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.
8 Comments
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.
I hate my doctor. Unfortunately since my insurance is Medicare and Medicaid and Medicare recently refused to increase $$$$$$ paid to doctors other doctors are turning away Medicare-medicaid patients and doctors who already have Medicare-medicaid patients are urging those patients to go elsewhere.
My quack has sent me to five orthopedists because surgery going on 7 years ago for a broken femur was not done properly and here I am, 61 years old and looking forward to pain, other medical issues such as myalgic encephalomyelitis and fibromyalgia for which he does nothing.
Every dr I’ve seen regarding the pain of the badly surgeried-upon leg orders xrays, actually does me the immense favor of looking at the leg with his EYES, and tells me I need steroids. If any doctor would actually read my file it would be clear I’m allergic to steroids!!
None of these geniuses seem to be capable of reading a patients’ file: in mine I labored over making sure to list every med I’m sensitive or alllergic to.
The most recent wonder said “It’s not possible for you to be allergic to all these things.” I suppose he doesn’t feel it’s possible to be a human being with a small bit of compassion either.
The jerk, when I told him I was going to see yet another orthopedist about my leg, acted as if he was all for it…he even seemed to care enough to ask the doctors’ name.
At the interview appt with the new ortho, his attitude was “Well you do have bursitis here (and he poked the huge lump very hard) and you say you have hip pain here (another poke…can’t these fools just point or just touch very gently?).
I HAVE PAIN, JERK….No I didn’t say that. He finally left off poking and prodding, sent me for xrays and ordered that older ones from a hospital be sent to him.
I went back today. In one week he had gone through a serious attitude change. Before, he said “I think I can help you. I’ll take a look at all your films and see what can be done. Come back in a week.”
So today I went back. Total change: “I can’t help you. Your leg looks alright on the films. I also see you have arthritis in your spine.”
Well DUH. I’m 61. Of course I have arthritis. I hadn’t asked him for his help with that. I need the bursectomy. I need a hip replacement but Medicare’s criteria is that I can’t have that until I’m 65 to 70 when I’ll be an even worse surgical risk than I am now.
I could not help it…I started to cry. I actually pulled up my skirt and said “What difference do you see here between now and last week when you were all glow-y and claiming you could help me?”
He left the room. Now I am sitting here wondering whether quack #1 told jerk #2 any thing negative about me, why I cannot get any decent help, what in the world I am going to do now.
I can’t put up with this pain. No doctor will do more than today’s dr poke & prod. Even if the only insurance I have is Medicare and medicaid, does that mean I don’t deserve to be treated decently, with respect, maybe even get a little help when I beg for it?
I’d get on my knees and bed but have learned the hard way that the bad leg, fibromyalgia, and arthritis won’t allow it. Besides I look really stupid as I crawl around the floor, looking for some sturdy piece of furniture I can use to pull myself up off the floor while doctor sits there, stares at me, and does absolutely nothing.
Thank you to all who bothered to leave a response. Your support is downright under-whelming. Thank you again. I hope if you find yourself in the same situation you are treated as badly as I have been, come here to possibly get some sort of caring response, and get what I have found here: Nothing. I should have known better.
Hi.
I’m the guy who runs this blog.
Keep in mind that this is not a support forum in any sense of the term. It’s just the pitiful whining of a (young) guy. Your initial gripe is going to be better served by actually sitting down with your doctor and talking with him. It’s how I found out that the doctor referenced in this post is not for me, and found one that actually works.
Bon courage,
– Justin
I had to stop going to my doctor because he said he could no longer help me. I was so upset, But I had to do it. He used to be the best doctor in the world, but then he changed for the worse.