The Scheuermann’s Disease Fund, nor any of it’s volunteers or members, unless designated as such, do not have a licensed medical background or knowledge and none of the information contained in the website or said or written by its members in the site or any other medium, be it verbal or written, should not be construed as medical advice or recommendations. Any person searching for medical advice should do so by seeking a licensed medical professional.
Medical Resources
The Scheuermann’s Disease Fund, nor any of it’s volunteers or members, unless designated as such, do not have a licensed medical background or knowledge and none of the information contained in the website or said or written by its members in the site or any other medium, be it verbal or written, should not be construed as medical advice or recommendations. Any person searching for medical advice should do so by seeking a licensed medical professional.
Self-Education - By Doug Strott
“You can get all A's and still flunk life.” - Walker Percy
Over the years I have tried to educate myself as much as possible about my spinal condition but it truly has been a challenge, especially at the time of my diagnosis.
Access to information in the early 80‘s was not easy and fluid like it is today. Remember, it was the 80‘s and 90’s, the internet wasn’t developed yet. We had this really simple PAPER classification system called the Dewey Decimal System at our local library. If you don’t recall this, then ask someone over the age of 40 and they will tell you all about it. Fun time had by all who used it.
Regardless, it was important for me to discover as much as possible about this weird thing called “Scheuermann’s Disease”. I am a stickler for details so understanding what my body was going through was very important for me. Heck, like I’ve said before, there wasn’t much information, only a couple of paragraphs here and there, so I didn’t learn very much at first, so how bad could it be? I was 17, invincible, and had my whole life ahead of me.
Most importantly, though, the diagnosis and desire to learn more about SD got me started in wanting to learn more about my body. This was really important because it forced me to start LISTENING TO MY BODY.
What was happening to my body? As time would teach me, I couldn’t take the steadily worsening back and radiating leg pains for granted. They were here to stay, and as time taught me, they intensified significantly, especially with certain activities. Sadly, I knew some of my favorite sports were no longer in the cards for me.
As my pain increased it became clear that I needed to find doctors who understood my condition and were willing to help me. This sounds crazy, but there have been MANY doctors over the years that told me that Scheuermann’s Disease was BENIGN.
Benign: of a gentle disposition, gracious; showing kindness and gentleness; of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life
Does anything about Scheuermann’s Disease seem benign? I am not going to dwell on the doctors that chose to label me, or the disease that caused me so much pain in my life, benign.
But, as my sister Dana told me, “Dougie, your job is to live with as much grace as possible and not be grumpy or grow bitter.”
Well said Dana.
Oh well, back to how I choose my doctors.
Honestly, finding my doctors has been a fairly simple process. For some reason I have been blessed with phenomenal Primary Care Physicians (PCP). They have all taken great care of me, been knowledgable about Scheuermann’s Disease, and completely understanding and sympathetic of my pain. Their brilliant care has also helped me by referring other specialists to me (i.e. Neurologists, Rheumotologists, Orthopedic Spinal Surgeons, Neurosurgeons, Pain Specialists, Physical Therapists, Counselors) especially as the disease has progressed later in my life.
In fact, that was how I was first diagnosed with Scheuermann’s Disease when I was 17. My family physician (Dr. Richard Wright of Pittsburgh, PA, now retired) referred me to an orthopedic specialist, Dr. David Hartmann. Dr. Hartmann recognized the signs or Scheuermann’s Disease and started my treatment.
“A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.”
Dave Barry
The first questions to my PCP about the specialist were, “Do you know him/her? Good person?”. I figured if I was potentially going to trust this person with my life I better like the him or her. I could find a great deal out about my treating physician online doing a Google search, like:
Grades by patients
Current medical group and insurance carriers
Educational background
Previous employment
Charitable organization affiliation
Medical specialties
Case studies
However, If I didn’t like them I NEVER chose to be treated by them. Period. It didn’t matter if they were the best in their field. I didn’t want to be seen a doctor if they were an ass$#%^. I have always looked for information about my treating doctors and formed my own opinion about them from my first appointments.
First appointments were very important meetings so I always went with my girlfriend to meet with the doctor or surgeon. Two eyes are better than one. We would compare notes after the appointment and if we didn’t like the doctor I would ask the PCP for another referral. It is not like I am a snot or difficult to get along with, but if somebody is going to treat me for any length of time, I would prefer to trust them unequivocally AND like them. Just my preference.
By the way I ALWAYS recommend taking a second person to appointments when surgical procedures are to be discussed. I’ve found that once the word “cut” was said, my brain turned off and that was all I heard from that point on. My girlfriend had to let me know what happened the rest of the appointment when we got home.
As I have said before, I am “alive and limping” due to the expertise and care of some very special people. It is not just medical and technological advances that have made these medical professionals great. It is how these wonderful people (doctors, nurses, physician assistants, office managers, clinical staff, and so on) utilize those advances at various stages of my treatments, while showing their genuine concern for my well-being, that truly sets them apart.
You may be thinking that the people using these advances are physicians, but you would be wrong. What about the office manager that implemented a new scheduling program that allowed me, and other patients, to be seen by the doctor sooner? Or the appointment scheduler who wouldn’t let the doctor go home because my pain was so excruciating that they held the office open longer just to see me? What about the PA who continually complained that the office needed a new (and very expensive) piece of equipment in order to perform a new procedure in the office without anesthesia; thus allowing me, and so many other patients, to avoid added costs associated with a hospital? These are the people who have shown me so much kindness and genuine caring over the years and made the hurt a little less painful, and the pain a little less hurtful. Thank you so much.....
