Disastrous doc visit, LONG

[Guest guest]

Em, and ALL>

My name is Buffy and I am From Seattle, WA. Here we

have awesome medical facilities. If you are in need

of trauma treatment west of the mississippi (SP?)

they bring you to our Harborview hospital, If your

child has a serious illness of nearly any kind they

bring them here to our childrens hospital. We have a

special hoispital for teaching, one that specializes

in elderly, one for trauma, one for children, one fr

birthing and OBGYN needs, a cancer center and major

kidney center. Yet this is the experience I as a

young woman have had in the recent months.

I have had CFS and FMS symptoms for years. about 10

years. I am 32 this june. back and hip pain,

shoulders in icy cold agony 99% of the time and

something that i have self diagnosed as IBS as no

doctor has been willing to treat or test me with

anything other than anti diarrheals. I have attended

school as a medical assistant and a womans

healthcare outreach worker and worked in those

fields as well as as an AIDS caregiver in a last

stage hospice. I took 15 months of classes to become

a massage therapist two years ago and learned the

symptoms i had were more than likely fms and/or cfs.

some possible ms or rsd symptoms. I didnt want to

admit to myself or others i may have any of these

serious syndromes. Last summer I changed PCP's. I

had had four doctors in as many years. After my

first visit this doctor told me i had high sed rates

and my glyco hemoglobin was through the roof. He

sent me to the University to the rheumatologist

there. on our first visit the doctor told me i had

fibro and perhaps rheumatoid, he toldme as i left

for my tests that it was not imaginary and that the

illness i had was very real. This made me feel very

good considering all i had heard about how doctors

deal with these syndromes. They took masny vials of

blood and xrays of fewet and hands ankles and

wrists. a note sent a week later told me i had bone

spurs... welll..... everywhere, and arthritis in all

the major joints xrayed. When they sent the

appointment slip for the next appointment it was

with a different doctor, a female doctor (somethingi

am uncomfortable with) I went and saw her and she

brought him in on our consultation. he found

psoriasis on my knees, ankle, and elbows and said it

seemed i had psoriatic arthritis, told me to have my

pcp prescribe painillers and keep up my swimming

program i have followed for the past two years.

again he sent me for a blood draw. I went back to my

pcp who then prescribed methocarbamol, i was already

taking alprazolam for panic attacks due to

agoraphobia and panic disorder. I told my doctor i

hate to ask for pills and especially hate feeling

drugged because i was raised by a mother who was

disabled and spent much of my childhood " high " on

pain pills. its a guilt thing. i took the pills and

took them only when i HAD to. my next visit to the

PCP I told him i still had alot of pain and he told

me to TAKE THE PILLS. Last week i went to the

Rheumatologist. I made sure my appointment was with

the orginal MALE doctor. when i got there he asked

why i hadnt seen the female doctor. I told him i

was more comfortable with him. He told me i didnt

have psoraitic or rheumatoid arthritis. that i could

just go to the PCP fornow on and he couldnt do

anything for me. even after he had sent a note

saying he anted to see me again. when i acted

troubled he told me i needed a psychiatrist. adn

when i asked aabout pain management he said he would

refer me to them and that i needed to go excercise.

walk for an hour a day he said. My best friend was

there with me and told him that I hurt to much most

days to get to the car or into the pool on our pool

days and he said that i needed to work through the

pain and keep going. (sarcastic LOL). I started to

cry as he pulled in another fourth year student and

asked him if i should strap a honey bucket to my

back for this walk seeing as i cant be away from a

toilet with my diarrhea issues for longer then 15

minutes probably less if i am out in public walking

around. He ended the appointment saying he woudl

see me again and refer me to the GI doc and the pain

management clinic and i left his office crying to

head to the lab for MORE blood to be taken. WHY i

ask? to feed some vampire in the basement? if he

cant do anything else for me....why take more blood

and why say he will see me again? I have spent the

last week actually taking my pills when i hurt and i

feel so weak and " out of it " most of the time. I am

sooo sorry if i have rambled on to long. I just dont

know what to do next.

