@JaimeS @Sing @Dechi @lakesarecool @Kati @Little Bluestem @halcyon @Sushi @JohnM @ScottTriGuy
Hi guys!
I had my first Skype appointment with Dr. Hyde this morning. I tagged some of you in case you're still interested in knowing how it went. If not, my apologies.
First off, I'll tell you how I became his patient. I live about 9-10 hours away from Ottawa, hence the Skype session. Back in January 2017, I emailed the two email addresses I could find on Dr. Hyde's website (google the Nightingale Foundation). I got a response about 6-8 weeks later from Dr. Hyde's secretary. She took my information and told me to write my symptoms in an email she would forward to Dr. Hyde. I also sent her test results I recently had done. I didn't hear from them for about 3 months and out of the blue, Dr. Hyde himself called me to tell me how this would all work. (Two Skype sessions of 2 hours at $200 each, then probably some testing in Ottawa.) And the Skype appointment was set for today.
The appointment was very long - almost 3 hours (went above the two hour timeframe). Dr. Hyde is very calm, extremely smart and not "judgy" like many doctors I've seen in the past. He does talk a bit about Canadian history and his younger self here and there when you mention where you live or when you go off on a tangent, but it's a good break from all the medical questions you must answer. Some things I couldn't believe he could tell over Skype:
-I wasn't wearing my glasses and he could tell my eyes were out of focus (no one has EVER noticed it before)
-While looking at my hands, he said: you didn't tell me you broke your pinky. I actually didn't even remember that I had, but he noticed the littlest irregularity of my finger.
-He figured out I had mild temporomandibular arthritis and a "crowded mouth" by looking at my teeth and having me do some movements with my mouth/jaw.
I was speechless.
He goes very indepth - your medical history from age 1-4. Then from kindergarten to grade 12. And from grade 12 to present. He also takes family history of illnesses and highest level of education - your mother and all her siblings and her parents and your father, all siblings and parents. That takes a while.
He stated a few times that what he does, is rule out any potential illness that could act as CFS/ME, which is alright with me. I'm only looking for diagnosis at this time, not treatment (baby steps!). He already prepared requisitions to send to my hospital to start checking anything related to the heart (Holter, Echo, Stress test, Carotid US, etc). After he gets the results, we'll meet on Skype again.
I am extremely satisfied with Dr. Hyde. I think he could give House a run for his money. I can see how some people say he talks too much about himself, but I don't think it's to gloat - he's just passionate about what he does. I can't wait for the next meeting. I can keep you guys posted for the next one too. And, if you have any questions, fire away. I'll be glad to help!
