Re: blown-off by doc - LONG

[Guest guest]

I think your on-call experience was pretty typical for this day and age. I suspect that the service is there to basically screen calls....trained just enough to determine a true emergency from those that could be referred to the office during regular business hours. As far as the on call Dr.went.....his reaction too stands to reason. You're not his usual patient and he didn't have your chart in front of him, so he'll "pass the buck" so to speak. If seriously in need of medical help.....he's gonna direct you to the ER.....whereby they can get a fairly accurate reading on what's up between the RA, as well as your pregnancy. Of course being on call, if really needed, he'd most likely have popped in at that point, at that location. I'm not saying it's right.....just what is.

Did you ask the office to place you on a cancellation list? I know some Specialist's will do that, and others not. What I've done in the past is set up monthly standing appts. If needed we're there....if all's going well, we cancel. There's nothing worse than being in pain and unable to get in. And, as frustrating as it is.....the fact that your Dr. is so booked, speaks well of how good he is.

Sue

[Guest guest]

, I have often felt the same way but have had the drug seeking pointed out to me by my wife it never really donged on me at the times I was hurting except i'm in pain and I was going to go as long as I could get someone to see me ! but now that i'm not working I can'nt afford to go so I just punsh it out that not being much differant anyway not much ever helped me but I tryed ! all my Drs now are real good about seeing me and kind allso I can allways go to my family dr when i'm hurting and he'll give me a shot at the least but i dont think i'll ever be pregnant LOL but what I was getting to I go to my appt. on days i'm not so bad and it's like out of sight out of mind for me if its not bad at that min. i cannt remember it so I have trouble relateing my pain to my drs when i'm in this situation and then if it's bad I to am afraid to make such a deal of it because

of the drug seeking issue ?????????????????? so who knows the answer to this one ? john " R. Peek" <wendyhollander@...> wrote: i tend to be doing really well when i see her in the office and that i'm so conscious of drug-seeking (I work in psychiatry) that i'm downplaying my own pain, at times

when i really should make quite a fuss, because i'm so worried they'll think i'm just drug-seeking. anyway, what do any of you think about my on-call experience????

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[Guest guest]

It made me sad to read about your experience, . You have a right

to be angry. Our system often does not operate well. We have to do

all we can to get what we need! It would've taken so little for the

doctor on call to have offered you a few helpful words. I think

compassion fatigue affects a lot of folks in service professions and

they switch over to automatic pilot at some point.

I was struck by an article in the paper today about the V.A. patients

help line. The workers were often rude to the researchers who called

posing as family members, and they gave " completely incorrect "

answers 22 percent of the time, " minimally correct " answers 23

percent of the time, and " partially correct " answers 20 percent of

the time. (www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin20/letters/vba04_42.doc.)

Sierra

>

> Okay, I'm fine now (for the moment anyway) and able to think

clearly enough about the

> events of the last two-and-a-half days to be very angry! I'm just

wondering if anyone has

> any feedback about my doc's office because I'm VERY angry now that

I'm putting the whole

> thing together in my head. Keep in mind that I like my doc very

much, but she is very

> hard to get an appt with. I called a week or two ago wanting to

get in because of a flare

> and they said my appt on Jan. 12th was the best they could do. I

called several days after

> that with pain and they called-in some Darvocet. This past

Thursday afternoon, my knee

> began to hurt and got to the point on Friday that I couldn't walk

without assistance and I

> was in excruciating pain. I called the doc office and they were

closed until Tuesday. The

> answering service gave me a very pat, matter-of-fact " we're closed

until Tuesday " . When I

> pressed on, I got " the doctor on call doesn't call-in pain

medications " . I didn't even ASK

> for pain medications! When I told the answering service that I was

pregnant, it was like

> she was terrified to page the doctor. I wouldn't let up, saying

that I wanted to speak with a

> doctor and she finally said she would have the on-call physician

call me, but that she

> wasn't going to tell him that I was pregnant (presumably because he

would be angry with

> her for bothering him with someone he can't prescribe drugs to,

even though, according

> to her, he won't prescribe anything over the phone anyway). So,

this doc obviously sees

> his role as to use a prescription pad and THAT'S ALL - that he has

NO other service,

> wisdom, comfort, expertise to offer???!!! Anyway, he called and I

explained my situation.

