My ranting against the medical profession grows into hatred.

The BBQ Pit
1

When last I ranted, I had a small adrenal tumor and possibly a goiter.

My doctor gave me a referral to another, better endocrinologist-- the head of endocrinology at Methodist Hospital as a matter of fact. I call the endo’s office on or about January 6th. I am given an appointment for April 2nd.
In the meantime, my primary physician schedules a sono of the goiter and a “while we’re at it, let’s get a look at your lungs” x-ray. When I call for my results I get a good news/bad news dealie. No goiter but there’s a shadow on your lungs. More x-rays from different angles. These x-rays come back showing a definite nodule. Time for a CT-Scan.

I get the scan done on March 16th. One agonizing and sleepless week later, I call the office for the results-- and call and call.

March 23: “Sorry, we don’t have them yet. We should, though. I’ll call the lab and get back to you.”

March 24th: “Oh yes, that’s right. The doctor will look at them and get right back to you.”

March 26th: “The doctor will call you back as soon gets a break in between patients.”

March 27th: “The doctor will call you back today by 6pm.”

On March 28th I had had enough and left this nasty message on the doctor’s answering machine 7:30 in the morning:

I think I have been more than patient. I would like to know whether or not I have cancer. Please give me a fucking call back.

ONE HALF HOUR LATER, my doctor calls me back. But not to give me results. Noooooo. First she has to chastise me for leaving her a message with a four letter word in it. I told her why is it that I had to leave a message with a four letter word in it before she called me back? And then she whined (kinda like the docs who may or may not come to post in this thread) about how busy she was and how she calls patients after business hours and how many phone calls she has to make and. . .

“I DON’T CARE!!!” I yelled over her whining, “You left me twisting in the wind for 2 WEEKS. I have not slept a wink in that time.”

“Your lungs are clear.”

“Thank you-- BYE!”

“No-- don’t hang up! The shadow on the x-ray was caused by the tumor on your adrenal gland which is growing. You really need to have that looked at.”

Good thing I have that appointment for this Monday, I think to myself. Hey, I haven’t spoken with that office in three months. Let me give them a call. . .
Me: Hi, this is Biggirl and I’d like to confirm my appointment with Dr Glands for this Monday.
Receptionist: You can’t have an appointment with Dr. Glands this Monday. She’s not in.
Me: WHAT!!!
Receptionist: Hold on please, l et me see something.
I hold for 10 minutes. I know I hold for 10 minutes because I put her on speakerphone and the time display on my work phone says 10:29 when she comes back.
Receptionist: We called you on March 26th and there was no answer.
Me: You called me ONCE after a 3 month wait? And that’s IT? What about my appointment??
Receptionist: We can reschedule you. How about July 18th?
Me (bursting into tears): How about FUCK YOU!!!

Yeah so I hope this fucking tumor kills me so I never have to deal with another doctor for as long as I live.

2

Oh, Biggirl, that sucks so much. God bless you, dear.

3

That can’t be your only option. What’s your location? Who’s your insurer?

Many insurance plans offer a nurse line service, as well as member support. Both options are available to help members figure out how to navigate the world of providers so you get the care you need, when you need it. I know most health insurers have a bad rap, but it’s to their advantage to keep their members as healthy as possible, and that means timely treatment. Can you pursue some help from them?

4

Is there any way you can get your MD to wangle an earlier appointment with the specialist, or do some Doc Shopping to find another so that you don’t have to endure another three or four months of this emotional agony? Sometimes a word from them is all it needs for the receptionist to ‘suddenly’ find a free appointment available in the next few weeks. :smiley:

Best of luck Biggirl.

5

Ah, I didn’t not reschedule for July. I have not rescheduled for anything. I cannot speak to another doctor’s office right now because I will either cry, curse or curse and cry simultaneously.

It’s win/win. I’m not frustrated and the doctors can blame the patient for not following orders. Yay!

I hear one of the symptoms for some hormonal problems is easy frustration. Well, there you have it.

6

I’m sorry to hear about your troubles Biggirl. If you would allow me, I would be happy to do some healing rituals on your behalf.

7

If it makes you feel better, go right ahead. Can’t be any worse than what the doctors are doing for me.

8

No problem, I always ask permission before doing so. It’s just considered good manners. :wink: Plus I’m hoping you’ll get in before July 18, no one should have to undergo such a thing on my birthday!

9

This is why I love, love, love the front desk people at my husband’s pyschiatrist and pyschologist’s office. They are very nice to you when you call up in a panic because something is going very wrong, very fast. They don’t treat you like you are making their lives hard because you called and need help. They are just the most level-headed, nicest women in the world.

Damn, I’d be pissed that they cancelled the appointment! I’d also be calling the primary doctor and asking them to highlight the importance of being seen by the endo now rather than in July.

