A Few Good Doctors

One of the deepest regrets I have in looking back over the years of recovery from my brain injury, is not finding doctors that understood the problem or cared enough about me to figure out the help I needed. I was called names and labeled a "malingerer" (lasy, good for nothing person) which I was not. In my search for good information I ran across this website and thought I would share the information with you, as it pertains to finding the right kind of doctor.

The Brain Injury Resource Center website is loaded with great information - check it out - http://www.headinjury.com/doctors.htm


From The Ashes:
A Brain Injury Survivor's Guide

Choosing the right doctor. In this age of specialization, it is wise to find a doctor with appropriate credentials, and expertise in the areas of your interest. The objective is to find a doctor who is technically up to date, and who cares about your suffering and the suffering of your family. If the doctor does not have special expertise and appropriate credentials in head injury, find someone who does.

You will want to find someone who will trust you and help you to identify and manage your own impairments. Not every doctor is willing to allow you this kind of freedom and support. Before anything else is settled, tell the doctor specifically what you want. If the doctor is unwilling to cooperate with you, keep looking until you find the right one for you.


Washington

Associates in Rehabilitation and Neuropsychology
1221 Madison, Ste 1120
Seattle WA 98104 - Telephone: 206-386-3860

Randal Beaton, PhD - Clinical Psychology
2910 East Madison St., Ste 212
Seattle WA 98112 -- Telephone:206-322-8353

William Burkhart, PhD - Clinical Psychology
10740 Meridian Ave N., Ste 104
Seattle WA 98133 - Telephone: 206-365-1428

Dr. Stephen C. Chan, DC, Evergreen Chiropractic Clinic
1032 S. Jackson St., Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98104
DIRECT: (206) 851-8955 - OFFICE: (206) 709-4006
email: stephen chan

David Coppel, PhD - Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology and Sports Psychology - Offices in Seattle, and Kirkland,WA
Telephone: 206-323-1600 - 425-822-1988
Works with Olympic & world class athlets as well as TBI

Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, MD, FACEP, Assoc. Professor & Director Lightning & Electrical Injury Evaluation Program, Deputy Head of Academic Affairs - University of Illinois at Chicago. Sensitive to needs of electric shock and lightening strike survivors.
url: http://www.uic.edu:80/~macooper/cindex.htm --

Lloyd Cripe, PhD - Neuropsychologist - Box 250, Carlsborg WA 98324 - Telephone: 360-683-8885

Gayle Fay, PhD - Pediatric NeuroPsychologist - 1900 - 112th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 - Telephone: 425-452-8036

Robert T. Fraser, PhD - Vocational Specialist, 1221 Madison, Ste 1120
Seattle, WA 98104 - Telephone: 206-386-3860

Arthur H. Ginsberg, MD - Neurologist - 10330 Meridian N.
Seattle, WA 98133 - Telephone: 206-523-8990

Stephen Glass, MD - Pediatric Neurologist - 17924 - 140th Ave NE Ste 200 -- Woodinville, WA 98172 - Telephone: 425-424-9200

Herbert P. Gordon, DDS - TMJ Specialist - 2111 N. Northgate Way Ste. 221 -- Seattle, Wa 98133 - Telephone: 206-363-8240

Steven M. Horris, DC - Chiropractor - Ballard Back Clinic,
1534 NW 56th St - Seattle, WA 98107, Telephone: 206-784-2510
url: http://www.BallardBackClinic.com/

Ted Judd, PhD -Certified Hispanic Mental Health Specialist - Home based therapy, ecological model of recovery. Tasks as rehab exercises. Bellingham,WA 98225 - Telephone: 360-255-2505
email: tjudd@az.com

Victoria Lee, PhD - Grief & Loss - 509 Olive Way,
Seattle, WA 98101 - Telephone: 206-682-7850

NW Spine Institute - Chiropractic - 15710 - 24th St, Ste B,
Bellevue, WA 98008 -- Telephone: 425-644-8636

Dr. Richard Reinking - Behavioral Medicine Assoc, 1601 -
114th Ave SE, Ste 180, Bellevue, WA 98004-6904 --
Telephone: 425-454-3110

Lauren Schwartz, PhD - 20016 Cedar Valley RD Ste B204
Lynnwood, Wa - Telephone: 206-774-3838

Karen Tanzy, PhD - 509 Olive Way, Seattle, WA -
Telephone: 206-682-7850

Rainier Valley Chiropractic, PS - Dr. David Butters, DC -
4236 - 36th Ave S., Seattle, WA - Telephone: 206-723-2820

Dr. Lee G. Yardley, Chiropractic, - Federal Way, WA 98055 --
Telephone: 253-529-1100



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Other States
Bill Levinger, M.D.- Pain Management, 10 years in Family Practice and E.R. Medicine, and then Anesthesia training and Board Certification.

