Should my doctor be more curious? Am I expecting too much?

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

You are talking about appointments though and that is the key -- the OP needs an appointment for the follow-up and not just back-and-forth questions by phone with the office staff as go-between. The appointment may be in the form of a telemedicine/phone/video visit rather than in-office, but it needs to be scheduled as a time for the doctor to dedicate discussion with the OP.

Nice to have a Dr who behaves like it’s the 21st century. OP is obviously not in that situation and they have to go back

I was simply pointing out that telemedicine has in fact not gone away with 2020...

 

[greeneyedchick]

I was simply pointing out that telemedicine has in fact not gone away with 2020...

It hasn't gone away but the difference is that now I have to make a telehealth appt and pay the co-pay to ask a question or get a routine prescription filled. I used to be able to email or call the doctor and ask the question or request the refill without paying a $40-$70 co-pay

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

It hasn't gone away but the difference is that now I have to make a telehealth appt and pay the co-pay to ask a question or get a routine prescription filled. I used to be able to email or call the doctor and ask the question or request the refill without paying a $40-$70 co-pay

That doesn't seem right.
Most doctor's offices have a menu option for refills where you just leave a message.
Seems more like perhaps the doctor likes to keep tabs on how the med is working before they are willing to refill.
As for questions.... I mean that sounds like indeed it is and should be an appt...

 

[focusondisney]

Unfortunately, Medicare won’t be covering most telehealth visits next year unless you’re in a rural setting.

What it is​

Telehealth includes certain medical or health services that you get from your doctor or other health care provider (including, through December 31, 2024, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists) who's located elsewhere (or in the U.S.) using technology to communicate with you in real time. You can get many of the same services that usually occur in-person as telehealth services, like psychotherapy and office visits.
Through December 31, 2024, you can get telehealth services at any location in the U.S., including your home. After this period, you must be in an office or medical facility located in a rural area (in the U.S.) to get most telehealth services.
After December 31, 2024, you'll still be able to get certain Medicare telehealth services without being in a rural health care setting, including:

• Monthly End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) visits for home dialysis.
• Services for diagnosis, evaluation, or treatment of symptoms of an acute stroke wherever you are, including in a mobile stroke unit.
• Services to treat a substance use disorder or a co-occurring mental health disorder (sometimes called a "dual disorder"), or for the diagnosis, evaluation or treatment of a mental health disorder, including in your home.
• Behavioral health services (also called mental health services), including in your home.
• Diabetes self-management training.
• Medicare nutrition therapy.

Things to know​

Medicare Advantage Plans and some providers in Original Medicare may offer more telehealth benefits than the basic coverage in Original Medicare. For example, you may be able to get some services from home, no matter where you live. If your provider in Original Medicare participates in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), check with them to find out what telehealth benefits may be available.

 

[shh]

Results came back today, just swollen lymph nodes. Cool, soooo what’s causing it? Am I allergic to something? “Let me ask the Dr and she’ll get back to you”

Office calls me back and says “she thinks it might be secondary to your acne” great, sooo…can we fix it? “You should make an appointment to talk to her”

I understand I’m not dying, but it just feels like my Dr has little inclination to investigate things. I can’t tell if I’m expecting too much, and this is her polite way of telling me I’m just overreacting and worried about nothing because the human body is mysterious and does weird things, which is fine (I’d be ok with her being direct about that lol). But I’m sort of irritated that I have to drag stuff out of her…if I wasn’t interested in fixing it or alleviating my symptoms, I’d have just stayed at home instead of spending money on an office visit.

Thoughts? Am I just a hypochondriac? Or am I right to expect more from her?

No, you're not. I'm 100% fed up with my PCP - they order lab work during my annual exams....but when results come in - with some out of range/concerning readings - I never hear back - no call from the doc or office - it's like they couldn't care less.

I wait a few weeks, then chase them down. Usually I have to schedule another appt (and pay another office visit) to find out if the results are normal or if there's a next-step needed.

