This needs to be said here..

[Mackey Mouse]

And I think most of you know my story, but this is the thing. Doctors are just way too cavalier with our health....it is our body and I think we know best what is going on with them. If you are having issues and your doctor is not receptive to doing tests, chooses to prescribe meds rather than get to the cause of what it going on, then it is time for a new doctor. Testing is the only way you can catch something early and if early detection is important with some of these illnesses, the procrastination by your primary care so that he does not get demerits for some actuary at an insurance company is absolutely inexcusable.. If the medication does work, great, but I would still want to know exactly what it is that I have...

I am pretty passionate about this. Another thing I think if you are sticking around with your smalltown GP who may or may not have seen many illnesses that are hard to detect by minimal testing, then you need to seek out a teaching hospital where they may have more experience with routing out the ones that are hard to find.

Most of all, never back down. This is your health and your body that they are playing with. We pay enough for medical insurance.. some more than others but that is another story for another day, but if we do not speak up then we are allowing this kind of treatment or rather lack of treatment to go on.

Hugs all around.......for those of us fighting illnesses, that maybe could have done better with early detection, you know what I mean.

 

[disneyloveNY]

I do agree with you 100%. It is very important to always insist on getting the answers you need and going for a second opinion when you feel one is neeeded. It is your body!
However, not all of us Doctors are ruled by insurance companies so the generalization feels somewhat harsh. There are those of us docs who do listen to our patients, do everything in our power and know when to refer if needed .Having been on both sides of the situation there needs to be mutual respect and trust. I work on one side every day and have also quite recently been on the patient side as a mom. Not easy, but with the right dr. it helped us all through.

 

[mommasita]

Very well said Marsha

I am thinking of you guys and praying daily

 

[mrs_hower726]

Very well said MackeyMouse.

If it wasn't for my mom listening to her body and getting a 2nd opinion, she would still not be diagnosed with breast cancer, her gyno missed it on her mammogram (then came back later after mom called her up and gave her an earful to tell mom that she did see the lump and they discussed a plan which was complete bull but wanted to cover her own butt...but that's another story ).

 

[mrs_hower726]

Mackey - I also want to let you know that my thoughts are with you and your family.

 

[frdeb1999]

Very well said and very true. Thankful every day that I insisted on a 2nd opinion and different surgeon for my DH last year. Continued thoughts and prayers for you and your family.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I am assuming DisneyloveNY that you may be one of the caring doctors that want to get to the route of the problem. My husband has many of these caring doctors working with him in Boston...I thank God for Doctors like that.

I was speaking in generalities as I have been talking to one of our posters here and felt passionate about their plight as they are getting refused testing and are not feeling well. So please understand my passion and it was not meant personally to any doctor who is in the trenches and taking good care of their patients..

However this morning, once again, I had to deal with Blue Cross about my husband plan for prescriptions. Rude on the phone, you bet, nasty to me for asking a simple question.. yeah....am I a little jaded, probably. This is my husband' s plan that we pay extra for, why do they need my social security no?? Sometimes I have to stand up and be counted.. it was not personal.. it was passionate.

 

[choirfarm]

nt

 

[Tricia1972]

I can only speak from my experience.

My sister developed numbness in her hand this past April. She didn't think much of it until she tripped going up the steps and the numbness spread up her arm. (This was the day after she first noticed the numbness)

It didn't get better, but rather worse. She called and went to her PCP. Her HMO tells her which Dr she can go to.

By the time she was seen the numbness was much worse and her coordination was off.

She was sent away.

Numbness persisted, coupled with headaches and dizziness.

Another call, a different Dr.

She was sent away - a hypochondriac with migraines. Her dizziness wasn't real because the room wasn't spinning in circles.

She KNEW in her heart that there was something more there. She's not a drama queen and doesn't even get Novocaine for her fillings.

She persisted and finally saw a Dr whose intern suggested a MRI - just to be safe.

My sister has aggressive brain cancer. The tumor was the size of a large egg.

Thank GOD she persisted when the other Dr's blew her off. It was hard, the Dr's were very dismissive, but she still did what she felt was right.

I agree, if it doesn't seem right - YOU need to be your own advocate. Dr's aren't always right, they do make mistakes, and you need to push for your own health.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

You know I feel very strongly about the coping and compassion board being a safe place to discuss our feelings..

When I wrote the post this morning, I was feeling very passionate about testing and how important early detection is for some of the big bad diseases, most especially Pancreatic Cancer as that is where my head is at this time.

I do not expect doctors to be jerks, nice guys or super human, I do however feel that they should do their job to the best of their ability keeping the patient in mind. We all have issues in our personal life that affect our lives, but when I or my husband are in the doctor's office, I want those personal issues off the table and I want them to be dealing with us....after we leave, by all means, think about your personal life, but for those 10 minutes, give or take, focus on us.

