Thanks for Looking at the Patient and Not at the Most Common Diagnosis

I answered the phone at work and couldn't hear the person at the other end. I hung up and the phone rang again with the same problem. With the 3rd ring, I switched to the left ear and could hear the caller. I switched back to the right ear and asked the caller to speak again and could hear nothing.

I contacted Dr. Alexander, who was not an MDVIP Physician at the time. She told me to come to the office that afternoon. After a few moments of questions and a look into each ear, she asked if I would be willing to take steroids. Since I had been reluctant about taking certain medications in the past, she explained that time was essential since nerve damage in the ear could be permanent. A virus was a possible cause for the hearing loss. Her diagnosis was "sudden hearing loss." She felt that it was possible that a high dose steroid treatment would reduce inflammation and swelling in the hearing organs.

She contacted an ENT and got me an appointment with the ENT immediately. The ENT evaluated my situation with sophisticated hearing tests and determined that I was deaf in the right ear. She then repeated the diagnosis and treatment that Dr. Alexander had recommended. The ENT confirmed the importance of acting quickly or the damage would be permanent. Within 6 days of the beginning of high dose steroid treatment, my hearing returned.

I later asked Dr. Alexander how many cases of "sudden hearing loss" she had in her practice. She replied, "none." I asked how she knew about it. She said that she had read about it.

I am so appreciative of her diagnostic skills, intellect and training that has encouraged her to look at each patient as a unique medical personality. She didn't start with what most patients had when they came to the office: head colds and "stopped up ears." Sifting through the list of the common diagnoses when presented with "stopped up ears" would have cost me time and my ability to hear in the right ear.

Thank you, Dr. Alexander. You are a great Diagnostician not only because you are well trained and smart, but because you have always taken the time to know your patient. That time spent with the patient has benefited each of your patients as they strive for a healthy life-style and for an attentive medical partner when health problems arise.