I have been waiting to see a Neurologist since my aborted stroke and today is the first Neurology appointment. I have 2 scheduled because I want a few opinions. My appointment with VCU Neurology is coming up in about a month.
Today I saw Dr. Maria Guina. When the appointment was made with the Neurologist, it was supposed to be for follow up care after the stroke, somehow, the Neurology office had me being seen for Headache. This is the first frustration I faced with this office.
The front desk assistant was very pleasant while checking me in. The office didn’t have both of my insurances on file so I got that updated.
I was called back a few minutes after I finished checking in. I wasn’t too impressed with the nurse. I was telling her all of what happened, and it seemed like she didn’t really have a lot of interest in listening to me. (I wish it ended with her not listening to me, but it didn’t). She left and after a few minutes, the Doctor came in.
Immediately the Doctor started in on me about why I didn’t follow up with their office a couple years ago after I was seen there. I told her because you prescribed a medication, and I kept calling to check on the status of the Prior Authorization and I would 1. never get an answer or a returned call or 2. I was told by the nurse that if I wanted the medication, I would need to call my insurance company myself. That really upset me. The Doctor didn’t respond.
Next, she starts talking to me about what happened. I started explaining and every time I would start talking, she would cut me off and try to put words in my mouth. This kept happening and I got irritated. She didn’t like what I was saying and wanted me to say what she wanted me to say. She asked why the Cardiologist didn’t put me on a certain medication and I kept trying to tell her that I am waiting for my follow up with my Cardiologist to see what he wants to do and that he wanted to wait for all of my test results to come back before he made any decisions. She clearly didn’t want to hear it because I was once again cut off several times while trying to tell her. At this point, I was growing more and more frustrating.
The Doctor refused to possibly consider that I had a stroke. She told me I was too young and that there was no way. She said without a doubt that I had the Hemipelagic migraine. I tried to ask her why the clot buster medication worked the exact way the Neurologist said it would work and why my symptoms continued to improve after being administered the medication. The TNK clot buster medication is not a medication they give to everyone with a migraine. In order to get the medication, you have to show symptoms of a true stroke. I told her that both my Cardiologist and PCP said it was an Aborted Stroke and she basically said they are idiots and that she is the Neurologist and not them. I proceeded to ask her “why are you making a medication decision for my Cardiologist then since you are just a Neurologist”. She did not respond. She then proceeded with my neurologic assessment. She was so distracted during my neurologic assessment that she ended up repeating it. I was very confused by this. Dr. Guina was so focused on what she wanted that she completely dismissed the stroke and just deemed it a migraine. She changed my preventative migraine medication and my rescue medication.
Once she was finally done, she asked me if I was happy with the appointment today and if I still wanted to see VCU. I told her, I was absolutely keeping my appointment with VCU and that I did not trust her, and I did not think she was professional. I also told her before I left, that I would never see her again.
This was a terrible experience. I normally give all doctors the benefit of the doubt, but this one is reckless and dangerous and should not be allowed to treat patients the way she did. I will never go back to see her, and I would encourage anyone else, not to see her.
Nic of Time - Travel 