Lyme Disease

Hours:

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 10am-5pm (PST).
Office visits and telephone consultations are by appointment only.

Fees:

Initial consultation (45-60 mins) – $325.

Follow up (20-30 mins) – $165.
Brief follow up (10-15 mins) – $85.

Appointments:

Appointments are scheduled by telephone or email. Please leave possible dates and times. The staff at RestorMedicine will confirm your appointment time with you.

Payment is due at the time of your consultation. Methods of payment are: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, check, and cash.

First appointment: All initial paperwork must be completed, signed, and received by our office preferably 2 business days prior to your scheduled appointment. Please fax or email these forms (as single PDF file if emailing). Also send an electronic photograph (JPEG format) for our medical records.

First appointment: If paying by check for a phone consultation, the check must be received in advance of your consultation. If paying by credit card you may be asked to provide your credit card number at time of scheduling to hold the appointment.

Follow-up consults may be scheduled in 15, 30 or 60-minute blocks of time.

Consultations with other healthcare providers and/or any research requested by the patient are billable services and will be charged at the hourly rate.

Scheduled consultations that include review of lab tests require that laboratory test results be received at least 24 hours prior to appointment.

Medical Letters:

Medical letters to schools, insurance companies, disability, etc. are a billable service. If these items are requested there may be an additional charge based on the time involved at the hourly rate to complete your request.

Office Consultations:

Please advise the doctor if wheelchair access is required.

Phone Consultations:

Dr. Nicola will call you at the time of your scheduled consultation. Please allow a 10 minute window from your appointment time to hear from Dr. Nicola.

Dr. Nicola requires patients outside of the USA to call the office at the time of their scheduled phone consultation. If this is not possible, then phone consultation phone bill charge will be billed to the patient. Dr. Nicola also uses Skype (user name is NicolaMcF).

Cancellations:

Patients who forget their appointment or cancel less than 24 hours prior to the appointment will be required to pay 50% of the missed visit fee. Please understand that a missed appointment could have gone to another patient. New patients may be required to provide a credit card number when their appointment is scheduled to hold their appointment time.

Questions and Follow-up:

Please direct e-mails, faxes or letters regarding you or your child’s care to info@restormedicine.com. Questions must be brief and concise. Dr. Nicola will determine if a phone or office consult is needed to answer your question(s). Otherwise, she or an administrative assistant will respond to your inquiry. When leaving a voice mail message, please be brief and concise and always include your name and phone number, including the area code.

Please Note: We try to accommodate questions regarding treatment clarification at no charge. Simply put, if you have a quick question about a supplement or diagnostic test we recommended or a therapy reaction you may be experiencing, then by all means contact us. However, if the response to a question you submit requires doctor research and/or review, you may be billed for the time involved at the doctor’s hourly rate, or requested that you schedule a phone consultation.

Follow-up Office Consultations:

We generally recommend that all patients minimally have an office consultation with Dr. Nicola every 6 months.

Insurance:

Dr. Nicola does not accept any insurance plan, nor bill insurance on your behalf. She will supply you with a “superbill” or medical receipt that you can submit to your carrier for reimbursement. She makes no guarantee of payment or reimbursement by your insurance carrier.

Dr. Nicola does not accept insurance liens, assignments, or any reimbursement from your insurance carrier.

Currently there exists two “standards of care” for these illnesses. One standard believes that Lyme is a simple illness, easily diagnosed and easily cured with one or two short courses of antibiotics. The other recognizes that Lyme and associated diseases comprise a complex medical condition that often require prolonged or repeated courses of possibly multiple antibiotics, given in generous doses. The latter point of view is reflected in the treatment guidelines as published by the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). This office does follow the latter standard and supports the ILADS guidelines. Dr. McFadzean, as a Naturopathic Doctor, tries to use natural treatments where possible, but she may also recommend antibiotic regimens depending on the case. In the state of Connecticut she is not permitted to actually prescribe those medications, nor can she for patients overseas.

I understand that it is conceivable that some or all of my current symptoms either may not be due to tick-borne diseases, or they may represent permanent changes to my system, in which case further antibiotic treatment may be of no further benefit. Also, as no single treatment regimen is universally successful, it is possible that the antibiotic therapy maybe of minimal or no benefit.

There are potential risks involved in using antibiotics. Some of the more common problems can include, but are not limited to: allergic reactions manifested as rashes, swelling, and possibly difficulties in breathing; such problems may require medications to reverse the allergy, and may even require emergency treatments. Other potential complications include stomach and bowel upset, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and possibly even colon inflammation, which may require interruption of the Lyme medications and the prescribing of other medications to manage the digestive upset. It is also possible that secondary infections, such as yeast infections of the skin, mouth, intestinal, and genital tracts may occur, resulting in discomfort and the need for corrective therapies. Although unlikely, it is also possible that the medications used in the treatment of Lyme and its symptoms may result in other problems, such as negative effects on the liver, kidneys, and other internal organs.

On the other hand, I realize that if I am indeed infected, then the risk of not taking treatment must be considered. Not receiving treatment may be more hazardous to short and long term health than the potential risks of using medications and other remedies.

Because much of the diagnosis, management, and clinical conclusions made by Dr. McFadzean and her staff in my case require my input, such as honest and accurate reporting of all of the symptoms, and willingness to agree to ongoing, reasonable testing as requested as well as follow-up office visits as often as deemed necessary by Dr. McFadzean, I realize that I therefore am an active participant in the diagnostic and therapeutic process and do accept and share responsibility for any and all potential outcomes.

I have discussed the above points with Dr. McFadzean. I understand and accept the treatments offered and my role in my care. I also understand that complications may result. With all this in mind, I consent to being treated by Dr. McFadzean in order to combat the effects of Lyme and associated diseases.