4 ms·

I know that Tanina Agosto‘s story is not the main content of the article, but it makes me incredibly angry. The idea that someone lives in a supposedly develop

I know that Tanina Agosto‘s story is not the main content of the article, but it makes me incredibly angry. The idea that someone lives in a supposedly developed country , has very worrying neurological symptomps and is not seen by a doctor for months is barbaric. The fact that she literally works in a hospital is an extra layer of insult on top of this. How are people okay with this system?

colechristensen 4y ago
Where isn’t this true unless you’re rich and connected?
- doctor_eval 4y ago
  Australia? MS clinics around the country are free under Medicare, as is treatment. My friend is receiving twice annual infusions of Ocrelizumab. It literally costs them nothing. I mean you can argue that Australia is a rich country, but it’s available to any citizen regardless of wealth.
  - ipaddr 4y ago
    You first need to get someone to prescribe Ocrelizumab
    - doctor_eval 4y ago
      That really was not a problem.
  - refurb 4y ago
    https://www.msaustralia.org.au/news/subsidy-recommendations-announced-for-two-medications-for-progressive-ms/ https://www.msaustralia.org.au/news/subsidy-recommendations-... It's not available if you have early, MRI-active primary progressive MS. PBAC decided not to reimbursement ocrelizumab for that.
    - Broken_Hippo 4y ago
      Many if not most countries have preferred front-line treatments, usually decided by a combination of overall costs. These costs will include things like actual monetary cost, how closely you need to be monitored by your doctors (blood tests and stuff), how severe side effects are, how much the reduce disability in the long term, the ability of patients to stick with it and things like that.
      - refurb 4y ago
        Right. And some countries choose to have first-line treatments that prioritize lower cost over efficacy of therapy. It's great as a taxpayer, not so great at a patient.
    - rj9000 4y ago
      Some countries prescribe Rituximab as quasi off-label for MS. Basically same drug for all intents and purposes as Ocrevus. I think Sweden uses Rituximab openly for MS. In the US I've heard some neuros prescribe Rituximab if insurance won't cover O.
      - refurb 4y ago
        Rituximab was shown to be inferior in a head to head comparison against ocrelizumab.
- nso 4y ago
  Most of europe
  - tazjin 4y ago
    In most parts of Europe getting to a specialist (e.g. a neurologist in this case) may still involve a long wait.
    - tluyben2 4y ago
      That’s because people trust their gp; if you don’t, you get referred fast. At least where I have lived and I am on public healthcare; experience with NL ES PT UK BE; never have to wait for anything.
      - nxm 4y ago
        No, in Poland it’s because there is simply a long wait for on and not because people trust their gp (quite the opposite in many cases)
    - Broken_Hippo 4y ago
      That's the case in many places of the US as well.
lostlogin 4y ago
Surely the story has been inaccurately recounted, as picking a pinched nerve, then recommending chiropractic treatment for a patient with a lack of sensation on one side of the body seems unlikely from anyone with any medical knowledge.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- vkazanov 4y ago
  I didn't read the article. But my friend here in London couldn't get past GP with half of her body losing sensation. It took a LOT of pressure from her husband to get to see somebody relevant. It turned out to be quite serious but healable given timely help. Most people would just give up until much more problematic symptoms develop.
  - tluyben2 4y ago
    It is your health; I don’t know about the US but in NL UK ES PT you have to apply yourself to get attention but then you do; I get help fast whatever I have because I am not taking no for an answer; people who do, well, it is your health; it is not exactly ok to just walk out when you are in trouble. You push and don’t leave until you get help. My gp did what Seinfeld George wanted; go away it’s not cancer; it was cancer and I knew it but you have to get aggressive to get attention in many places as most people go to their doctor for a chat because they need to (which, in an ideal world, is a reason to go as well by the way). People believe their gp is a smart person and knows things; they don’t; they are the gatekeepers: don’t listen to them, just get referred asap.
    - vkazanov 4y ago
      Yeah... My impression is that NHS has some sort of guidelines explaining default GP reactions to keywords. E.g., "pain in the back" is the fastest way to end the conversation.
- thewebcount 4y ago
jibe 4y ago
The idea that someone lives in a supposedly developed country , has very worrying neurological symptomps and is not seen by a doctor for months is barbaric. That's not what happened? She saw a doctor within a day, and was unfortunately misdiagnosed. The 29-year-old couldn’t control her left side, even her face. “Literally the top of my head to the bottom of my foot on the left side of my body could not feel anything.” The next day, Agosto spoke with a doctor at the New York City hospital where she works as a medical secretary. He told her that she probably had a pinched nerve and to see a chiropractor.
- krisoft 4y ago
  “Spoke with a doctor” sounds like she had a chat with a coworker on a hallway. If that is not the case and she was properly examined then misdiagnosed then the journalist choose a misleading wording.