Biggirl, I am sorry you are going through this and I hope you get to see a nice, caring doctor soon. My thoughts are with you.

10

the phone thing is pretty stressful - imo, it’s best to act a little weird while looking them in the eye.

Comes natural after a while. Though that can bring its own problems.

11

Damn, Biggirl, I’m so sorry. Good luck to you.

And is there an organization you can report these assmunches too? That was completely out of line.

12

When my son was 2 years old, a colonic polyp came out his butt - I went to change his diaper and there was a big pink blob of tissue where it shouldn’t have been. I freaked and got in to see his pediatrician the next day. I was referred to the pediatric gastroenterologist at the closest children’s hospital. Their next available appointment was something like 3 months away. The nurse at the pediatrician’s office advised me to just show up at the children’s hospital emergency room if I wanted to be seen sooner. Seems if you are admitted via the ER, the relevant service takes over the care and work-up.

Have you considered that? Going to an ER with a symptoms so that you can speed up the process?

13

Biggirl, this is just profane! Do you have someone to help you fight this battle – a friend or a sister? You need support getting through this. Where do you live? This is just not going to cut it. I think the ER idea is a good.

I want to go outside into the streets and scream for you. It is exactly midnight here.

14

Your doc will get no defense from me.

In a large clinic, problems like this are usually caused by poor communication within the clinic, where a doctor probably doesn’t have a specific nurse working with him and a phone message may have to get through three or four people before the doc ever hears about it. It’s a problem in my clinic. But I can’t imagine we’d let something like this go for a week when the patient was calling in every day.

I also have a personal rule–I never tell patients that something happened/didn’t happen because I’m just so busy. For one thing, I’m not–I have a good schedule for a primary care doc. For another, if I’m so busy that it affects the quality of my care, that’s a problem I need to solve, not an excuse.

I would not recommend going to the ER unless you develop new symptoms. Some ERs might admit you (mine would, which is another rant for another time), but most will just get you an appointment with an endo and send you home (as they should).

I’m not sure a goiter and an adrenal mass require the sort of ninja endocrinologist that has a four-month wait. Hell, a good internist should be able to at least go over your results and get things started. (I do adrenal incidentaloma workups all the time.)

15

Not going to the ER since it’s not an emergency and I wouldn’t put myself through that unless I was in a coma.

The problem about waiting yet another 3 or 4 months is that I’ve HAD tests done. The 24 hour urine test showed very high levels of aldosterone. I’ve had symptoms (edema, sudden onset of crazy hypertension, paplatations, an arrythmia, muscle weakness, terrible night cramps) for YEARS. The mass originally showed up during during a stomach CT done because of the awful stomach upsets I’ve been having. Both my primary and the gastro guy say I could be done with all of this if I can get the mass removed. But I can’t.

I could even, possibly, not be such a big girl if only I could get a doctor to give a rat’s ass about me. Or, if not about me personally, at least about being a professional. Fat chance.

16

And what is pissing me off more than anything is this attitude I keep getting from my doctors that it is ME who is the pain. That their working lives would be so much better if it wasn’t for the nasty patients who keep bothering them with demands all the time. Wanting to be seen and treated and contacted with information. How DARE we?

17

This is a really good point that bears repeating. If your doctor has such a large case load that it’s affecting her patient care, that’s a matter to bring to the medical board. I don’t remember where you live, but most (all?) states have a department of professional regulations that needs to hear about such gregarious violations of their licensed professions’ standards of care. There are also professional associations that your doctor might be a member of who might be able to either exert some pressure on your behalf or yank the membership of a doctor who’s not doing her job. If she’s part of an HMO or similar managed care networks, the people paying her might want to hear this, as well.

It’s not just the two week delay, it’s that you were repeatedly given voluntary deadlines by her staff that weren’t kept. That, to me, is more infuriating. If the doctor makes a professional decision that your medical case doesn’t warrant quick action, that’s one thing. You should be told that, though. To be promised call backs and not get them AND to have this happen while you have every reason to expect that you need fairly urgent care is just inexcusable, in my book.

18

Update on my growing hatred.

My husband took it upon himself to try to deal with the endo’s office in a more rational manner than I was capable of. He talked to the doctor’s secretary and was told that he had a point and that the receptionist would call him back to work something out.
He’s still waiting for the receptionist to call. I hope he’s not holding his breath.

19

That’s just bullshit, what these fuckers are doing to you. I’m a sales manager, and I’d rip new holes into any of my staff that would do that kind of shit, and that’s for products which don’t put anyone’s lives on the line.

20

I am so so so sorry, Biggirl. That is just all kinds of ludicrous. You have my sympathy.

{{{{{{{{{{{Biggirl}}}}}}}}}}}}