topic Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service in Wellness

Doctor with unsatisfactory service

PuppyLoverBob666 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 02:44:57 GMT

I called my doctor today about some troublesome symptoms I've had latey. Her assistant said she'd let her know right away (this was around noon) but she was seeing patients at the moment and I got the impression she didn't want to be disturbed.

I couldn't help thinking, what am I?--french fries? I remembered to ask, do you have any clue when I'll hear back--before midnight?

I'd had a "challenging" week--slipped and fell down a flight of stairs, tripped and fell a few times plus waking up feeling like a heavy rock on my chest and pain in my jaw, etc.

Toward the end of the day the assistant called me back and informed me that the doctor would "have to think this over"and will call me tomorrow.

I think my doctor is not taking good care of me. I know some people will scold me for not calling 911 right away and I've learned my lesson: time to change doctors because this one doesn't seem vvery concerned. And this isn't the first time she's "treated" me like this.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

Sooner — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 02:48:51 GMT

@PuppyLoverBob666 Honestly? I'd never expect my dr. to get back to me that day. His assistant always gives me the answer in a phone call. If it's serious it's either see him next day or advises me to go to an emergency clinic (theirs are excellent at least) or an appointment with the PA.

My doc is punctual to the 10 minutes, rarely 15, so I'm fine with this.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

Kachina624 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 02:56:29 GMT

@PuppyLoverBob666 Considering the things that have happened the past few days, I think you should have taken yourself to the emergency room long before now. I think you're not taking very good care of yourself. You could be having or have had a heart attack.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

spumoni99 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 02:53:37 GMT

My doctor has a policy of responding within 24 hours however they always say if this is an emergency go to the ER. I am surprised she didn't have her assistant advise you to go to the ER. I would always think patients there in person that have appointments would take priority to a call.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

spumoni99 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 02:55:34 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@PuppyLoverBob666 Considering the things that have happened the past few days, I think you should have taken yourself to the emergency room long before now. I think you're not taking very good care of yourself. You could be having it had a heart attack.

I agree the weight on your chest and pain in the jaw are both classic symptoms of a heart attack, please go to the ER or call 911!

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

RedTop — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 04:33:30 GMT

@PuppyLoverBob666

I totally agree that heaviness in the chest, along with pain (and tightness) in the jaw are classic heart attack symptoms. Did you experience weakness and sweating, as they are the other symptoms often experienced in an MI?

Your doctor is not the one to blame in this situation; you should have gone to the ER with those symptoms.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

Jk9 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 04:49:19 GMT

Seems to me that you should have asked to be seen or gone to the urgent or emergency care. I don't think your issues are appropriate telephone discussions.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

CAcableGirl2 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 05:06:57 GMT

@PuppyLoverBob666 Please take care of yourself. I think the pain will always go away and just suffer through it, but sometimes you never know and it's better to error on the side of caution.

We are concerned for you so don't wait, please go to urgent care or the emergency room and have them check it out. They can take blood soon after and determine if you had a heart attack or not.

I suffered for weeks with a muscle strain thinking it would just magically go away, and finally discovered all I needed was some ice and some ibupropen, so I dealt with that pain for weeks for nothing.

There is always time to find a new doctor if you decide to go that route.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

Katcat1 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 05:37:19 GMT

@PuppyLoverBob666 Change doctors. If you are that unhappy you need to find someone new. Usually, the nurse will talk to the doctor and the nurse will call you back or that is how it works with my doctor. In fact, that happened to me the other day.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

moonandthestars — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 05:55:51 GMT

@PuppyLoverBob666I'm sorry to hear all these things have been happening to you. If you told the assitant some of the details you mentioned here, then I think the dr. should have told the assiistant that she wanted you to get checked out at a walk in place or er, you know at the very least show the concern that people here have shown to you. It would have been much better if she would have made time to talk to you herself. I'd switch dr's at the earliest convenience. Def. get checked out somewhere just to make sure there's nothing you need to know about now. & take care of yourself!

