topic Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today in Wellness

Bizarre doctors appt. today

151949 — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 20:51:07 GMT

I needed to see ortho doctor after falling right on my knees and having a lot of pain in them. Anyway - since I have an HMO I have to pick from my ins co in network list. So my PCP picks one and I make an appt. for today. They tell me they are in temporary offices and give me an address. Off I go - when I get to the address it is a shopping mall but one of the doors says ---Physical Therapy. I figure I'll ask them if they know where the doctor's office is. I go in and there is no receptionist so I ask one of the people walking around in scrubs and he said this is it. They give me the usual clipboard and I fill it out. They ask for my copay and ins. info. then take me back to see the doctor - IN A STORAGE CLOSET. No lie - shelves all along the walls filled with PT equipment and in between them a raggedy old wooden desk and a chair. The doctor comes in , looks at my knees and bends my legs etc. Explains that I damaged the cartiledge under the knee caps & now it is rough like stucco instead of smooth and it will take a long time to heal, and this rough cartiledge is rubbing on my prosthesis from my makoplasty, and that is causing my pain. He recommends pain meds and PT , but when I tell him I have a $50 per session copay for PT and the 18 sessions he recommends will cost me $900 out of pocket he says it wouldn't be worth it. Gave me a Rx for PT anyway. No xrays - nothing. At least it was fast - in & out in about 5 min. but a total waste as he did absolutely nothing for me.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

151949 — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 20:55:36 GMT

I asked why they didn't have a sign on the door to indicate it was also his "office" and he said signs are expensive. I took a index card off his desk - wrote Dr ---- office here. and slid it into the door frame. He said - well that outta do it.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

dex — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:10:56 GMT

I think you might have seen the bare bones doc!I wouldn’t feel good at all about that visit.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

millieshops — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:18:19 GMT

@151949One thing I hate to hear from any doctor is that there's not much except time and maybe pain meds that will relieve what's bothering me.

I can visualize what he explained, but I don't have nearly enough knowledge to know whether a different doctor would have a better answer. Hopefully a different doctor would be in surroundings that would make you feel more assured although we all know doctors can do amzing work in very primitive surroundings.

Right now I'll just hope you find pain relief somehow.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

151949 — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:23:42 GMT

I am not surprised at all by this - after all - this is Florida.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

Q4u — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:28:28 GMT

I have had a lot of Ortho work to my knees, including breaking 1/2" of Tibia partially floating under one knee cap.... torn Miniscus, torn cartlidge, etc. Never, never have I had a serious diagnosis without at least an X-Ray, a Cat Scan or an MRI! I'm shocked at this. Not so shocked at the "Make Do" office facility (they have to make it work somehow) but I think I would get a second opinion.... yes indeed.... and I hope you find relief.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

dex — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:28:06 GMT

@151949

@151949 wrote:
I am not surprised at all by this - after all - this is Florida.

I would not feel good if I had any life threatening problems and was seeing a doc that wasn’t even concerned with having an office sign or receptionist.Is Florida that laid back?

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

gidgetgh — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 22:05:30 GMT

That was quite an appointment! I’d ask my primary for another referral to a different ortho doctor. One who might take an interest in getting to the bottom of your issue. One who might take the time to, I don’t know, actually take some x rays, do an MRI, whatever.

In 2012, I fell, horrible fall, and hurt my knee. I thought I’d broken it. I went to the orthopedic doctor the next day. He took the obligatory X-ray and told me it would take time to heal and sent me on my way. All that was missing was a dismissive wave of the hand.

I went back three more times as the pain kept getting worse. He kept saying it will just take time to heal. On the 4th visit, I insisted on an MRI.

They took forever to schedule it. They finally did and as I waited for the appointment, things took a turn for the worse and I ended up going by ambulance to the ER. 5, count em 5, blood clots. Two behind that knee, one in each lung and one in the saddle between the lungs. The ER doctor told me that he didn’t know if I’d make it. Obviously I did, but since that time, I really don’t put up with any attitude from doctors. I have no problem questioning what they’re doing and challenging them if I think they’re not doing enough.

@151949- I’m sorry you fell on your knees. I hope you get relief and healing soon.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

NicksmomESQ — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:35:55 GMT

I would call my PCP & ask for another referral.Tell him what happened so he won’t use him anymore!!

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

karol59 — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:39:03 GMT

I WOULD HAVE WALKED OUT BEFORE THEY COULD CHARGE YOU, WHEN IN DOUBT, GET THE HECK OUT.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

chrystaltree — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:41:31 GMT

Really? No xray? I would have asked or rather insisted on an xray. He could be right but it's also possible that you have something else going on since you injured the knee. Obviously, they are in temporary space and that would have concerned me; doctor's office move and renovate just like any other business. It seems like rushed exam and I really don't like the dx without an xray. As for the PT. I knee replacement surgery in January. The surgery was scheduled about 6 months prior and my surgeon recommended PT twice a week prior to the surgery to strenghthen my the muscles. I objected. Our co-pay for PT is $35 and $70 a week for six months was more than I wanted to pay, not to mention the PT itself. I'd had PT for that knee and it did nothing. So, I told him all that and his response was. something like "yes, it is expensive and you can strenghten the muscles by walking for 20 minutes a couple of times a week". I walked out shaking my head. Why bring up PT if I didn't really need it? I would have had the PT at a local hospital near my house, so he wouldn't profitted from it. A similar thing happend after my knee replacement. He ordered PT three times a week but when I had the PT evaluation, the therapist said 3 times a week wasn't necessary. Twice a week was enough because I was doing home exersizes. Maybe it's just me but with all my knee and back problems, PT never helped at all.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

