Doctors!

[gja1000]

I probably should have started this thread under "Vent" but that's not really my intent. I was just thinking about some of our experiences with doctors, in the past five years since my hubby got sick, and thought it might be interesting to hear others experiences too.

Gary has 5 doctors he has to see every 3 months, heart, pacemaker, lung, diabetes, and kidney. He also has a doctor at the VA he has to see once a year, as well as his primary doc once a year. He see a dermatologist periodically when his psoriasis flares up, and he see a dentist every 3 months for chronic gum disease. He also sees a nurse practitioner in the heart failure clinic every 3 months. Now, all of these "every 3 months" doc are sometimes seen much more frequently, like this past week when he has been sick. Anyway, as you can see, we have LOTS of physician interactions. I'm going to talk about a few.

Lung doc we saw today: My daughter has decided this doc has mild Asperger's, a form of autism. People with Asperger's are often brilliant, and we have been told he is the smartest doc in Austin. Unfortunately, persons with Asperger's usually do not have good social skills. This is Gary's doc. He is nice, but has absolutely NO personality. Everything he says is exactly the same and he shows absolutely no emotion, at all! Today, when he figured out what was wrong with Gary, you would have thought he would have at least smiled - Gary was so thrilled - but no, not even a smile. It's hard to convey through the written word, it's not that he's mean or anything like that, he is just flat. It's not like depression either. Anyway, my daughter (who is a fifth grade school teacher and has has several students with Asperber's) says he is a classic high functioning case. It's very interesting to me and now I think perhaps many docs who have no bedside manner, may actually have Asperger's!!!

Gary's previous lung doc: Gary is feeling very bad because he has had to change lung doctors because his old lung doc does not practice at the hospital that Gary has to go to now (because that is where his heart doctor practices). I can understand - Gary likes his old lung doctor - BUT I CAN'T STAND HIM. One time I changed Gary's med just a little bit, and it helped Gary a lot. I forgot to tell Gary NOT to tell his doctor - and Gary was so proud that I helped him, that he told his doctor, in front of me what I did The doc looked at me and said, "I need you to be his wife, not his nurse". I had to get up and leave the room, I was so mad. It's not just me though, nurses hate to work with this doc too. But he and Gary had lots in common, they both love to hunt and fish and they would trade stories.

Pacemaker doc: Gary and I were in his office last week and we spent a good 10 minutes talking about Alaska and how much we all love it. He told us that he had never been, and really wanted to go and asked us all kinds of questions about it. He told us he had a chance to go, but his wife was pregnant at the time and the baby was due while he would be gone - so he laughed and said that he knew if he went and the baby came while he was gone, he would pay for that trip for the rest of his life.

Heart doc: Gary loves his heart doctor, SHE is great! She looks younger than she is, and she is younger than him, but not THAT much younger. She is so bubbly and cheerful. One time she wanted him to do something that he really didn't want to do and he said to her, "I don't think so, Missy!" I nearly DIED - she just laughed at him!

Kidney doc: Gary really likes HER too. She is also very cheerful, bubbly and wonderful. We were in her office in the fall and she asked Gary if he'd had the flu shot, and he said, "Not yet". She jumped up, got the vaccine and gave it to him herself. She told him she had to practice every once in a while, or she'd forget how to give shots!!

Diabetes doc: He's a nice guy and actually we only see him once a year and the other 3 times a year (Gary has to go every 3 months) we see the nurse practitioner - which Gary is in love with, no really, I kid you NOT! Anyway, the doc is a nice guy and he always wants to know about Alaska and always asks us to tell him our latest travels.

Dentist: Gary is hard of hearing and and wears hearing aids. His dentist is Chinese born, she talks a mile a minute, behind a MASK! It's too funny! Gary can't understand a word she says!!! I usually go along with him (unless it's only a routine cleaning, then I don't go) just so I can interpret for him

Nurse Practitioner at Heart Failure clinic - Gary loves her too. She takes so much time with him, she listens to him, answers all his questions. We are very fortunate to have her!!!

So, what are your "doctor" stories!!! I'm SURE I'll think of others as you all tell yours!!!

[DianaB]

The doctor that we were going to (that I really liked) became so busy and opened clinics in other towns to where he was hardly ever here. When I needed to get in to see him I always had to wait for a few days to get in or drive to whatever clinic he was in that day. I finally called it quits and went back to the doctor that I had previously. He's from the Phillipines (his wife is actually royalty there). I like him but he doesn't listen too well to my concerns. As soon as I talk about being tired he sees that I have thyroid problems and that's as far as anything goes and I leave fustrated.

My husband goes to a different doctor and he likes him really well. He's in an office with his neice. My daughter, Dae Lynn, was her receptionist for a short time and really liked her. I think that the next time I go to the doctor that I'm going to switch to her.

Living in a small town we don't have a lot of doctors available (we have 4) but we have specialists that come into town several times a month and most of them are really good doctors. It makes it nice to not have to drive out of town.

