Unfortunately, I have to say my experience at OrthoMemphis was the worst I've had. I went there with a herniated disc; arrived half hour early as requested to fill out paperwork. I could not sit in a soft chair with the back pain so I stood. Then I was not taken into the exam room for another 40 minutes after my appt time. After standing for 70 minutes, my pain had reached a high level and my left side locked up so that I couldn't walk. When the nurse came out to call me back, she didn't look up to see where I was, (too busy reading) standing and WAVING to get her attention. So I had to call out across a room full of people. "Can you help me, please?" She yells back, "do you need a wheelchair?" Yes. She gets me one. I asked to lie down right away in the exam room. I was tearful by then and every move produced more sharp burning pain. I let out an involuntary scream of pain as I stretched out on the table. The nurse became very flustered. "I don't know what to do to help you." I asked for a pillow and then she left me alone in the room for 5-8 minutes!! Dr. Dowling came creeping into the exam room and kept his distance on the other side of the room. He had a silly smirk on his face. He did NOT introduce himself to me. He did not ask me about my pain, nor what pain meds I had, nor my history with regard to the herniated disc nor anything about me! It was bizarre! When I attempted to talk with him, explain my situation, he said, "I know your story." ??? When I asked him about whether this pain was going to get better, he said "you'll get better in 6-8 weeks. (It had already been 5 weeks of disc pain at that point.) The information he did give me was vague and ambiguous. It felt like he saw it as a big chore/imposition to have to be in the room with me. He said he would do a nerve block in a few days.
When I came for the nerve block (different location) the clinic staff at the place were nice and helpful. Again I had to stand for quite long (35 minutes) before going in so my pain was high once again. When Dr. Dowling came in, he again asked me no questions, kept his distance from me and was vague in answering my two questions.
After the nerve block, I was sent home without any further pain medicine. I figured, I guess I should feel a lot better after the epidural.
Two days later I was carried out of the house by paramedics and taken to ER. I WAS hysterical by that time with Excruciating pain!
All I can think is that the doctor had decided at the outset that I was one of those histrionic women, just making a dramatic scene and that he was therefore going to ignore all of that behavior and me, so as to not further encourage it. The next day after the ER, i got a call to schedule Physical therapy. I could barely walk--the pain was so intense and Dowling thought I could do PT!! I will NEVER go back to that Clinic again. I'm sure there are some excellent doctors there, but I didn't have one. read more