I hate my doctor. He knows it.
I got a call on Monday, asking me to come in to the Doctor’s office. Given that the Doctor and I had already agreed on two weeks from my last appointment, I was justifiably worried that they found something that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible.
I go in, pay my co-pay (which is annoying, and seems like a trap, when you’re just returning for results, makes you think that hmm, there might be more to this visit), and go to see the doctor. He, in his rather downplaying manner, tells me that I have high cholesterol (no surprise here) and high triglycerides. He then mumbles a few things (did I mention that I would prefer a doctor who natively speaks English, instead of English as a second language?) and tells me “That’s all.”
For those of you who know of my legendary patience, you’ll find the next bit surprising.
I ripped that doctor a brand new number two.
I let him know that I hate how I was left wondering if there was something critically wrong that I was asked to come in long before the two weeks was up, and then he just tells me something this simple. At some point, two F-missiles roared out of the launcher; he got mad, and wanted to start yelling at me.
I let him know in no uncertain terms that he’s not going to yell at me. He said he didn’t have to take it, and was going to leave the room. “Fine, then leave. I don’t really care,” was my response to him.
Of note, this doctor also downplayed the Acid Reflux thing last Friday. Everything I know about it, I learned from people who have had Acid Reflux.
… and now, a week later, I come back to finish writing this post. Since then, I’ve been in the hospital. This past Thursday, I went to the hospital in an ambulance, complaining of chest pain. It felt like a web of pain that focuses in the middle of my chest. I still get traces of this pain by just sitting down and doing nothing in particular. Honestly, the doctor I had on Friday tried to do a stress test on me, wanting to get my pulse up to 165 beats per minute, but I failed that test due to my blood pressure skyrocketing to 230 over 115. While it came back down to normal about 10 minutes after I stopped doing the test, it worried the doctor, so he wanted me to make an appointment to have another test done — this time, they want to do an Adenosine Thallium stress test, since I failed on the Bruce protocol (timed treadmill) test.
Honestly, I am pretty worried, since some of my symptoms match up with one of my fears: a pulmonary embolism.
I really like your article most of all.
Just like you said. I don’t hate my doctor but I don’t necessarily trust him.
After all, he will only tell me what he thinks I need to know about whatever he’s prescribing for me.
Hate him not really, Trust him…He …double L NO!
You keep it real.
greg
he just tells me something this simple
Of course, you are free to interpret your own tests. That way you wouldn’t have to pay the outrageous co-pay. You are certainly qualified, with your extensive medical training, and as you have diagnosed your own pulmonary embolism (which is certainly possible, but not very likely, even with the scanty hisitory you listed in your entry).
Your response to your doctor was inappropriate. If you feel that the service you are getting is not worth the exorbitant co-pay you are paying, or that for this huge amount you should have someone who speaks English as his/her primary language, you are free to go elsewhere.
I hope you find the answers you need. I’m sorry you’re having health problems like this.
Observer! You have piqued my interest, and therefore I shall entertain your commentary here. Since I lack a way to directly tag you back and discuss it in private, I shall air all before the world.
You know, my issue with the doctor wasn’t that I didn’t like his answer. I didn’t like how he downplayed the information, making what he said seem unimportant and non-threatening. During my talk with him on the same day I lost my temper with him, I let him know just that: I hate having information downplayed to me. Just like I’m telling you straight forward what my issue is with the doctor, I expect the same from my doctor to me, regarding my health.
I received more information about my health from the EMT and the Emergency Room staff than I have from this one doctor. Would you be less than upset in a situation like this?
Additionally, I fear pulmonary embolisms, as one of these happens to be linked to what killed my mother. I know my weight is an issue, and my general health leaves
someplenty to be desired, but yeah, I worry just the same. I don’t want to end up in a situation where I have to take Coumadin or similar medications.Some of the stuff I’m going into is stuff unmentioned in the post for various reasons. You may notice that part of the post states that I came back to it about a week later. I sometimes start a post, and can take a week, or even a month to come back and finish it up. With this in mind, I mentioned to him that I kept getting an unnaturally sore throat every month or so for the past few months that included some coughed up gross stuff. I also spoke to the doctor about my weight on the first visit, prior to the test results entry, and explained that for seven years, I had been fighting with my weight, and couldn’t lose any. I asked if I could see some sort of a specialist to get some help with managing my weight or even getting some of it to come off.
He took a “wait and see” approach.
Strike One.
We get the blood tests started on a Friday, and arrange for me to come back in two weeks. I’m fine with this. On Monday, I’m called, with absolutely no message left - just a trace on my caller ID. Annoyed? Yes. Understanding, after it’s explained to me why not even a message was left? Somewhat. But, the callback I made on that was a suggestion from the nurse that I come in soon to get my test results. When I get a call that suggests I come in sooner than the previously arranged date, it gives me a sense of worry. So, I’m worried that, well, holy shit, something’s wrong, Blackman.
At that time, it was
Strike Two.
The blog entry above details some of Strike Three, but misses out on how the doctor came back in with a nurse, and we spent a good twenty minutes going ’round on just how I reacted to the situation, and what the trigger events were (Events: Causing alarm without making the result seem worth its salt, Downplaying issues attached to my health). The doctor now understands that I prefer my information with a side of “Make it make sense.” I now understand that I shouldn’t blow my stack so swiftly on things (and honestly in person, I really don’t, all that often).
After I expressed my irritation (in a much calmer manner) to the situation, and explained that I felt the way it was being handled just felt inadequate, I was told in no uncertain terms that I am free to take my business elsewhere by the doctor and the nurse, if I felt they were wrong.
A bit of irony, though: My initial visit there was because I wanted a second opinion on the constant sore throats and their previous treatment with antibiotics, and was met with more antibiotics which clear up the issue for perhaps a month. I expect another sore throat within the next two weeks.
I hope this gives you a little more context as to why I flipped out over this.
By the way, the doctor finally agreed with me after the hospital episode, and has finally offered a referral to see a dietary specialist.