One year - weeks after I followed up on an abnormal reading after not hearing from them- I got a voicemail - a voicemail! - informing me the doc called in a med- no discussion, no retest to see if the first test was an off reading - just "start taking meds". I insisted on a retest and it came back normal! They would have had me on regular powerful, costly meds - for nothing (with lord knows what side effects)!

There is unacceptably poor medical care right now - fertile grounds for malpractices suits, imo. I'd change practices, but there are long waits and similar problems elsewhere. "The devil you know". It's a ton of work advocating for even the simplest things.

 

[tony67]

No, you're not. I'm 100% fed up with my PCP - they order lab work during my annual exams....but when results come in - with some out of range/concerning readings - I never hear back - no call from the doc or office - it's like they couldn't care less.

I wait a few weeks, then chase them down...and even then, I get some useless generic message from the front office - no insights, next steps, etc.

One time they totally disregarded a concerning reading until I brought it to their attention. Another year - after I followed up - they then told me the doc was starting me on meds and to pick them up - no discussion, no retest to see if the first test was an off reading - just "start taking meds". I insisted on a retest and it came back normal! They would have had me on powerful, costly meds - for nothing (with lord knows what side effects)!

There is such unacceptably poor medical care right now - fertile grounds for malpractices suits, imo. I'd change practices, but there are long waits and similar problems elsewhere.

Regardless of what some folks say on here thus sums it up in my experience.
One of the biggest mistakes we made was just taking the medication that they prescribed - often the side affects turn out to be worse than the medication itself. Oh and the medication is not all that much more affective than no medication at all.

In another case a family member spoke with the PCP and was told it was nothing and just go to bed.
They ignored the doctor and went to the emergency room. (this was after years of issues and working with the doctor).
They told him in the hospital a few days later had not gone in he would probably be dead - he ended up in the hospital for about a week during Christmas and new years. Not long after they diagnosed him with Cancer - which made sense with all the issues they had.
Not long after they they said no it was a false positive and they were clear.
For some reason he stayed with the same PCP - mostly because it was next to impossible to get another one.
Fast forward two years and they are again diagnosed with cancer - except its now stage 4 and there is nothing that can be done.
This is someone who went to the doctor quite a bit - several times a year for the same issues that they could not figure out.
Many many tests and then all of a sudden its stage 4 - doe snot add up tp me.

Now they are on their second round of chemo - don't have high hopes - but you have to try.

So if you think there is an issue or your not comfortable with what they are telling you get another opinion - regardless of how uncomfortable that is its better than the possible alternatives.

If you don't feel like you're being heard/listened to/taken seriously, go elsewhere.

Exactly

Spot on! You have to be proactive and advocate for yourself. It is unfortunate but this the reality that most of us face.

Very true - unfortunately the doctors are overextended and IMO they just want to prescribe magic pills for the most part


One last thing for the OP - I had a very similar issue to you about 30 years ago and I spoke to my doctor and he said it was nothing.
I went back to him several years later and he noticed the same issue and said I should see a ENT - I mentioned that he said it was nothing previously and he said something like "I was young and reckless back then" - yeah that gives me a lot of confidence.
Anyway it was nothing in the end - but better to see someone and be 100% sure you pay enough for insurance I assume.

Oh and I finally found a new PCP - not that he is any better TBH.

 

[sam_gordon]

OMG, the doctor hasn't said anything. The OP needs to make an appointment to find out what the doctor thinks. The results came back the same day the OP posted. Now, the doctor must not think it's an emergency situation, but as far as what it is and what the treatment (if any) needs to be would be discussed in an appointment.

But yea, because the office said "you need to make an appointment to discuss", it must be the doctor doesn't know what they're doing or isn't taking it seriously enough, and another doctor should be found immediately!

Maybe that's all true, but without talking to the doctor, how do you know?