Frustrated With Doctors Vent

[MightyMouse]

Hi everyone, I'm having a rough day and just need to vent for a minute...

I spent the past 4 days trying to get through my doctor's secretary/assistant (aka bulldog); I saw my gp 2 weeks ago for a double ear infection, sinus infection and bronchitis. Because of severe medication allergies, I'm limited on meds I'm allowed to take, but we had to go for steroids + an antibioitic I'm allergic to (zithromax) for 3 days, along with benedryl to try to knock it out.

Well, I called first thing on Friday last week to say the infection was reasserting itself in at least on ear. No one called back. I called this morning to follow up and the assistant tells me to call an ENT. He can't see me until 3 weeks from now and I have an infection NOW. I call back. The assistant gives me another referral--to a doc who GAVE UP on me 4 years ago because of my medication allergies. At this point, the assistant sounded annoyed with me and said "I'll have to call you back"... yeah. that was 2pm. No one's calling me back tonight, and now my ear feels like I have a spike in my head. Heck, it's not like I'm there all the time! The last time I saw her before this infection was in March... and before that, in Dec for a partial lung collapse.

So, I called my allergist, who has always been my saviour--but this time he was furious with my gp and told me I need to tell her that she needs to be held accountable. She started my treatment 2 weeks ago, and now I need follow up.

I'm so frustrated. Meanwhile, my other ear is hurting now too--and to make matters worse, I started bawling because I'm so overtired and sick and feel too tired yell and scream about how inappropriate it is to just dump me in the middle of an obvious problem.

Okay. Tomorrow I need to find a new doctor. Please send me whatever karma thoughts that will send a good, caring doctor my way who will stick with me through thick and thin and not just dump me when I get sick. I'm trying to get over my pity party and my worrying b/c in the past infections have gotten away from me and I've ended up with a pneumonia, in the hospital. Ugh.

tomorrow's a new day, thank goodness!! Thanks for letting me vent Nina

[mrach]

Sorry, dear. Sometimes I have the feeling that the doctors in NOrth America have not taken the Hippocrates Oath, it is unbelievable. If you can not solve a problem, send me to someone who can, for GOd's sake...It is not as if you an accountant or something like that, you are a Doctor for Heaven's sake. This can never happen in the third world country I am coming from, because on the way out of the hospital people will just shoot him...

My advice: Pray for a good doctor.

Wish you better lday tomorrow

g

Hi everyone, I'm having a rough day and just need to vent for a minute...

I spent the past 4 days trying to get through my doctor's secretary/assistant (aka bulldog); I saw my gp 2 weeks ago for a double ear infection, sinus infection and bronchitis. Because of severe medication allergies, I'm limited on meds I'm allowed to take, but we had to go for steroids + an antibioitic I'm allergic to (zithromax) for 3 days, along with benedryl to try to knock it out.

Well, I called first thing on Friday last week to say the infection was reasserting itself in at least on ear. No one called back. I called this morning to follow up and the assistant tells me to call an ENT. He can't see me until 3 weeks from now and I have an infection NOW. I call back. The assistant gives me another referral--to a doc who GAVE UP on me 4 years ago because of my medication allergies. At this point, the assistant sounded annoyed with me and said "I'll have to call you back"... yeah. that was 2pm. No one's calling me back tonight, and now my ear feels like I have a spike in my head. Heck, it's not like I'm there all the time! The last time I saw her before this infection was in March... and before that, in Dec for a partial lung collapse.

So, I called my allergist, who has always been my saviour--but this time he was furious with my gp and told me I need to tell her that she needs to be held accountable. She started my treatment 2 weeks ago, and now I need follow up.

I'm so frustrated. Meanwhile, my other ear is hurting now too--and to make matters worse, I started bawling because I'm so overtired and sick and feel too tired yell and scream about how inappropriate it is to just dump me in the middle of an obvious problem.

Okay. Tomorrow I need to find a new doctor. Please send me whatever karma thoughts that will send a good, caring doctor my way who will stick with me through thick and thin and not just dump me when I get sick. I'm trying to get over my pity party and my worrying b/c in the past infections have gotten away from me and I've ended up with a pneumonia, in the hospital. Ugh.

tomorrow's a new day, thank goodness!! Thanks for letting me vent Nina

[MNsue]

Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time. I wish you lived in MN, I could give you the name of my physician. Before that I had a number of bad doc experiences.

I work in the insurance industry, and have found that some companies rate MD's on their web sites and have patient advocates. Maybe your insurance company can give you some ideas on good MD's in your area. I have also found my nurse friends know who is good as well.

If your MD is not interested in calling you back, your insurance company is interested in keeping you out of the hospital. Do you have a nurse line or nurse manager? They may put pressure on the doctors office.

Good Luck.

Rhonda

[Ernie]

Hi Nina,

I hope you will find a doctor that takes good care of you in good times and in bad times.

[DSM3KIDZ]

That is really crappy and you don't deserve to be treated that way!! That just makes me soooooooo pissed off that you have to go through this in the middle of an infection.

I'm sending all my vibes and hope that you will find a caring doctor that you deserve once and for all!!!!

Hang in there and you deserve a pity party you always seem to be so strong sometimes a little pity party gives you the strengh you need to fight for a better tomorrow!!!