So once again, let me say here, I welcome your opinions, and if you disagree fine, but let's not take this thread into a debate because.......this is our safe place..

 

[choirfarm]

nt

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Listen....you can talk here..

Why not...start your own post on this board.. we are caring people and maybe some of us have ideas that will help you with whatever is going on right now in your life. It sounds like you are not sleeping from what you posted.......as you were new here I was just reminding you that we do not debate on this board..because sometimes we can forget and get into it without intending to do so.

Now from what I have read after my reply it is clear to me that you are coming from a different place. So.. feel free to start your own thread and vent..

 

[safetymom]

Marsha, I so agree with you!!! I made it my job to see that my late husband got the best medical care available. I had to fight family members, doctors, hospitals and insurance companies. In the end a doctors ego is probably what killed my husband.

Would I do it again? Of course I would!!! I asked doctors along the way if they would treat their loved ones the way they were creating my husband.

To be fair Fran had one outstanding doctor we finally found. I wish we could have cloned him. He was awesome. He listened, he understood, he realized when Fran complained it must be serious. I wish everyone could have a Dr. like this one.

 

[disney kid at heart]

And I think most of you know my story, but this is the thing. Doctors are just way too cavalier with our health....it is our body and I think we know best what is going on with them. If you are having issues and your doctor is not receptive to doing tests, chooses to prescribe meds rather than get to the cause of what it going on, then it is time for a new doctor. Testing is the only way you can catch something early and if early detection is important with some of these illnesses, the procrastination by your primary care so that he does not get demerits for some actuary at an insurance company is absolutely inexcusable.. If the medication does work, great, but I would still want to know exactly what it is that I have...

I am pretty passionate about this. Another thing I think if you are sticking around with your smalltown GP who may or may not have seen many illnesses that are hard to detect by minimal testing, then you need to seek out a teaching hospital where they may have more experience with routing out the ones that are hard to find.

Most of all, never back down. This is your health and your body that they are playing with. We pay enough for medical insurance.. some more than others but that is another story for another day, but if we do not speak up then we are allowing this kind of treatment or rather lack of treatment to go on.

Hugs all around.......for those of us fighting illnesses, that maybe could have done better with early detection, you know what I mean.

Wow, you must have been the sign I was waiting for. You are 100% right and when I found a great Dr the poor thing fell and had to retire. He was the only 1 that said if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, regardless of test results he dx me as having a combination of connective tissue diseases. Monday nite i had another sleep study as I've been on a bipap for yrs, and Dr called and said I need a trach that there was carbon dioxide in lungs and they could not increase pressures enough to get me in REM sleep. I had a surgery due to several bacterias from 95-99 then they left me open for almost 3yrs. Drs don't want to listen. I was in the medical field my entire life and have seen and experenced many mistakes because people are human, but when you know what is happening with your own body and they don't listen you do have to find another. Then they get angry when you tell them what's going on and they say they know better than us. I am seeing a pulmonary doc on Tues and I just hope he can do something to prevent me from having a trach. Thankyou again for being the angel you are. Prayers being sent for all.

 

[kaffinito]

Listen....you can talk here..

Why not...start your own post on this board.. we are caring people and maybe some of us have ideas that will help you with whatever is going on right now in your life. It sounds like you are not sleeping from what you posted.......as you were new here I was just reminding you that we do not debate on this board..because sometimes we can forget and get into it without intending to do so.

Now from what I have read after my reply it is clear to me that you are coming from a different place. So.. feel free to start your own thread and vent..

choirfarm,

I agree with what Mackey Mouse said. Please start another thread and we will certainly "listen" to you and support you. Please open up if you need to!

Karen

 

[Mskanga]

I had one PCP for years before my daughter was diagnosed with cancer last year that always taught me that when it comes down to our health if something seems wrong or doubtful , to push for answers and do whatever it takes to get those answers. My daughter was always the one getting sick , I knew her very well and 98% of the time I was right on the money. When she started complaining of pain on the knee I saw another PCP because her old one was no longer working in that practice , the new one told us that she had either growing pains or a pulled muscle and sent her to physical therapy for 3 months and see how she would do. I walked out of that room and I thought there was no way in hell I would take her to physical therapy without an x-ray being done so I took her to an ortho within days , the ortho took an x-ray right then and there and before we left the office we knew there was "something" there and did not look good , she was sent for an MRI and three days later we were told she had high grade osteosarcoma ( bone cancer ). If I had done what the first doctor said to do ( PT ) chances are within those three months the cancer would have spread and the prognosis would have been worse.
I have always been a strong advocate when it came down to medical care but now I am worse , I do not take no for an answer unless it's proven to me and all resources have been considered or used.
Some people may have thought before this happened that I was overreacting or paranoid but they no longer think that , now all our doctors say they would do the same thing if they had gone through the hell we went through. You bet I will move heaven and earth to get the care that is needed , and I will fight whoever stands in my way......