Need to rant About Doctors

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-29-2007
Need to rant About Doctors
9
Thu, 12-04-2008 - 2:07pm

I just need to rant about Doctors and how they treat their patients.


My husband called his Doctor to see if he could help us move the first oncology appointment up before Dec 15. He called him on 11/26. His MD said he would call him back on Monday because of the holidays.His MD also gave the impression that it was dire that My Hubby got in to see oncology sometimes this week because they had to schedule him for surgery ASAP to get his spleen out yada,yada. My hubby also said it was important to do the biopsy so they would know what KIND of lymphoma it was. I know my husband could not have come up with that on his own .So come late monday afternoon no word from the MD. I told my hubby to call and leave him a message to remind him.On Tuesday A message was left on the home answering machine by the Nurse that his appointment was on 12/15 which we already knew because we set up the appointment ourselves in what I took as a condescending attitude.She also left a number for him to call if there was any problem the ph no was for the Cancer center.(I worked in that hospital for 10 years until last year so I know the PH no to the Cancer Center.)


The office is suppose to call my hubby's cell phone first since her works during the day not the home ph. I don't know why they can't get that through their thick skull.If they would have called the cell like they were suppose to do he could have told them that is not what he was asking.I told my husband to call him back yesterday but my typical husband doesn't listen.He also didn't listen closely to the massage because he didn't realize the number the nurse left was the cancer center ph.He assumed it was her ph no (Typical)


Next, Why on 11/26 it was dire to see  oncology this week but on Monday it wasn't that important anymore.I feel like the MD is patting himself on the back because he made a diagnosis and now is like forget you I am washing my hands of it.


I am a RN However my speciality is cardiac.I know some things the general public doesn't.know. One, If MD make a personal call to their buddy and that's usually who the referrals are to then a lot of time the appointments can be moved up sooner.Also most of them are distracted and don't know their patients or their patents history or anything.The have little god attitudes and think they know everything. They hate talking to patients or families because they ask questions and the last thing the like is being questioned.They would rather have a sharp stick in the eye.I don't trust them.I am also mostly sure that the office gave the MD his message and he turned over to his old,dried up battleax nurse.


I also have checked out info at the American Cancer society And it says the only way to diagnose lymphoma is by biopsy.My hubby's useless MD has not done a biopsy so have can he be 99% sure?He he able to magically see the Cancer calls through the CT scan.Also the ACS says that a CT is only used to track the progression of cancer not to diagnose.So how is he 99% sure? I keep asking that question and can't get an answer.


 


I don't now I a upset ,scared and worried.Hubby is to He said the useless MD said to call if he needed something but no one can get a hold of him.Of course I know they always say that even though the don't mean it.I don't want to turn into the crazy,psycho nurse wife but I maybe forced to become what I hate dealing with most.I use to see this in the hospital all the time the stupid MD would strut in the room like a tom turkey tell a patient some horrible thing he wasn't even sure about ,speak over the patients head,freak out the patient and family then slink away to leave the nurses to deal with it.To make matters worse would not come back to answer the patients questions.Like I said I hate doctors and don't trust them.I would trust the Laziest,dumbest nurse way before I trust any of the useless "little gods"


I had a friend not 8 months ago the just went through the same thing I am going through. Hid useless MD diagnosed him with lymphoma using a CT scan(he was 99% sure also) then of course abandoned him.DId a PET scan then sent him to an oncologist. When he got to he oncologist it turned out he was fine.So how does my Hubby's Md know for sure?Also 15 years ago my grandmothers MD diagnosed her with ovarian cancer He was sure to. Told he she would probably die.When it was removed it turned out to be a benign cyst.Those are just more examples of the little god complexes.All three are different MDs.


 


It is just hard for me to understand how useless blankly,blank doctors can do this to people.Hoever it is not like I don't experience almost every work day.Stupid internal medicine MDs do a cardiac stress test on someone because of chest pain which turns out to be positive so they tell them they have clocked coronary arteries,refer them to a cardiologist who in turn preforms a cardiac cath.When we get the patient on the table there arteries are as smooth as a newborn's bottom.However the patient is convinced they have cardiac problems and will need surgery.Most of the time it is not true.The patients show up scared and freaked out.There are many factors that can give false positives on Cardiac stress test. A lot of cardiologist don't even mess around with them they just go straight to the cath.However I know squat about oncology I hated that rotation in college 13 yrs ago so I have forgotten most of what I have learned.I do know there have been a lot advances in that field over the years.


 


I can help making up stories in my head.About a year ago one one the ambulance chasing Law firms had an ad out about suing for lymphoma misdiagnosis.I wonder if this could be driving My hubby's useless MD actions.I do know for a fact that lawsuits will change Hospital practices.


 


One last thing. I know the Cardiac protocol is based on suggestions from the American heart association. Is oncology practices are on The American Cancer Society recommendations? Does anyone know?


Thanks for listening.Sorry about the extremely long post.


 

Lori

Lori

Avatar for coldfingers
Community Leader
Registered: 04-30-2000
Thu, 12-04-2008 - 3:40pm

Lori, don't worry about your long post!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-29-2007
Thu, 12-04-2008 - 4:58pm

Thanks for the response.I did call the office this morning

Lori

Avatar for coldfingers
Community Leader
Registered: 04-30-2000
Thu, 12-04-2008 - 9:11pm

If you call and calmly ask, they should tell you IF you are on the list.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-29-2007
Fri, 12-05-2008 - 9:41pm

I am a little calmer now.I am still irritated,however.I was unable to go to the office today being that I had to work all day.I work 6a-6p so the office is not open before work then closed when I get off.


