When Nancy came down with laryngitis, her doctor prescribed her steroids and said to rest for two weeks. However, the laryngitis never truly went away and she had it often over the next two and a half years. As a call center worker, this was especially detrimental because she was frequently unable to work.
After being on the medication for so long, it stopped being effective in curing the laryngitis. She finally got an appointment with the only laryngologist
in Nebraska, who performed extensive testing—everything from cancer screenings to allergy assessments. Thankfully, the laryngologist found no evidence of cancer, but the tests showed Nancy had muscle tension dysphonia, a condition that affects the larynx muscles when they’re overworked.
Very concerned about losing her job at the call center, Nancy contacted Best Doctors, a free benefit she had through her employer. From the very first call, she was so glad she decided to use Best Doctors’ services. “Everyone was great. They were so patient and answered all of my questions,” she said.
“I expected it to be more like calling a customer service line, but I got a very clinical view and people who actually cared to take the time out to listen to me,” she said. In the Best Doctors report, the expert confirmed her diagnosis and recommended treatment options.
Nancy was initially worried her doctor would be offended she got a second opinion, but he was thrilled when she showed him the report. “My doctor
follows the expert’s work, and was extremely gratified to have this expert personally review his work and to know he had the right diagnosis and hadn’t missed anything,” she said. Nancy and her treating physician began treating her dysphonia with muscle relaxers, and her employer transferred her to the email team so she wouldn’t become permanently disabled.
A couple of months later, she opened another case with Best Doctors. She was very interested in beekeeping, but was nervous she was allergic to bees, as an allergy test showed a reaction to yellow jackets, but a following blood test was inconclusive. Because allergies aggravated her dysphonia, she needed Best Doctors to confirm whether or not she was allergic before she began beekeeping. The Best Doctors staff already had her allergy reports from her previous case, so they were able to quickly collect the other information they needed and send it to an expert for review, who explained Nancy didn’t have any antibodies to bee venom, so there was no reason she couldn’t keep bees. In the report, he even offered advice on beekeeping.
“I was so grateful, because it gave me a window of opportunity I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” she said. Both experiences were very positive, and she told everyone about who Best Doctors is and what it does. Nancy said, “If another need arises, I would use Best Doctors again in a New York minute.”
