Barry Singer, MD, director of the MS Center for Innovations in Care at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri, shares guidance on recognizing when to speak up and make changes in your MS care.
Transcript
Well, you know, I think that’s common. So sometimes, oh, well, I’m not going to start testing the doctor’s judgment or confronting them.
MS is a long-term disease. I mean, I’ve got some patients I’ve been taking care of for over 25 years.
We’re in this together. And so you should be able to voice concerns or if you think something needs to be changed, you should voice why. “What’s going on? Why do you think things are getting worse? Are you having a harder time walking? Is your balance worse? Are you having a harder time finding words?”
So we’re looking for those changes, and your provider should really be listening to you. And if you don’t feel comfortable, if this is a repetitive problem over years of doctors not listening to you, then you’ve got to decide if that relationship is right for you. I mean, you only have one brain and one spinal cord, and we’ve got to protect it.