I did call when I got a chance of course there is a wall around the MD and it is impossible to talk to him with outgoing through the office staff and leaving a message.My hubby has also again tried to call.


it is now Friday 730 pm and not surprisingly no call from the MD. It has been 5 days of trying to get him so I now officially feel blown off.Not really surprised just annoyed and frustrated.come monday the oncologist appointment will only be a week away so there is no point.I will however eventually get him on the phone or in person if not only to complain about his poor practices.It is now starting to be the principal and not the results.


Have another week of freaking out and worring.regardless of the results I will let him know what a crappy doctor he is and that we will never be back and I will tell everyone I know what happened and that I wouldn't take a dead rat to him for medical care.I did really care for him before this and I really dislike him now.My father is a medical malpractice lawyer in Florida maybe I should have him send the MD a letter.(LMAO)

Lori

Lori

Avatar for coldfingers
Community Leader
Registered: 04-30-2000
Sat, 12-06-2008 - 2:12pm

You are so right..

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2007
Thu, 12-11-2008 - 6:58am

Hello Lori.


May I tell you my story but I warn you it is very very long. Two years almost (the day after Christmas) 2006 it all began.


I had lost a lot of weight through hard work and I had bought this great outfit for Christmas since my son was coming home. As I walked by Payless shoe store I saw these mulls with about a two inch rise on sale and bought them. OH I am 61 years old. Most of the time I wear SAS shoes very good support. Now I was smaller and I wanted something different.


The day after Christmas the family went out shopping and dinner out. I wore my new outfit and my new shoes but what I did wrong was I wore holes with them. So all day going in and out of stores my feet were going up and down in the shoes. At the end of the day after about 8 hours of shopping and a couple hours at dinner, my feet and big toes were killing me. After taking my clothes off for bed I got to looking at the bottom of my feet. On each of my big toes was a blood blister the size of big headed straight pin. I called my husband in and said "Honey get a needle and punch a hole in the blisters so they will drain." His answers was I am scared. Don't worry they will dry up. Well they didn't In a week they were really hurting and the blue/black spot was getting bigger. So I made an appointment with my husband's doctor. A GP I had to wait a week. When we got to the office we were informed that the doctor was called away but I could see "Dr. L." No one told me that Dr L was just a medical practisher. I ask him to bust the blister. He like my husband would not It will dry up. and he gave me

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-19-2008
Sat, 12-13-2008 - 5:54pm

Lori,


I did not plan to post here.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-29-2007
Mon, 12-22-2008 - 6:35pm

Mary Ann,


Lori

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 12-23-2008 - 4:47pm

Lori,

I just happened to come back to this board to see if any familiar names were still here. You see my dad died a year ago yesterday from pancreatic cancer. I visited here often and got tremendous support. When i read your post i had to respond.

I know all to well how you are feeling. I believe i posted many a post here about how incompetent the doctors, nurses etc..were in my dad's care. I know how you feel about not wanting to step on toes, and cause a fuss because you are a nurse. I too am an RN and felt the same way at the beginning. I didn't ruffle feathers, kept calm in spite of horrible dr's and nurses not doing their jobs. Then finally I couldn't take it anymore, i could not stand by and just accept the care they were giving. I let everyone know I was a nurse and i was very involved in dad's care. I asked questions like crazy, just to make the nurses aware i was watching out for dad. If you can believe even with all that, plus spending major time at the hospital..one of the nurses just about sent my dad into congestive heart failure due to fluid overload..ie..iv running too fast. We told them before we left that night to watch him..he wasn't getting up, was getting lots of pain meds, not deep breathing and coughing..."watch his fluid intake, we don't want him to get overloaded"...Then the next morning i was in first thing..i could hear dad coughing uncontrollably from down the hall. I go in to find him majorly in distress, oxygen satur..was bad. He said he was complaining about it all night and they did nothing. Well that set me off like nothing else. Then there was a morning i found dad laying in fully soaked bedsheets. The night nurse gave him a sip of water, spilled the whole cup, said she'd be back to change them and never did. How about the time, dad's NG tube was hooked up wrong, and we had to point it out to the nurse. We lived at the hospital after a few of these occurances and still you have to be ontop of these health care professionals "if you want to call them that". The doctors were no better. In and out within seconds, not providing info, saying they would do a stent one day, we take dad into hospital..oops "no bed, go home"..ridiculous.

The only advise i have to say to you is be your loved one's advocate! Don't worry about hurting feelings. He deserves good care, no matter what!
My dad yearly donated thousands of dollars to the local hospitals, you would have thought he should have deserved to be taken care of. If they don't even take care of those who contribute to the hospital, what chance in hell does the rest of us have.

As you can see this is still a very touchy topic with me. I am still very angry with all the health care professionals who cared for him. Some may ask, would i do it all the same if i had a chance to do it again? I tell them, "No, i would've gotten more demanding from the get go. I gave them too much respect and they stomped on us". All we wanted was respect. All we wanted was the courtesy of the nurses, and doctors to inform us what was happening. We just wanted a few moments of their time to express our concerns. Just to do their job.

It certainly gives me a different view of the 'demanding' family in a nurses eyes. I now see them not as demanding but terribly concerned about their loved ones. They are desperate for their prayers to be answered, and if that isn't possibe, questions answered by caring doctors and nurses.

Fight if you have to. Sometimes it's the only way to get the care you deserve.

Hugs,
Suz