from our practitioners and our patients that you will find interesting and even enlightening. If you have specific topics you’d like me to research and discuss, let me know.