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

Tinkrbl44 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 07:54:56 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@PuppyLoverBob666 Considering the things that have happened the past few days, I think you should have taken yourself to the emergency room long before now. I think you're not taking very good care of yourself. You could be having or have had a heart attack.

@Kachina624

ITA ..... what would the MD do over the phone, anyway?

It's up to @PuppyLoverBob666 to use the common sense God gave him/her and get seen either at the MD's office or the ER.

To claim the MD isn't taking care of him/her is ludicrous. Good grief.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

phoenixbrd — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 11:10:15 GMT

Well, @PuppyLoverBob666 you were right....posters were hard on you for not going to ER. My question would be....why would an MD have to "think about it" if you are having chest pains. Just to CYA, why wouldn't the MD tell you to go to Emergency if he/she didn't have the time to see you. Hope you are well and you have followed through with a course of action.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

CelticCrafter — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 11:30:16 GMT

If you were the patient the doctor was with, would you want to be disturbed in the middle of your appointment so they could take a phone call from another patient?

And yes, you should have gone to the emergency room with the symptoms you were experiencing.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

CalminHeart — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 12:41:21 GMT

How did you tell the doctor's it was urgent? If you weren't clear, they will handle calls in the order received. Doctors are busy and get a lot of calls. It might take time to get back to you.

If you need urgent help, call to see if the dr had a cancellation or go to the ER. Just don't tie up ER if not necessary.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

millieshops — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 13:24:15 GMT

@spumoni99 I do hope the reason OP was not advised to head to the ER immediately is that she did not state the exact nature of her symptoms.

I think the phone message of every doctor I call starts with "if this is an emergency, hang up and call 911". If OP's set of symptoms wasn't an emergency, what would be?

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

wagirl — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 14:56:33 GMT

@PuppyLoverBob666 ---I had a cardiologist like that---so I fired him and found me another really good dr. Also my primary dr brushed me off last year too--was having some really concerning issues with my meds and instead of steering to the right people to help me, she literally ignored me. Haven't been back to her and found another primry dr.

and by the way---the heavy rock feeling and the jaw pain-----that is nothing to fool around with!!!

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

Laura14 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 14:57:28 GMT

I am sorry this happened to you @PuppyLoverBob666 . I hope you have found relief of some kind by now.

I had a bad appointment a few weeks ago at my annual. My experience has been that they are overworked and not supported within the medical system today so they whip us in and out with the bare necessities and without remembering we are people just like they are. Very important to advocate for yourself these days.

Some insurers have nurse hotlines that you might have attached to yours. I have no idea if Medicare has one if you are of that age group but I would venture to say there is one available somewhere to everyone. Don;t be afraid to google one or call your insurance company and and ask for the number. My insurer also participates in doctor on demand so it may be worth having a quick at home consult too if you can.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

hckynutjohn — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 15:50:05 GMT

@PuppyLoverBob666

Were I "tripping and falling down a flight of stairs and falling a few other times". Plus "feel like I have a heavy rock on my chest"? I would have been in the ER within the same hour.

Don't know your transportation situation, but if you have none, call an ambulance service. No scolding from me. You recognize your problem with your doctor, what you do about it, is obviously up to you.

Good luck,

hckynut 🇺🇸 🇺🇦

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

vsm — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 16:01:35 GMT

@PuppyLoverBob666I'm sorry for your troubles, but your doctor's in-office patients are not "french fries" either, and an out-of-office patient shouldn't be pushed ahead of them when there's something she can do for herself first -- like calling 911 or a neighbor who might be able to get her to urgent care. If you choose another doctor, expect to be treated the same way.

Re: Doctor with unsatisfactory service

PuppyLoverBob666 — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 16:28:51 GMT

To those of you who have scolded me: you're right. IF this ever happens again I'll get my toochas to the nearest ER. I'm in my 70's and should know better.