“In the sick room, ten cents' worth of human understanding equals ten dollars' worth of medical science.”
Martin H. Fischer
Self-Education - By Doug Strott
“You can get all A's and still flunk life.” - Walker Percy
Over the years I have tried to educate myself as much as possible about my spinal condition but it truly has been a challenge, especially at the time of my diagnosis.
Access to information in the early 80‘s was not easy and fluid like it is today. Remember, it was the 80‘s and 90’s, the internet wasn’t developed yet. We had this really simple PAPER classification system called the Dewey Decimal System at our local library. If you don’t recall this, then ask someone over the age of 40 and they will tell you all about it. Fun time had by all who used it.
Regardless, it was important for me to discover as much as possible about this weird thing called “Scheuermann’s Disease”. I am a stickler for details so understanding what my body was going through was very important for me. Heck, like I’ve said before, there wasn’t much information, only a couple of paragraphs here and there, so I didn’t learn very much at first, so how bad could it be? I was 17, invincible, and had my whole life ahead of me.
Most importantly, though, the diagnosis and desire to learn more about SD got me started in wanting to learn more about my body. This was really important because it forced me to start LISTENING TO MY BODY.
What was happening to my body? As time would teach me, I couldn’t take the steadily worsening back and radiating leg pains for granted. They were here to stay, and as time taught me, they intensified significantly, especially with certain activities. Sadly, I knew some of my favorite sports were no longer in the cards for me.
As my pain increased it became clear that I needed to find doctors who understood my condition and were willing to help me. This sounds crazy, but there have been MANY doctors over the years that told me that Scheuermann’s Disease was BENIGN.
Benign: of a gentle disposition, gracious; showing kindness and gentleness; of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life
Does anything about Scheuermann’s Disease seem benign? I am not going to dwell on the doctors that chose to label me, or the disease that caused me so much pain in my life, benign.
But, as my sister Dana told me, “Dougie, your job is to live with as much grace as possible and not be grumpy or grow bitter.”
Well said Dana.
Oh well, back to how I choose my doctors.
Honestly, finding my doctors has been a fairly simple process. For some reason I have been blessed with phenomenal Primary Care Physicians (PCP). They have all taken great care of me, been knowledgable about Scheuermann’s Disease, and completely understanding and sympathetic of my pain. Their brilliant care has also helped me by referring other specialists to me (i.e. Neurologists, Rheumotologists, Orthopedic Spinal Surgeons, Neurosurgeons, Pain Specialists, Physical Therapists, Counselors) especially as the disease has progressed later in my life.
In fact, that was how I was first diagnosed with Scheuermann’s Disease when I was 17. My family physician (Dr. Richard Wright of Pittsburgh, PA, now retired) referred me to an orthopedic specialist, Dr. David Hartmann. Dr. Hartmann recognized the signs or Scheuermann’s Disease and started my treatment.
“A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.”
Dave Barry
The first questions to my PCP about the specialist were, “Do you know him/her? Good person?”. I figured if I was potentially going to trust this person with my life I better like the him or her. I could find a great deal out about my treating physician online doing a Google search, like:
Grades by patients
Current medical group and insurance carriers
Educational background
Previous employment
Charitable organization affiliation
Medical specialties
Case studies
However, If I didn’t like them I NEVER chose to be treated by them. Period. It didn’t matter if they were the best in their field. I didn’t want to be seen a doctor if they were an ass$#%^. I have always looked for information about my treating doctors and formed my own opinion about them from my first appointments.
First appointments were very important meetings so I always went with my girlfriend to meet with the doctor or surgeon. Two eyes are better than one. We would compare notes after the appointment and if we didn’t like the doctor I would ask the PCP for another referral. It is not like I am a snot or difficult to get along with, but if somebody is going to treat me for any length of time, I would prefer to trust them unequivocally AND like them. Just my preference.
By the way I ALWAYS recommend taking a second person to appointments when surgical procedures are to be discussed. I’ve found that once the word “cut” was said, my brain turned off and that was all I heard from that point on. My girlfriend had to let me know what happened the rest of the appointment when we got home.
As I have said before, I am “alive and limping” due to the expertise and care of some very special people. It is not just medical and technological advances that have made these medical professionals great. It is how these wonderful people (doctors, nurses, physician assistants, office managers, clinical staff, and so on) utilize those advances at various stages of my treatments, while showing their genuine concern for my well-being, that truly sets them apart.
You may be thinking that the people using these advances are physicians, but you would be wrong. What about the office manager that implemented a new scheduling program that allowed me, and other patients, to be seen by the doctor sooner? Or the appointment scheduler who wouldn’t let the doctor go home because my pain was so excruciating that they held the office open longer just to see me? What about the PA who continually complained that the office needed a new (and very expensive) piece of equipment in order to perform a new procedure in the office without anesthesia; thus allowing me, and so many other patients, to avoid added costs associated with a hospital? These are the people who have shown me so much kindness and genuine caring over the years and made the hurt a little less painful, and the pain a little less hurtful. Thank you so much.....
“In the sick room, ten cents' worth of human understanding equals ten dollars' worth of medical science.”
Martin H. Fischer