colechristensen 4y ago

Where isn’t this true unless you’re rich and connected?

doctor_eval 4y ago
Australia? MS clinics around the country are free under Medicare, as is treatment. My friend is receiving twice annual infusions of Ocrelizumab. It literally costs them nothing. I mean you can argue that Australia is a rich country, but it’s available to any citizen regardless of wealth.
- ipaddr 4y ago
  You first need to get someone to prescribe Ocrelizumab
  - doctor_eval 4y ago
    That really was not a problem.
- refurb 4y ago
  https://www.msaustralia.org.au/news/subsidy-recommendations-announced-for-two-medications-for-progressive-ms/ https://www.msaustralia.org.au/news/subsidy-recommendations-... It's not available if you have early, MRI-active primary progressive MS. PBAC decided not to reimbursement ocrelizumab for that.
  - Broken_Hippo 4y ago
    Many if not most countries have preferred front-line treatments, usually decided by a combination of overall costs. These costs will include things like actual monetary cost, how closely you need to be monitored by your doctors (blood tests and stuff), how severe side effects are, how much the reduce disability in the long term, the ability of patients to stick with it and things like that.
    - refurb 4y ago
      Right. And some countries choose to have first-line treatments that prioritize lower cost over efficacy of therapy. It's great as a taxpayer, not so great at a patient.
  - rj9000 4y ago
    Some countries prescribe Rituximab as quasi off-label for MS. Basically same drug for all intents and purposes as Ocrevus. I think Sweden uses Rituximab openly for MS. In the US I've heard some neuros prescribe Rituximab if insurance won't cover O.
    - refurb 4y ago
      Rituximab was shown to be inferior in a head to head comparison against ocrelizumab.
nso 4y ago
Most of europe
- tazjin 4y ago
  In most parts of Europe getting to a specialist (e.g. a neurologist in this case) may still involve a long wait.
  - tluyben2 4y ago
    That’s because people trust their gp; if you don’t, you get referred fast. At least where I have lived and I am on public healthcare; experience with NL ES PT UK BE; never have to wait for anything.
    - nxm 4y ago
      No, in Poland it’s because there is simply a long wait for on and not because people trust their gp (quite the opposite in many cases)
  - Broken_Hippo 4y ago
    That's the case in many places of the US as well.

lostlogin 4y ago

Surely the story has been inaccurately recounted, as picking a pinched nerve, then recommending chiropractic treatment for a patient with a lack of sensation on one side of the body seems unlikely from anyone with any medical knowledge.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
vkazanov 4y ago
I didn't read the article. But my friend here in London couldn't get past GP with half of her body losing sensation. It took a LOT of pressure from her husband to get to see somebody relevant. It turned out to be quite serious but healable given timely help. Most people would just give up until much more problematic symptoms develop.
- tluyben2 4y ago
  It is your health; I don’t know about the US but in NL UK ES PT you have to apply yourself to get attention but then you do; I get help fast whatever I have because I am not taking no for an answer; people who do, well, it is your health; it is not exactly ok to just walk out when you are in trouble. You push and don’t leave until you get help. My gp did what Seinfeld George wanted; go away it’s not cancer; it was cancer and I knew it but you have to get aggressive to get attention in many places as most people go to their doctor for a chat because they need to (which, in an ideal world, is a reason to go as well by the way). People believe their gp is a smart person and knows things; they don’t; they are the gatekeepers: don’t listen to them, just get referred asap.
  - vkazanov 4y ago
    Yeah... My impression is that NHS has some sort of guidelines explaining default GP reactions to keywords. E.g., "pain in the back" is the fastest way to end the conversation.
thewebcount 4y ago

jibe 4y ago

The idea that someone lives in a supposedly developed country , has very worrying neurological symptomps and is not seen by a doctor for months is barbaric. That's not what happened? She saw a doctor within a day, and was unfortunately misdiagnosed. The 29-year-old couldn’t control her left side, even her face. “Literally the top of my head to the bottom of my foot on the left side of my body could not feel anything.” The next day, Agosto spoke with a doctor at the New York City hospital where she works as a medical secretary. He told her that she probably had a pinched nerve and to see a chiropractor.

krisoft 4y ago
“Spoke with a doctor” sounds like she had a chat with a coworker on a hallway. If that is not the case and she was properly examined then misdiagnosed then the journalist choose a misleading wording.