As for our dentist, we drive to a small local town for our dental care. The dentist is ok but his help is really friendly. We've gone there for years. They were going to build a new office but the receptionist/bookkeeper stole a lot of money from him.

[lynne b]

isn't it awful how you have to go to so many different Dr's for everything that is wrong with you. Before mom went into the NH she had a lung, foot,"2" eye, heart, back, diabetic, hearing, dentist, general practioner Dr's. Thats all we were getting done is running her to Dr's. and the meds that they had her on was just crazy. Since she has been in the NH we have cut back to only what is nessasary, she wont be having any surgeries unless it is a life or death situation since that is how she ended up in the NH from a back surgery. She is on half the meds that she was on because one Dr would persribe something and then another would persribe something that would contradict what the other one was suppose to do.

Oh and as i sit here and write this we just admitted mom into the hospital this morning for phnemonia (how come that isnt spelled like it sounds). She is doing good they are doing breathing treatment & antibiotics. I accutally hope they keep her a couple of days cause she get's more one on one treatment there then if she is at the NH.

[gja1000]

Originally Posted by lynne b

isn't it awful how you have to go to so many different Dr's for everything that is wrong with you. Before mom went into the NH she had a lung, foot,"2" eye, heart, back, diabetic, hearing, dentist, general practioner Dr's. Thats all we were getting done is running her to Dr's. and the meds that they had her on was just crazy. Since she has been in the NH we have cut back to only what is nessasary, she wont be having any surgeries unless it is a life or death situation since that is how she ended up in the NH from a back surgery. She is on half the meds that she was on because one Dr would persribe something and then another would persribe something that would contradict what the other one was suppose to do.

Oh and as i sit here and write this we just admitted mom into the hospital this morning for phnemonia (how come that isnt spelled like it sounds). She is doing good they are doing breathing treatment & antibiotics. I accutally hope they keep her a couple of days cause she get's more one on one treatment there then if she is at the NH.

Yes, it is a BIG chore, just running to the doctors. I have to go to every single appointment, because Gary is hearing impaired and just doesn't hear well enough, even with hearing aids to understand what they are saying or what he's supposed to do.

PNEUMONIA!!! Hasn't she had the pneumonia shot!!!! Like you, I hope they keep her there a few days!

[lynne b]

Originally Posted by gja1000

Yes, it is a BIG chore, just running to the doctors. I have to go to every single appointment, because Gary is hearing impaired and just doesn't hear well enough, even with hearing aids to understand what they are saying or what he's supposed to do.

PNEUMONIA!!! Hasn't she had the pneumonia shot!!!! Like you, I hope they keep her there a few days!

yes she had the shot and this makes the second time she has had it since Oct. It's wierd because this just came on all of a sudden ( makes me wonder if it is really pneumonia) but everything else came back ok, even a CT scan.
Sorry didn't mean to steal your thread.

[DianaB]

{{{{{{Lynne b}}}}}} I'm so sorry that you're going through all of this with your Mom. I know that it's hard on you.

[Janet]

Lynne!!! Why didn't you call and let me know. I thought I saw your online light on early this afternoon and when I went back to check it was off. Thought I was seeing things. I hope she gets to stay awhile too, especially to make sure she gets over it good.

My mom is in Florida now....suppose to start the shots and probably the dialysis, but she doesn't even get into the Dr. until Feb. 11th. So far she says she is feeling fine and keeping busy. I wish she would have stayed home.

[lynne b]

Originally Posted by Janet

Lynne!!! Why didn't you call and let me know. I thought I saw your online light on early this afternoon and when I went back to check it was off. Thought I was seeing things. I hope she gets to stay awhile too, especially to make sure she gets over it good.

My mom is in Florida now....suppose to start the shots and probably the dialysis, but she doesn't even get into the Dr. until Feb. 11th. So far she says she is feeling fine and keeping busy. I wish she would have stayed home.

I got the call @ 6am and by the time i got home i was exhausted.

I hope your mom continues to feel better, hopefully she will get good news from the Dr.

[judy]

How's your Mom Lynne? I hope she is feeling better.

I had some wonderful doctors in Brooklyn. There is no reason to go to a doctor in NYC who you don't love. There are so many available.

Up here, it is a different story. Thank God I rarely get sick. I needed a chiropractor and found a nice one, but my Brooklyn chiro didn't crack your bones like he does. She uses something called an activator - no pain! And, it works just as well. I did find a terrific, but insane in a good way, massage therapist.

I am on antidepressants and will only go to a psychiatrist for them. I hated him at first. Now, it's become a love-hate thing. He likes to argue. I don't. I also don't think he is emotionally qualified to do therapy. He is as crazy as they come. But, I still drive down to his Westchester office because none of the Psychiatrists up here even call back when you leave a message. They suck.

I'm probably going to have to go to a Bassett center nearby for doctors. I need doctors who take my insurance.

Oh - my vet has 1/2 the county loving him and the other 1/2 hating him. I really should change because a lot of bad stories are told about him. I happen to like him, but what if Max or Annie got sick?