Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Shoved to Them

Home
Catholic
At Least She Didn’t Say Conversion

At Least She Didn’t Say Conversion

Last updated on: August 22, 2014 at 3:46 pm by Rebecca Frech

At Least She Didn’t Say Conversion 2014-08-22T15:46:55-05:00 Rebecca Frech

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It wasn’t quite what we had hoped that it would be….Dr I was supposed to be our second opinion. She was sold to us as a brilliant physician who, while a little brusque, was extremely competent. She was meant to be unbiased by the chicanery of Dallas Children’s Hospital….but she wasn’t.

We started off with her chipper medical student assistant. She spent around 45 minutes examining Ella, and another half hour taking down her medical history. She asked us if we’d had the MRI she saw had been ordered, and if there had been an a EMG performed. When I said that they had been done, she asked to know where because she didn’t have any record of them or results in Ella’s records.

The Medical Student didn’t ask as many questions as I’d have expected, but I chalked that up her youth and inexperience. She was friendly, even if she was a tiny bit unsure of what she was doing. Then, she stepped into the hall, and we heard her in conversation with a woman whom I assumed was Dr I.

When she reappeared, it was with a Germanic-looking woman whose stern expression was unsettling. There was no warmth or friendliness in her gaze as she began examining Ella in the shortest, most perfunctory neurological exam I’ve ever seen. In fewer than five minutes, she seemed to have made a decision about my daughter’s fate. She stepped away from the exam table, and fixed us with her gaze.

“Alright,” she stated, “I’ve looked over the other physicians’ notes and the test results, and they are all normal. There is nothing neurological wrong with her, so what is it that you want me to do?“

My mind raced as my jaw dropped open. How had she reviewed the test results she didn’t have? Why had she read the records when she was supposed to be unbiased? Her diagnosis had been set before she even walked into the room. Why had she wasted our time?

“We want to know why she can’t walk, and whether or not it’s going to spread,” I gulped uncertainly.

“I don’t know what else I could possibly test that hasn’t already been done. There’s nothing neurologically wrong that I can see. She’s completely healthy. All that she needs is intense physical therapy.”

My mind raced and I stammered “…what about her toes that don’t wrinkle? Her legs that are cold and hairless? What about the lack of sensation even when she’s asleep? The neurophyschologist said that it was her para..”

“You don’t need to worry about that.” She interrupted me, and with finality said, “She needs intense physical therapy every day and she will get better. That’s it.”

And with that she walked abruptly from the room.

Ella reached up and touched my arm as she said, “Let’s go to the car mom, so that no one can see you when you start to cry.”

I’ve spent all day coming up with the things I wish I would have asked:

She’s been in physical therapy three times a week since this began, and still declined. Why will it make a difference now..

If this helps her, we will be the most ecstatic of parents. If it doesn’t, what’s our next move?

How long should we wait before we know whether or not it’s helping?

Why don’t the signs of autonomic nervous system damage matter? What caused them?

Why aren’t her poor circulation signs important? What caused them?

Even if physical therapy heals her, why caused this? What’s to stop it from returning?

What was the point of examining Ella if you’d already made up your mind from the notes of other doctors?

How did you review test results that you didn’t have?

And a thousand others…

So there you have it. She did everything but say Conversion. Only the finding of three psychiatric professionals stopped her from using that word, but it was clearly understood.

It would seem that all we’ve needed since April was good physical therapy. Who knew? (I’m now going to go whack my head against a wall*.*)

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I’m sorry to not have happier things to report.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

August 6, 2014

Dreading The Morning

Next Post

August 8, 2014 Fun and Frivolous

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What Christian group traditionally worships in silence?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Quakers Anglicans Jehovah’s Witnesses Baptists