Neurology of Sugar Land, PLLC

This review really pains me to write, because I sincerely hope this physician’s other patients receive better care than I did. It’s not like a restaurant, where a bad experience is an inconvenience at worst. Health issues make people vulnerable, and even if it isn’t a life-​or-​death situation, a bad doctor can cause considerable distress. Here’s a rundown of my experience with this one:
1) Office staff. I know my last name is a little tricky, but I had to spell it phonetically (z as in zebra, etc etc.) 6 times, and they STILL got it wrong on my chart. My very first (and only) appointment I was kept waiting for 50 minutes. This was before I was even shown into a room & saw the nurse. Doc took another 30.
2) Doctor’s listening skills. I’ve had migraines for 25+ years. I’ve been treated by other neurologists & physicians. I only made this appointment because I had concerns about some aphasia along with a temporary uptick in migraine frequency. I pretty much know at this point what works for my migraines and what doesn’t, but this doc insisted I try a medication I have tried before that did not work – even though it would interfere with nursing my 2-​month old infant. I agreed in the spirit of giving it (yet) another try, but overall think it a waste of time and money, and, in my case, milk. She also agreed to call in an anti-​nausea medication that works great for me – more on this, below.
3) Lack of organization/​follow-​through. I was given orders for an MRI that had no contact info for which of the many imaging locations nearby was the correct location. Several days after my appointment, I tried to pick up my prescriptions (at a pharmacy my family always uses & never has problems with) and was told the physician had never called them in.
4) Profound disrespect and lack of compassion. At 9 am the next weekday, I contacted the office to ask about the MRI and to clear up the matter of prescriptions (the meds in question aren’t any kind of pain medication, so there’s absolutely no reason there should be any weirdness there). I actually happened to have a migraine at the time, and was particularly in need of the anti-​nausea medication at that point. The nurse said the doc would call back «when she came in». 2 hours later, I called again. The front desk person said the doc would call me back.
Another hour later, with still no call back, I went to the office to sort out the problem. The office was EMPTY. No patients in the exam rooms or waiting room & no obvious reason why it would take so long to clear up a simple but urgent matter for a patient. Still having nausea, I actually threw up in the waiting room. The doctor came to the front and I tried to explain the situation. She interrupted me again and again – to say she emailed the prescription to the pharmacy, and that I had never asked for the anti-​nausea med (if the first part was true, why didn’t the nurse just tell me this when I called at 9? The second part was patently false – I confirmed with her that she would call that prescription in when I left my appointment). She just kept talking over me, despite several requests that she allow me to speak. When I finally raised my own voice just to be heard, she said, «If you were really having a migraine, you couldn’t be that loud», and she walked away.
That last statement is the most indicative of the regard held by this physician towards her patients – which is to say, none at all. Madame Pankiewicz may have enough clinical knowledge to treat some issues, but such a dismissive reaction to being challenged or questioned is not a characteristic of someone I would trust with my health or the health of my loved ones. Seek her counsel at your own risk.