Who cares?

I had an AMAZING weekend at Mohonk Mountain House for the boy’s birthday! I will do a full recap later this week — with beautiful pictures. But I am not feeling very well and I’m not up to uploading all the pictures and sorting them out.  Which brings me to something I just need to vent about. . .

Is it possible to find a doctor who both understands your problems and actually cares?

If you’ve been reading this blog, you have some background information that might be confusing for those who haven’t. If you are completely lost, you can read through any stomach related posts I’ve written here.

Let me give you a little history of the gastroenterologists (GIs) I have been to since I started going for my current problems.

GI #1 – I selected this woman because she was located near my work (I was new to my job and didn’t want to take a big chunk of time off) and because she was a woman. I figured I’d be more comfortable talking to her. Her credentials seemed impressive online as well.

What happened?

She didn’t believe me. She told me she didn’t believe me. She told my mom she didn’t believe me. On the report of a procedure she did that asked the reason for the procedure, she wrote the symptoms she thought I had — not the symptoms I complained about.  Her inability to believe me also caused that procedure to be pointless, as there was no conclusive data from it as a result of her not believing me. She told my mom she was reluctant to give me a medication that helps many people with my problems. In other words, she wouldn’t treat me for what I had.

I don’t understand why exactly she would think I would make up an embarrassing illness and continue to go to her office about it a made up symptom. But she did. And I switched doctors.

GI #2– A doctor who believed me! Yay! That was such a big relief. And he cared. If I called from work screaming in pain, he would have my leave and immediately go there. He brought me back for bi-monthly and monthly appointments whether or not I had a current complaint. He always followed up with phone calls and sent me for many tests.

The problem?

He decided that his idea of what might be wrong is more accurate than the tests  to prove it. So instead of sending me for specific tests, he sent me instead for the invasive, expensive, humiliating treatments  for the problems he thought I had. He never told me that there are tests that would determine if I even needed this treatment.

And he was wrong on his diagnosis. All three GIs I have seen after have shaken their heads and said “You definitely DON’T have IBS.” Within minutes of hearing my situation.

GI # 3 – My current doctor.  He got the diagnosis right. He sent me for the correct tests. He referred me to a doctor who is more familiar with my type of problems for a consultation.

He also doesn’t care if I suffer.

If I call him in pain, he makes it clear he couldn’t care less. Coming in immediately and getting injected with pain-killing drugs and sent for immediate testing? Won’t happen. Telling me what medicine to take to alleviate the pain? Still waiting to hear that one. If I ask him a question and he doesn’t know the answer, he will make one up and tell it to me. This always results in me believing his answer, getting completely screwed over and suffering. When I tell him about this, he doesn’t care. Another example? I had a test over a week ago and was expecting the results early last week. After days of me asking for them, he told me his office never received them. I called the testing place and they had a fax confirmation of sending the report, but they sent again. His office still claimed they didn’t receive them.

I emailed the doctor and told him this. He told me to look up the testing place’s phone number — the same place he SENT me to and gave ME their phone number — and send it to him. Fine. I did this. I still didn’t hear back.

At this point, his office should be doing what they need to to get the results to me. Instead, they did nothing. I had to call the testing place again myself and ask them to re-send. And when his office still “didn’t receive” them? I had to call his office again, the testing place again, his office again. I had to track down my own test report on a test HE ordered.

Because he certainly didn’t care about tracking it down.

A week and a half later and still no results. I called his office and was told to “go to the testing place and pick up my report and bring it to them.” Since when is it MY responsibility to retrieve my test report and deliver it to the DOCTOR WHO ORDERED THE TEST? In addition to the fact that I had already tried that on my own (I was desperate!) and the testing place refused to give me my report until my doctor reviewed it.

I called his office again. And again. Finally I got the result (it was normal). But it was quite a major journey to get there.

What happened yesterday was the final straw. This week, I have my final test of the tests that we basically know will be normal but need to do them to officially rule everything else out before surgery. A few weeks ago, I had asked my doctor a question related to this test. His response was “yes” — I have it in writing. Based on his response, I took my next actions. Then I went to this week long medical test and was told that the actions I had taken will NOT work with this test. His “yes” response should have been a “no,” or at the very least an “I don’t know” — in which case I would have taken it upon myself to find out the right answer from SOMEONE WHO KNOWS prior to yesterday. And this was NOT the first time he gave me the wrong information without bothering to find out the right info or at least admit he didn’t know the right info.

So basically I took off an entire day of work to spend in the hospital and will spend every morning this week in the hospital for nothing. The test will not be correct. Because he gave me the wrong information.

I called my doctor and told him this. His response? Okay, just do your best. “But they said my results will be skewed,” I told him. He didn’t care. I told him that if this test becomes flawed than I would have to do it again. And did I mention that this test exposes me to radiation? I don’t exactly want MORE of that because of HIS carelessness. But when I mentioned that, again, he did not care. Also, the rest of this week is now pointless — yet I still have to get up early and pay for a cab to get to the hospital at 7:30 AM every day because the doctors doing the test said I need to complete it regardless. What is the point though, if I have to have the entire thing redone another time? An inconclusive test won’t rule out the final option needed to rule out before surgery. I’d still need this one last thing officially ruled out with a correct test. So why bother finishing this one? I could have avoided ALL of this. And my doctor does not care.

At first, I couldn’t understand why he didn’t care. The more I thought about it, the more I began to realize — why should he? He isn’t suffering. He won’t be experiencing extreme amounts of pain and discomfort this week (which started on Sunday evening for me and is getting worse). He doesn’t need this test to rule out everything else before surgery. And he isn’t considering major surgery in hopes to feel better. It is not his problem. And he knows that.

I am ready to switch doctors.

GI # 4 was the one who performed some of my tests. Also got my diagnosis correct. GI # 5 was the specialist my current doctor referred me to recently who is more familiar with my type of situation. I also have an appointment with GI #6 in July, but I think that for now GI # 5 will be my doctor. He had much more understanding and insight into my condition than my current one — the reason I even HAD these last 2 tests is because of his recommendation! And while GI #2 certainly did care, he did not have a thorough understanding of my problem and neglected to tell me about crucial tests before sending me for treatment.

As for the current test, I wasted my time. I will have to redo it at some point in the future — but I don’t plan to for awhile. It takes too much time and effort and getting to where I need to be for it costs money. And for now, I am still looking for the right balance — a doctor who both has a thorough understanding of my condition AND cares about me.

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Food news: Popchips now makes Sour Cream & Onion and Cheddar flavored chips! I am DYING to try some!

How fun is this:

Have any of you tried the new flavors yet?