> He said I could probably take the Darvocet if I really needed it,

but he asked me NO

> questions, gave me NO advice on whether or not to move my knee or

use hot/cold therapy

> or increase prednisone or knee brace or ANYTHING. He said if I had

to be seen, go the ER.

> He didn't mention that pregnant women can't get cortizone

injections. I had no idea about

> this until my husband found this out from Walgreen's. Good thing I

didn't spend a painful

> day at the ER only to be informed of that and CHARGED for it! I

guess you have

> to let them hear you in your full dramatic, screeching

> agony before they " get it " . that's sad. i plan to

> tell my regular rheumy all about it, along with my

> frustration about not being able to get appts with her

> when I really need them. i like her so much, but i

> cannot con't to use a doc that i can't see when i'm

> most in need. i'm also going to talk to her about how

> i tend to be doing really well when i see her in the

> office and that i'm so conscious of drug-seeking (I

> work in psychiatry) that i'm downplaying my own pain,

> at times when i really should make quite a fuss,

> because i'm so worried they'll think i'm just

> drug-seeking. anyway, what do any of you think about my on-call

experience????

>

[Guest guest]

,

Maybe you should keep a daily journal of your pain. Rate it on a scale of 1-10

each day and note whether or not you needed to take pain mediciation. You

are right, its hard to recall the pain when not currently in it and its

definitely

hard to remember when you last took pain meds.

IMHO, we are all here because we have RA, a very painful disease. We are

maybe " drug-seeking " but its because we are actually in horrible pain. I hope

you all have doctors, be it your Rheumy or another that give you access to

pain meds. My Rheumy is funny about these things but my Primary doc is

very understanding when I am in need.

> i tend to be doing really well when i see her in the

> office and that i'm so conscious of drug-seeking (I

> work in psychiatry) that i'm downplaying my own pain,

> at times when i really should make quite a fuss,

> because i'm so worried they'll think i'm just

> drug-seeking. anyway, what do any of you think about my on-call

experience????

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Oh my I would be very angry also. I would still check with your doc about the cortisone while being pregnant. My sister works and CVS in the pharmacy and the pharmacist there is really good but I dont think they would know if it could be given to you while pregnant, that isnt anything they deal with in a pharmacy. Also I went in to the ER for knee pain (severe knee pain) probably alot like your feeling now so I understand but they wouldnt give me a cortisone shot. The doc said she could give me pain pills and I said no I didnt want them because they wouldnt work and I told her I needed a cortisone shot and she informed me that she couldnt do those in the ER that it is considered a surgery and someone trained for that has to inject it because it goes into your joint which is very small. So yes

going to the ER wouldnt have helped you. She ended up giving me a shot of an anti-inflamatory and some really strong pain pills to get me by that did seem to help for a short time until I got to get in to see my Rheumatologist but you wouldnt have been able to do that to because of your pregnancy. I would definalty be calling your docs office and pushing to get in even if you have to cry. Or demand to talk to the doctor herself!!!! Good Luck and I hate the pain your feeling I definalty feel for you. I wish I could help. But it is finally nice to know someone out there is going through the exact thing I have went through, but I wish none of us had to. your friend in Michigan " R. Peek" <wendyhollander@...> wrote: Okay, I'm fine now (for the moment anyway) and able to think clearly enough about the events of the last two-and-a-half days to be very angry! I'm just wondering if anyone has any feedback about my doc's office because I'm VERY angry now that I'm putting the whole thing together in my head. Keep in mind that I like my doc very much, but she is very hard to get an appt with. I called a week or two ago wanting to get in because of a flare and they said my appt on Jan. 12th was the best they could do. I called several days after that with pain and they called-in some Darvocet. This past Thursday afternoon, my knee began to hurt and got to the point on Friday that I