Try and get some rest

Keep us updated

Dayna

[Lulu]

so sorry nina you are having so many troubles!! OUCCHY!! these docs....what are they thinking....that you like this??

if you do get to see your doc, maybe tell her about the "bulldog?" i've reported a horrible nurse &my doc was very concerned and i think he did something about it (she's not there anymore!)

i hope you feel better very soon!!

(HUGS)

lulu

[MightyMouse]

I was given a name of a new doc by my saviour allergist--I called her office--and the staff were REALLY nice. That's a good start. Unfortunately, they don't take my insurance, but if she's good, I'll pay out of pocket. I have a meet the doctor appointment to establish myself as a patient in early October.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to compose a fax to send to my current doc's office that isn't too inflamatory--I just want my records and to get the point accross that I feel it's inappropriate to leave a patient with an accute ear infection without treatment for five days now without even a SINGLE return phone call despite 3 calls from me--and passing me off to another doctor is unacceptable if they can't see me for 21 days, or wont see me at all (I still think the doctor's nurse didn't believe me when I told her that the practice dismissed me 4 years ago--she actually said "They refused to see you?" and when I said "yes, they told me to go to an allergist because I was too complicated for them", and that's when she got snotty and hung up on me with "I'll have to call you back"... uh, yeah, 26 hours and still counting.

I hate self medicating, but I was in such pain this morning so I called in my trump card--my step dad is a dentist and he called in a rx for me for one of the antibiotics I'm NOT allergic to, just to hold me over. I'm not an advocate for doing it this way but I'm left in a real pickle...

Nina

[corina]

nina,

the things you have to do to get the meds you need. i am so sorry you needed to do this but i can really understand and am glad you found a way to get what you need. shame on your doc (and probably the nurse). hope the antibiotics will start working soon and that you will soon feel better!

corina

[nadine]

Nina- i hope you soon start feeling better and the antibiotics help. It has been several weeks for you.

Is this a private practice? This care or lack of is totally inappropriate and the sad thing is that your transfer of care won't change their practices. I did like the suggestion of getting the insurance company involved- my insurance company also has triage nurses, although i haven't used them. They certainlly promote them and it would be interesting to see if an insurance company who reimburses these physicians called, what the reaction would be.

Would the ER be an option for you if necessary? I know we all hate those trips.

Don't regret the pity party -- I am having one myself these last couple days. I got very tearful last night, not sure why just from pure exhaustion and frustration with being so disabled in general. You know a person can only take so much and when you are trying to fight illness and then have to deal with added stressors - you just got to let it out once in awhile!!!

[bttrflyamby1981]

Thinking of you and praying you get the care you need!

(((HUGS)))

Amber

[mom4cem]

That is shoddy treatment in the least. I remember years ago I had a dr. I was using and when I was sick with a sinus infection, bad pain, I called and they could not see me for 3 weeks. I'd either be over it by then, or in the hospital or dead I said to them. I hung up and never went back.

I don't go for every little thing either. When I go it is because I really feel bad. What do they expect people to do when they are sick like that? Going to a walk in is not always the best either. They don't know your history etc. Can't win, can we.

Don't feel bad about feeling bad. It stinks, and we always have to fight. Thank goodness you have a good, caring allergist. I hope you get this infection under control and the new dr. you meet will be the one you "click" with too.

[Sue]

Nina

Hope you are feeling better

((Hugs))

Sie

[Sunfish]

aw man.....don't people know how important a mouse's ears are???

hope you get to feeling better soon and that someone wisens up & gets you the care you deserve. if being sick doesn't kill you the medical system/craziness very well may...

melissa

[Guest dionna]

i know i am late on this one but i hope that you are doing better and that all is working out well for you. we all understand the run around. it isn't right and it isn't fair. if i were a doctor i would be much more intrigued by the "difficult" cases. it would be like solving a mystery or something. you know what, in a life where i become a doctor i will help anyone who needs it. no matter what. i am writing it in stone right here.

dionna

[MightyMouse]

thanks all--not sure i'll be able to wait for the ent on weds... the pain may send me to the er soon...

Nina

[MightyMouse]

oy vey... it's 5am, and still not a wink of sleep; and now I have hives. Not sure if it's the antibiotic or the pain meds. Boogers.

Hoping to be a snoring mouse soon. Nina

[Babettegall]

Nina,

That was totally bull**it!

Once you get yourself taken care of, maybe you need to direct the inappropriate behavior of the "doctors bulldog" to the doctor him/herself! Being bounced around and ignored in your time of medical need, is NOT part of the supposed "oath" the doctor took.

I don't know what else to say, except that really blows!

I'm sending you the most powerful cyber karma (positive, healing kind) I can. Hope to read that you are feeling better real soon.

Take care.........

[Dawg Tired]

My GP was a High School science teacher before he went to med school.... he's a real gem!! Too bad they are SO hard to come by.

[MightyMouse]

Hi again--I'm still here limping along. I sound like such a wuss, but I'd rather go to the ER at this point than call the doc's office again. I have some family friends who are docs who are helping me to just get through to the ENT--I'm back on steroids to deal with the hives, and stopped the antibiotics b/c they weren't helping anyway.

Teri made me home made chicken soup tonight, and also ran to the health food store and picked me up some gluten free cookies that I haven't had for a long long time. At least some things are wonderful in my life. I swear if I didn't have such great suport, I'd be completely unglued.

You guys are the best, as always. Hopefully soon I'll be back to being more of a helper here than the one needing help It's just my turn right now (actually, it's lots of people's turns lately!).

Nina