Q4u — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 21:49:38 GMT

@gidgetgh wrote:
That was quite an appointment! I’d ask my primary for another referral to a different ortho doctor. One who might take an interest in getting to the bottom of your issue. One who might take the time to, I don’t know, actually take some x rays, do an MRI, whatever.

In 2012, I fell, horrible fall, and hurt my knee. I thought I’d broken it. I went to the orthopedic doctor the next day. He took the obligatory X-ray and told me it would take time to heal and sent me on my way. All that was missing was a dismissive wave of the hand.

I went back three more times as the pain kept getting worse. He kept saying it will just take time to heal. On the 4th visit, I insisted on an MRI.

They took forever to schedule it. They finally did and as I waited for the appointment, things took a turn for the worse and I ended up going by ambulance to the ER. 5, count em 5, blood clots. Two behind that knee, one in each lung and one in the saddle between the lungs. The ER doctor told me that he didn’t know if I’d make it. Obviously I did, but since that time, I really don’t put up with any ****** from doctors. I have no problem questioning what they’re doing and challenging them if I think they’re not doing enough.

@151949- I’m sorry you fell on your knees. I hope you get relief and healing soon.

OMG.... I am so sorry your doctor was so short sighted that you went through all this... and very very happy that you came through such a harrowing ordeal to be able to telll us about it. ... I agree 100% about challenging anyone if I feel they aren't doing enough.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

shoesnbags — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 22:21:37 GMT

@151949 wrote:
I am not surprised at all by this - after all - this is Florida.

@151949

I would definitely go to another doctor for a second opinion. But this is not the first time I've seen you disparage the state of Florida. You've done it a number of times. So my question is, why do you stay there if it's so awful? I know that you were a snowbird before relocating permanently, so why didn't you move somewhere else better suited to your taste? I don't live in Florida myself, but my DIL is from Florida and when she and my son lived there they had excellent medical care. She has a rather rare disease, and there were doctors nearby who specialized in that field. But she lived in a big city, not a small beach town. And her insurance was not an HMO that forced her to see a doctor from a list they provided. Of course, that type of insurance does cost more. But it enables her to see the best doctors. It just seems to me that you get what you pay for in medical care, and what you're blaming on the State of Florida may be partly due to the doctors you are allowed to choose from.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

Kachina624 — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 22:30:20 GMT

This is exactly how I'd imagine a medical appointment in Key West.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

MalteseMomma — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 22:45:57 GMT

@151949

I don't know about the dr but I do know about your knees

.I had this same problem many yrs ago. No xrays either, my beloved dr just examined and diagnosed it...He also said There is nothing you can do for it.Take Tylenol for the pain. Maybe buy a knee brace (elastic).It does take a very long time to heal and it may return every so often over the years. Make sure you do a few knee exercises to keep it from stiffening. My dr told me to put a can of veggies into a bag ,hang it on my foot and raise it up and down. Sometimes simple diagnosis are the best.........imo

Hope you get to feeling better.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

Zhills — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 22:54:16 GMT

You are a nurse! Just exactly did you expect him to do? What could

ANY Doctor do to a knee without surgery? PT and pain pills are the only other treatment!

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

sophiamarie — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 23:23:13 GMT

@151949 wrote:
I am not surprised at all by this - after all - this is Florida.

Really? You ought to come down to Coral Gables. You will find some of the best Specialists in the country. If I knew you off these boards, I could give you some names. They are highly respected in every hospital they are affiliated with.

I actually resent your remark.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

Zhills — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 23:29:03 GMT

Thank you @sophiamarie.

Florida has some of the most up to day medical centers and the most honored Doctors in the USA!

She forgets that she chose the insurance plan she complains about. My PT didn't cost me anything!

She would complain no matter what had happened!

Remember when she was diagnosed as pre-diabetic?

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

SeaMaiden — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 23:54:11 GMT

@151949 I would have left the building long before ever going into the closet.....SERIOUSLY? What kind of insurance do you have? Do you pay for it? Sounds awful.

Re: Bizarre doctors appt. today

sophiamarie — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 00:31:33 GMT

@Zhills wrote:
Thank you @sophiamarie.
Florida has some of the most up to day medical centers and the most honored Doctors in the USA!

She forgets that she chose the insurance plan she complains about. My PT didn't cost me anything!

She would complain no matter what had happened!

Remember when she was diagnosed as pre-diabetic?

@Zhills Hi - Actually, today was the last day my husband had his PT, after sixteen sessions. He, also, didn't pay a cent. We have Medicare and Tricare for Life. I can't say enough about the Specialists we go to. They really are the best. We have been very lucky.