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Q: Real life Dr. House? ( Answered,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Real life Dr. House?
Category: Health
Asked by: kalatraza-ga
List Price: $100.00
Posted: 14 Nov 2006 17:21 PST
Expires: 14 Dec 2006 17:21 PST
Question ID: 782790
Okay, this is going to seem crazy. . . but I need to find a doctor
who's willing to look at everything diagnostically (again) and come up
with some answers.  Progressive good, conservative bad.  I have had
pituitary surgery for Cushing's Disease and do not "appear" to be in
remission.  My current doctors suggest a wait and see approach.  I'd
like to skip just to the see part.  International okay.

Request for Question Clarification by umiat-ga on 14 Nov 2006 17:32 PST
Please explain a bit further. Are you truly wanting a researcher to
find a doctor who has seemingly "magical" powers to see into the
future and tell you if you are actually in remission? Or are you being
a bit facetious, and hoping to find a progressive diagnostician who is
willing to look at you from the beginning in a more comprehensive
manner than just focusing on the Cushing's disease?
Answer  
Subject: Re: Real life Dr. House?
Answered By: politicalguru-ga on 14 Nov 2006 21:56 PST
 
Dear Kalatraza, 

First of all, let me quote the disclaimer at the bottom of this page:
"Answers and comments provided on Google Answers are general
information, and are not intended to substitute for informed
professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal,
investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Google does not
endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product,
manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or
any opinion expressed in answers or comments. ". I also would like to
state, that miracles of the type you see on fiction do not always
happen in real life. Research has shown, that people watch ER, House
or other medical shows and tend to think that this is like "real
life". It is quite possible that your doctor is right (or at least,
the other specialists that you'll go to will say the same, although
he's wrong); or that you'll be even more disappointed by their
suggestions.

However, I have several suggestions for you. The first is to try
several clinics that are considered the best in treating Cushing. U.S.
News and World Report has complied a list:
Cushing Help - Best Hospitals
http://www.cushings-help.com/hospitals.htm 

Mayo Clinic
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/pituitary-tumors/rsttreatment.html> 
"Mayo Clinic comprises an integrated multispecialty clinic". 

Mass. General
<http://pituitary.mgh.harvard.edu/> 
Please note their new study on Cushing's

Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore 
<http://www.neuro.jhmi.edu/PituitaryCenter/> 

University of Virginia
<http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/adult_endocrin/wdc-bin/resources.cfm?eappid=1&termid=694>

The Cushing's Help site has its own suggestion: 
"[...] an Oregon doctor known for solving difficult cases [...]
William Ludlam, M.D., Ph.D., director of the OHSU Pituitary Unit, one
of the largest neuroendocrine centers in the country." (SOURCE:
Cushing's-Help, <http://www.cushings-help.com/media_karen.htm>).

William Ludlam
<http://www.ohsu.edu/medicine/divisions/endo/ludlam.htm> 

UCLA Pituitary Tumor and Neuroendocrine Program
<http://www.pituitary.ucla.edu/> 

The second, which would fit your request, but might agitate some
people stuck to conventional medicine, is to have a look at clinics
offering "comprehensive evaluation" and "integrated medicine", which
basically belong to the realms of alternative medicine. However, it
deals with trying to understand the body as a whole, using also
"conventional" medicine. In other words, even if you distrust
"alternative medicine" as a solution to your problems, comprehensive
evaluation is not some mumbo-jumbo.

Here are few selected comprehensive evaluation clinics: 

NYC Urgent Care Center
<http://boltemedical.com/index.htm> 
"[...]Our New York City medical clinic specializes in immediate and
urgent care medicine, comprehensive evaluation and treatment of rare
and unusual illness[...]".

In an article about Bolte: 
""He spends at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours with each patient," Vulfova
said. "They talk about books, medicine, nutrition, philosophy of life,
literature, how our surroundings affect us, and the patient's own
life."

At first, Vulfova acknowledged, she wondered at the significance of
these discussions. But it's in just such far-reaching exchanges that
Bolte sometimes finds the root cause of a patient's complaint. For
example, one patient had a rash over her entire body. He noted that
she had elevated levels of petrochemicals in her blood, and set out to
ascertain why. As it turned out, her trailer was located over a train
depot from the 1800s. After the contaminated earth beneath her trailer
was removed and replaced, the patient's rash went away." (Guiding the
Quest, <http://alumni.binghamton.edu/AJ/2003/fall/feature01.htm>).

Integrative Medicine, in particular, at university clinics: 

Duke University - Integrative Medicine
<http://www.dukehealth.org/Services/IntegrativeMedicine/index> 

University of Maryland - Integrative Medicine
<http://www.compmed.umm.edu/> 

Stanford University Hospital - Comprehensive Evaluation and
Integrative Medicine Counseling
<http://www.stanfordhospital.com/clinicsmedServices/clinics/complementaryMedicine/evalCounseling>

Somewhere in the middle, you have some physicians specialising in
comprehensive diagnosis. For example:

Jerry M. Rosenbaum, MD
9400 SW 68 Court
9400 SW 68CT
Miami,  FL   33156
Ofc:  305-665-0440
Fax:  305-665-7442

Rosenbaum is retired. He is a relatively well known diagnostician, who
has written a book called "What's Wrong with Me"? (see the book here:
<http://www.whatswrongwithme.org/index.php>). 

A similar clinic is Foxhall

Foxhall Internists
3301 New Mexico Avenue, NW
in Washington D.C. 
http://www.foxhallinternists.com/default.asp 

However, perhaps getting a second opinion at the clinics listed above
would be the first step. I hope this answers your question. Please
contact me if you need any clarification on this answer before you
rate it.
Comments  
Subject: Re: Real life Dr. House?
From: tr1234-ga on 14 Nov 2006 19:18 PST
 
This isn't exactly what you're looking for (and I don't know if it's
feasible for you) but I remember reading about the Mayo Clinic
Executive Health Program
(http://www.mayoclinic.org/executive-health/index.html ) which is
basically a service where you can go to the (world famous) Mayo Clinic
and be guided through all the diagnostic tests you could want (or the
clinicians could think appropriate.) It's not a single Dr. House-type
doing brilliant medical things on your behalf, but it's access to many
of brilliant Mayo physicians and diagnosticians.

I imagine you might be able to access a similar level of diagnostic
excellence simply by being referred to Mayo or going there for a
second opinion. Or, if not Mayo, perhaps a second opinion from
whatever physicians or clincs might be recognized as expert at
Cushings would suit your needs.

Sorry not to be more helpful!

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