Associates in Rehabilitation and Neuropsychology -
2751 Debarr Rd, Ste 390, Anchorage, AK 99508
Telephone: 907-274-8211

Jill Brooks, PhD - 125 Paterson St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1977 - Telephone: 908-235-6596

James English, PsyD ABPP, ABPN -
Board Certified Amer. Board of Prof. Neuropsychology;
Board Certified Amer. Board of Prof. Psychology-Clinica
Telephone: 406-771-3394
Practicing @ Group Medical Practice - 1400 29th St S, Great Falls, MT 59405


Edward G. Ezrailson, Ph.D. -- Science Expert-Toxicology, Pharmacology, & Chemistry - 2308 W. Settlers Way, The Woodlands, TX 77380
email: edez1@neosoft.com -- url: http://www.pharmtox.com
Telephone: 281-364-9037 - Fax: 281-298-6895

Fay Headache Center - 99 University Place, Fifth floor, New York, NY 10003, Telephone: 212-995-5588

Paul Greilick, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist, 921 W. 11th St., #1W Traverse City, MI 49684 -- Telephone: 231-922-2686 -
Fax: 231-929-5586 -- url: http://www.traverse-neuropsychology.com/

Health Restoration Medical Center -- 26381 Crown Valley #130
Mission Viejo, CA 92691 --Telephone: 800-300-1063; 949-367-8870
FAX: (949) 367-9779 -- url: http://www.strokedoctor.com/map.htm

Thomas Kay, PhD - Clinical Psychology,
Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation
333 E 34th St., Ste 1N, NY, NY 10016 --
Telephone: 212-532-5446

Louis T. LaPorta, Jr., Psy.D., Licensed Psychologist
Offices in Boca Raton and Plantation
email: Doctor_of_Psychology@hotmail.com
Telephone: 561-901-1430 Fax: 561- 447-7501

Dr. Harvey Liss, Psy-phd - Brattleboro Counseling Center
67 Main St, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 --
Telephone: 802-257-1062

Michael McCrea, PhD - Clinical Psychology - 721- American Ave, Ste 501, Waukesha, Wisconsin 53188 -- Telephone: 414-544-2396
email: michael.mccrea@phci.org

Dr. Denise Natale. DC - Four Seasons Chiropractic, 66 Route 100 North, Ludlow, VT 05149 -- Telephone:802-228-4243
email: dcngjs@sover.net

William V. Padula, MD - Specialties of Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation, Low Vision - Shoreline Vision Rehab Ctr - 652 Boston Post RD
Gilford, CT 06437 - Telephone: 203-453-2222 -
url: http://www.padulainstitute.com/

Nathan Zasler, MD, FAAPM&R, FAADEP, DAAPM, CIME, & Michael Martelli, PhD, DAAPM - Concussion Care Centre of Virginia, Ltd - 10120 West Broad St, Ste G, Glen Allen, VA 23060 -- Telephone: 804-270-5484; Fax: 804-346-1956 --
email: info@cccv-ltd.com -- url: http://www.cccv-ltd.com/

Dr. Diane Roberts Stoler, Ed.D.-- is a health psychologist who more than nine years ago sustained both a stroke from a cerebral bleed (AVM) and two traumatic brain injuries (auto accident and brain surgery).
url: http://www.drdiane.com

Sarah A. Raskin, Ph.D, Dept of Psychology, Trinity College 300 Summit St, Hartford, CT 06106-3100 -- Telephone: 860-297-2342;
Fax: 860-297-2538 -- email: sarah.raskin@trincoll.edu

Sharon E. Williams, Ph.D. Clinical Child Psychologist - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, CA 94305-5729 -- Telephone: 650-723-5435
email: sharonw@stanford.edu --


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Therapists
Michelle D. Garner, MSW - Coaching and Counseling - Seattle WA.- Telephone: 206-729-5299
url: http://www.GarnerPerspective.com