Buffy

=====

Go to My WebPage and check it out! while you're at it...I'd love to see your

name in my Slambook. http://www.goddessdeluxe.com

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Buffy,

I would stay away from university doctors. I have had very bad experiences

with them and my new (as of a years ago) told me that they have so much going

on that they have a hard time keepin up and you can be left hanging in the

wind -- so to speak.

They have not -- in a year's time -- been able to find the MRI that I had

done there. It was my latest one. They can't find my records that my

neurologist should have. No records found from Urologist.

Find yourself a new doctor. Make it a male doctor if that is what you are

comfortable with. I find that I prefer a male doctor myself but will go to a

female consultant if my principal doctor sends me there. If you are not

comfortable with the Neurologist that he sends you to ask to see another.

Keep it up until you find that you are happy with your doctor and don't stop

asking until you do find one.

I am seeing a Rheumatologist that is not on my list of recommended doctors by

my insurance company. I insisted on seeing him because I was comfortable

with him and he was helping me. I am permitted to see him.

Take care,

Irene

Books may well be the only true magic

Alice Hoffman.

[Guest guest]

Buffy,

I would stay away from university doctors. I have had very bad experiences

with them and my new (as of a years ago) told me that they have so much going

on that they have a hard time keepin up and you can be left hanging in the

wind -- so to speak.

They have not -- in a year's time -- been able to find the MRI that I had

done there. It was my latest one. They can't find my records that my

neurologist should have. No records found from Urologist.

Find yourself a new doctor. Make it a male doctor if that is what you are

comfortable with. I find that I prefer a male doctor myself but will go to a

female consultant if my principal doctor sends me there. If you are not

comfortable with the Neurologist that he sends you to ask to see another.

Keep it up until you find that you are happy with your doctor and don't stop

asking until you do find one.

I am seeing a Rheumatologist that is not on my list of recommended doctors by

my insurance company. I insisted on seeing him because I was comfortable

with him and he was helping me. I am permitted to see him.

Take care,

Irene

Books may well be the only true magic

Alice Hoffman.

[Guest guest]

I think you are making blanket statement that is really not true. I have had

excellent care from the doctor's and staff at the University of Miami. So

has my daughter and her treatment was critical if she was to continue in her

career as a musician. I don't think a doctor not associated with a

university would have had the qualifications to treat her as well.

You are correct in the fact that I made a blanket statement. The reason that

I went there for the other doctors was because I went there to an excellent

ENT doctor. But the records at the University Hospital are a mess. The

doctor's office and myself spend at least a month trying to find my MRI and

my records from the Neurologist I saw there. I could not get a hold of her

and her nurse. I was given the go around and finally we gave up as we were

going nowhere.

I really should have said that at my University Hospital there are a lot of

problems with the doctors and records. I stand corrected and you are right.

Take care,

Irene

Books may well be the only true magic

Alice Hoffman.

[Guest guest]

I think you are making blanket statement that is really not true. I have had

exceelent care from the doctor's and staff at the University of Miami. So has

my daughter and her treatment was critical if she was to continue in her career

as a musician. I don't think a doctor not associated with a university would

have had the qualifications to treat her as well.

If you need the top in the field then university doctors are the way to go.

They are the most up to date and the ones doing the research in the field.

Now for general care I don't even go to an MD. I go to an osteopath instead and

he is wonderful. But for specialized care I go to the university if I can.

Lisbet

Re: Disastrous doc visit, LONG

Buffy,

I would stay away from university doctors. I have had very bad experiences

with them and my new (as of a years ago) told me that they have so much going

on that they have a hard time keepin up and you can be left hanging in the

wind -- so to speak.

They have not -- in a year's time -- been able to find the MRI that I had

done there. It was my latest one. They can't find my records that my

neurologist should have. No records found from Urologist.