couldn't walk without assistance and I was in excruciating pain. I called the doc office and they were closed until Tuesday. The answering service gave me a very pat, matter-of-fact "we're closed until Tuesday". When I pressed on, I got "the doctor on call doesn't call-in pain medications". I didn't even ASK for pain medications! When I told the answering service that I was pregnant, it was like she was terrified to page the doctor. I wouldn't let up, saying that I wanted to speak with a doctor and she finally said she would have the on-call physician call me, but that she wasn't going to tell him that I was pregnant (presumably because he would be angry with her for bothering him with someone he can't prescribe drugs to, even though, according to her, he won't prescribe anything over the phone anyway). So, this doc obviously sees his role as to use a prescription pad and THAT'S ALL - that he has NO

other service, wisdom, comfort, expertise to offer???!!! Anyway, he called and I explained my situation. He said I could probably take the Darvocet if I really needed it, but he asked me NO questions, gave me NO advice on whether or not to move my knee or use hot/cold therapy or increase prednisone or knee brace or ANYTHING. He said if I had to be seen, go the ER. He didn't mention that pregnant women can't get cortizone injections. I had no idea about this until my husband found this out from Walgreen's. Good thing I didn't spend a painful day at the ER only to be informed of that and CHARGED for it! I guess you haveto let them hear you in your full dramatic, screechingagony before they "get it". that's sad. i plan totell my regular rheumy all about it, along with myfrustration about not being able to get appts with herwhen I really need them. i like her so much, but

icannot con't to use a doc that i can't see when i'mmost in need. i'm also going to talk to her about howi tend to be doing really well when i see her in theoffice and that i'm so conscious of drug-seeking (Iwork in psychiatry) that i'm downplaying my own pain,at times when i really should make quite a fuss,because i'm so worried they'll think i'm justdrug-seeking. anyway, what do any of you think about my on-call experience????

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[Guest guest]

<catdelouise@...> wrote: , Maybe you should keep a daily journal of your pain. Rate it on a scale of 1-10 each day and note whether or not you needed to take pain mediciation. You are right, its hard to recall the pain when not currently in it and its definitely hard to remember when you last took pain meds. IMHO, we are all here because we have RA, a very painful disease. We are maybe "drug-seeking" but its because we are actually in horrible pain. I hope you all have doctors, be it your Rheumy or another that give you access to pain meds. My Rheumy is funny about these things but my Primary doc is very understanding when I am in need. THANKS ELIZABETH, Yes a journal is a good ideal i kept one last winter and summer then got tired of messing with it but never used a ratting just notted the differant areas it was bad those days and still didn't dong on useing it for my drs ? LOL I still have trouble rateing pain to I have no ideal whats the greatest pain i've ever had related to daily pain , cause its been some pretty tought things that have hurt a short while thats related to this crapp that you gotta live with all the time thats real bad all the time but not like haveing your knee cut open for a few days or acl tear and work with it for two days or several bulgeing disk in your back that effects your arms and legs and the spurs from o/a on the nerves doing the same day after day that makes your arms feel like they are just going to fall off after awhile when you type this much you are just done for hours

or the day , or try to use a pen for long , I really dont know how to relay that kind of pain to a dr. ? I only understand the kind you would feel if you get cut , mashed , feel or maybe I should say can see other than that I can say it really hurts but i think i guess it could hurt more ?? how much is enought ??? there is many a times there tears in my eyes for the pain is that 10 I'm sure it could be worse but I really hope not , not for anyone of us here in this group or anywhere for that matter but realistly there has to be many worse than I so I'm lucky why should it be so bad ? maybe it's all my dieases combined in one ? I truely didn't want to stop working that is the singal most upsetting moment and part of my life but theres no way I could keep that up . am I lieing to myself ? no Theres no way ! But I feel I should of tryed more . I had been going down hill badly for the last year . john

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