Innovative Speech - Joan Green, M.A. CCC-SLP - 11215 Seven Locks Road Potomac, MD 20854 -- Toll-free: 800-IST-2550
Telephone: 301-602-2899 or 703-531-1161
url: http://www.innovativespeech.com

Annette Stucky - Physical Therapist , Seattle WA.
email: physicaltherapy.guide@about.com

Patricia K. Youngmann, MS, CCS - Speech / Language Pathologist
10740 Meridian Ave N. Ste 104, Seattle WA 98133
Telephone: 206-619-2263

Ralph A Woestemeyer, CSW - TBI Consulting & Therapeutic Services
TBI Survivor and professional social worker specializing in TBI
New Paltz, NY -- url: http://rawcsw.com/ --
email: rawpower@worldshare.net

Brian Injury Kit - A Positive Approach to a Devastating Change

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Strange World - DECISIONS ON ERRORS OF FACTS

I have been in the “unknown” (strange world ) for nearly 30 years always believing it was “routine” after an auto accident and the symptoms were not unusual. But I may be one of the very few to search for answers during all those years hoping to be able to return to normal, which I saw as the original me.
Contrary to everyone’s opinion and belief, what I found was so unusual it left me no other possible choice but to accept my situation. All others thought I was making a wrong decision when I decided to try it…a situation that my body was actually telling me it could not be changed. When I did try, small, invisible change began to appear indicating something slightly different and subtle was happening to my body, I decided to stick with it. It was the wisest decision I ever made. My bodily memory lasted long enough to help me remember how long I had not been able to use my muscles, which resulted in their loss of the use of their active ability to function normally, and became stratified. I was not smart enough to know this was the reason why they couldn’t function nor was I aware enough of the importance of finding out why at this point)
Stimulating this and all the bodily functions, in the end took more than two years of stimulation – to help them try to function normally, again.
Or, so it seemed. But it was not so. It had by now been so depleted that whatever energy had not yet been completely exhausted, made it appear as though it was still functioning normally But one day, it exhausted itself It stopped functioning entirely, for more than a year. No one in the health care personnel field seemed to know the reason why. But, did they or had they just gone on assuring themselves their treatments were helping me, knowing full well they weren’t. When I finally called to find out why I was no longer being helped to my utter disgust, I was told by the person who had been giving those treatments for so many years, actually CONFESSED he, and others, had known all along that neither his or any other treatment was capable of curing or relieving it but was only capable of slowly continuing to delay any progress he had told me I was making.
It was just another ‘Health care treatment” that was known could only slow down the deterioration, but never telling me or the public or letting me know that was all it was capable of doing.
Would I, and other patients, be better off knowing the truth and learning to live with it rather than camouflaging the correct information to let us think we were actually being on the road to normalcy? Or was it money which seems to be more important these days than humanities health care?
Just another disillusionment of a health care professional we are told we are getting but are we?
It is almost frightening to think of what we are leaving our children to correct for themselves and their children and the future health care for all of us, including the world. What it will eventually do to our reputation is beyond the stretch or our imaginations.

HAVE YOU SEEN STARS?

With cars, sports, wars, a blow to the head has become a major incident, overlooked physical injury for a million and a half people yearly. Society and routine medical care divisions categorize and treat it as temporary. If it is, the patient is lucky. If it is not, it becomes permanent and takes years before this injury may be acknowledged by routine medical care physicians, because there are not adequate test for such an injury to alert the medical staff that there is a problem. Medical staff needs to do it the old fashioned way – by observing.

IF YOU RECEIVE A BLOW TO THE HEAD
1. Do not assume symptoms are not important when the blow to the head was only slight.
2. Minor symptoms are potential clues to a possible serious physical problem.
3. Will probably continue to increase in spite of diagnosis that says “they will go away.”
4. Don’t wait too long to learn about head injuries, doing so often causes compounded problems which will delay the healing process or may cause the injury to become permanent.
5. It is the patient’s responsibility to question any diagnoses that doesn’t feel right – do not “live with it” if it isn’t getting better – head injuries can become permanent if ignored.
6. Head Injury victims are also doing their own research, along with other support groups, research clinic and brain injury activist groups who are searching for explanations and evaluating beliefs, concepts, and potential advances.
7. Answers are complicated, human bodies are all different, their healing processes are not identical, finding the proper approach and treatment for each body is vital and the reason why finding the right answer is so difficult.

Moral of the story - keep asking questions, keep seeking answers, never accept advice that doesn't have your best interest at heart.