New Cardiologist

[dmaejean]

I am so frustrated!!! I have moved three hours from the cardio that diagnosed me with POTS and I am looking for a local dr. I have been seeing a cardiologist that asks me how I want to be treated. Do you want to take Zoloft? If so, what strength? Do you want to go up on BB? I thought, I'm paying you to tell me what I need. So I decided to try another one, get a second opinion. I had an appointment this am. The nurse did orthostatic bp's. She could hear the one lying down but when I sat up and stood up, my bp was so faint that she couldn't hear it. (it was dropping, HELLO) She kept trying and finally told me to sit in the chair and she took it again. She kept taking it till she got a good reading. So obviously it didn't show a drop in my bp. I said to the dr., I would love to get better enough to go back to work. He said, You can go back to work now, you have no restrictions. I thought "What am I doing? Don't these dr's understand that if I could stand up without my heart racing and my bp going everywhere, maybe I could just function every day. GO BACK TO WORK!!!!!! I couldn't believe it. I can't even stand in line at the grocery store. I get brain fog and can't remember things unless I have it written down. I am an emergency room nurse. No patient wants me taking care of them and not remembering what I am doing. I left there so discouraged. My heart is in perfect shape, thank God. That's not why I went to see him. My autonomic nervous system is out of wack and I want someone who knows about POTS. Sorry for the rambling and thank you for letting me vent. I know most of you have experienced similar frustration. So glad we have this forum where there is somebody who understands. I guess having a doc three hours away is not so bad after all! Thanks, Donna

[Megan]

So sorry you had to go through this!! My doc is a little over two hours away from me, but I find it to be worth the trip just to see someone who knows what he's talking about!

[dmaejean]

Thanks Meg, I agree with you!!

[corina]

hi donna,

to be honest, i never see my cardio after he found out what is wrong with me (about 6 or 7 years ago). he made sure that my heart is strong and healthy (although low pressure in left chamber) and we found the dose of bb's that is working best for me and he admitted that there is nothing more he can do for me. and although i don't like that, as i want to get better, i do see he is right and it would be a waist of energy and time to go see him. this is just my experience and i can live with it. maybe it could work for you too?

corina

(btw: i do have a neuro as well, whom i can consult whenever i want)

[cardiactec]

so sorry you have to deal with this....I understand your frustration completely, about loving your work, wanting to be a help and not a hindrance to your patients, wanting to be and feel well. My heart (no pun! goes out to you.......I only wish there was a quick fix for you, for all of us here.

many of the folks here know my story pretty well in that since the very first day i started posting on this site, i questioned my cardiologist and pushed for further answers, further intervention, further diagnostics - even though I battled my cardiologists, and others' doubt about my diagnoses, my treatment, etc. I fought for TWO YEARS to get the care i know I needed. long story short, turns out I was right - they were partly wrong - yes I do have pots as they originally diagnosed, but also have other rhythm disturbances going on that complicated and exacerbated pots symptoms even more. finally, after two years, i feel a little better post EP study/ablation, having fought through the doubt, the questioning of doctors of what i was telling them and after expecting MORE from and out of my doctors.

dont settle for less. fight for yourself, because you're worth it. my cardiologist was and has been great, even when he doubted and questioned what i was ttrying to tell him was up. doctor's DONT know everything (as you obviously are aware of working in the med field). if you feel as though you have provided your doc with all the necessary information to try and either get you further diagnostics to investigate further and/or for better treatment options to try and get you feeling well and you arent getting anywhere, my advise to you, first, is keep pushing that one doctor. if you dont have the energy to keep pushing, find another doctor.

I personally operate a little different, I think, than the "normal" person, lol, in that I will fight for a long time with one particular doc in order to eventually prove a point, in order to validate myself and also the next person that i might be helping out who sees the same doc .......why you ask? because if you work with ONE doc for years, and you get to the end of two, three years, and presto, answers come, that one doc learns a lot from you, and hopefully moves forward to learn that it pays to listen and to dig a little deeper with intervention and sometimes with diagnostics.

YOU the patient invest just as much into your doc as your doc invests into you, I believe. I know others operate differently, and that is fine as well. Just telling you my story and how I go about things. It may or may not work for you.

My advise to you is to find someone who will truly listen to you, EVEN IF it takes a couple years for them to "get it". cut them some slack, they will learn a lesson from you, and from others here that dont fit into a perfect medical diagnoses and treatment box. my cardio and I are on very good terms, but we have had many ups and downs over the years. ultimately though I'm glad I remained a patient of his, because HE FINALLY GOT IT! and our relationship as patient/doctor is that much more meaningful and fruitful now than it has ever been.

Take care. I pray you get over this hurdle and are able to get back to work.

cardiactec.