[Guest guest]

I think you are making blanket statement that is really not true. I have had

exceelent care from the doctor's and staff at the University of Miami. So has

my daughter and her treatment was critical if she was to continue in her career

as a musician. I don't think a doctor not associated with a university would

have had the qualifications to treat her as well.

If you need the top in the field then university doctors are the way to go.

They are the most up to date and the ones doing the research in the field.

Now for general care I don't even go to an MD. I go to an osteopath instead and

he is wonderful. But for specialized care I go to the university if I can.

Lisbet

Re: Disastrous doc visit, LONG

Buffy,

I would stay away from university doctors. I have had very bad experiences

with them and my new (as of a years ago) told me that they have so much going

on that they have a hard time keepin up and you can be left hanging in the

wind -- so to speak.

They have not -- in a year's time -- been able to find the MRI that I had

done there. It was my latest one. They can't find my records that my

neurologist should have. No records found from Urologist.

[Guest guest]

I too had to use a University physician for my primary Dx, of Arnold Chiari

Malformation. He is one of the top 10 docs in New York, and without him, I

don't know what I would do. He spends at least 3-4 hours with us bi-monthly

when I have my visit, and I KNOW OF NO OTHER DOCTOR who is willing to do that!

Missy

[Guest guest]

buffy mooney wrote:

He ended the appointment saying he would

> see me again and refer me to the GI doc and the pain

> management clinic and i left his office crying to

> head to the lab for MORE blood to be taken. WHY i

> ask? to feed some vampire in the basement? if he

> cant do anything else for me....why take more blood

> and why say he will see me again? I have spent the

> last week actually taking my pills when i hurt and i

> feel so weak and " out of it " most of the time. I am

> sooo sorry if i have rambled on to long. I just dont

> know what to do next.

Buffy, I'd find another doctor. The one you have isn't listening to

you. If he can't hear you when you say you can't be away from a toilet

for 15 minutes and when a friend confirms that you have problems walking

to the car, then how is he possibly going to hear you when a medical

symptom that doesn't show on tests comes up? He may be taking more

blood because he doesn't know what the heck is wrong with you, but

doesn't want to admit it to you. Hopefully the GI doctor will come up

with some help for your IBS. In the mean time, take your pain

medication, you aren't going to turn into your mom, and change doctors.

Whine here if you want, we all understand.

Darcy

[Guest guest]

Thank you.

I have had such a horrid week and it makes me feel

better to know there are people who have the same

type of issues. I have been ultra emotional crying

at the drop of a hat. can barely walk and have wrist

shoulder and right side pain. it seems i hit my

thirtieth and fell completely apart....like the tin

man in the wiz....pieces falling off me at each

step.

LOL. I also realized it is the last week in

February. this is a historically difficult week for

me. Dunno Why.

Funny story.... took the cats to get fixed this

am....drove past a restaurant on the way back and i

commented " look there is a new buffett " i was then

reminded by my mom, hubby and best friend that an

hour earlier we had discussed the new restaurant and

made plans to go tommorrow. now theres a fibrofog

moment for you.

=====

Go to My WebPage and check it out! while you're at it...I'd love to see your

name in my Slambook. http://www.goddessdeluxe.com

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thank you.

I have had such a horrid week and it makes me feel

better to know there are people who have the same

type of issues. I have been ultra emotional crying

at the drop of a hat. can barely walk and have wrist

shoulder and right side pain. it seems i hit my

thirtieth and fell completely apart....like the tin

man in the wiz....pieces falling off me at each

step.

LOL. I also realized it is the last week in

February. this is a historically difficult week for

me. Dunno Why.

Funny story.... took the cats to get fixed this

am....drove past a restaurant on the way back and i

commented " look there is a new buffett " i was then

reminded by my mom, hubby and best friend that an

hour earlier we had discussed the new restaurant and

made plans to go tommorrow. now theres a fibrofog

moment for you.

=====

Go to My WebPage and check it out! while you're at it...I'd love to see your

name in my Slambook. http://www.goddessdeluxe.com

__________________________________________________