Community Chat

[ID2]

My doctor of 30+ years retired a few years ago. I really hated leaving him. But before he left he sat with me and personally gave me several options of doctors he recommended. I picked one and like him very much.

[blackhole99]

There are a lot of good docs out there, you just have to find one that suits you. My husband and I have been going to the same doc for almost 10 years and thank goodness he's much younger than we are. He gives us what we want, but will not let us run him, he knows his stuff and what he can do within his scope of practice. I would not hesitate to cut him loose though, if he didn't provide a good service.

[hckynut]

Yep, my PCP of many years moved. Since their practice is connected to my hospital 2nd home, I decided to try another doctor there. Not for me, to put it nicely, and in 1 visit he managed to mess up my prescriptions, which I am still working to get fixed. He wrote 1 of the under the "brand name" when it clearly says "generic".

So what has cost me $25 for years? When I go the invoice from my mail order it said "$175". So far I have spoken to his office/mail order provider, and worked my way up the chain of command of the Medical Building. I finally reached a person who is in a position to get me a $150 refund and charge it to this doctors office.

The visit was in mid February and I have lost count of the number of people and hours I have spent because of this doctor. I tried a different doctor in ths same group, and while not close to my long time PCP, I think we will work out ok.

[Bird mama]

I am lucky to be fairly healthy and understand that my health status can change on a dime. For years my gynecologist treated me head to toe. If he felt something was outside of his realm, he would refer me, but that rarely happened. When he retired, another doctor within that practice (better than starting with someone I don't know from Adam) took me on as a patient and also susbcribed to the treatment head to toe concept. Now, if there is something wrong with me, he would also refer me to a specialist.

In 2013, I found out my thyroid is out of whack. I figured, be nice to my gyno and just go to an endocrinologist so my gyno can focus on pregnant women and not bother him with my thyroid. Apparently I live in a part of Michigan that is considered a thyroid belt. More patients that endocrinologists. So anyway, I found an endocrinologist that I am not crazy about. In 2014 I went to her every 6 months and because I've established consistent blood test results, graduated this March to only having to see her once a year. I would have done cartwheels in the parking lot if it wasn't for the frozen shoulder (lol).

Health care has become such a business and unless I'm talking to my gyno, I feel like a number.

When I went to the hospital to get my screening mammogram last fall and then a follow up ultrasound, the women who checked me in asked me my primary physician's name. I told her and she said, he's a specialist. I said, yes he is very special, do you have a point? I may have been looking at her using my church lady face (I don't know), but she dropped it.

[sfnative]

Please allow me to apologize for all that went wrong during that appointment. I have many years experience in healthcare and have gotten to know many physicians quite closely - close enough to know that on occasion I'd say to myself, "I don't want Dr. _____ within 5 feet of me."

You did the right thing by re-scheduling with another physician!!!

I had a somewhat similar situation when we retired and moved to another state mid-2013. I had to find an ortho doc who could address a metatarsal issue in my left foot. As it turned out, this doc was only interested in listening to his own voice. You know what I mean? He had absolutely no interest in what I, the patient, had to say. Finally, as I was becoming more exasperated I said, "Stop." And he just talked over me. So, I slightly raised my voice again and raised my right hand and said, "Stop, please!" He said, "What, what's the problem?" I said, "You. You've not listened to any of the medical history I told you about my foot and the previous contributing fractures. I'm leaving now and will not be back."

Get this: Then he says, "You can't go. You have to fill out this form." (You gotta be kidding.) As soon as I could put my shoes back on, I was out that door.

I was probably the first patient that ever put him in his place. We need to remember they're not gods.

God Bless - Rebecca

Edited to include: I so wanted to tell him "you're fired," but chickened out.

[SugarNSpice]

Not all doctors or hospitals are created equal. We almost found this out the hard way and too late.

Doctors and Hospitals let their egos get in the way of what is best for their patients.

Loma Linda Hospital specialty doctors almost let someone in my family die. Had this doctor who specialized in a certain area of health put her ego away... she would have told us that the health condition of a person in our family was beyond her knowledge and Loma Linda Hospital's knowledge for proper care.

If not for our primary doctor stepping in and saying they are killing him... he would not be here today. That was almost 8 years ago. He was losing the battle fast due to the negligence of the specialty doctor that was affiliated with Loma Linda Hospital.

Thank goodness for the top 5 to 10 hospitals in the Nation and the doctors that are affiliated with them.

[mousiegirl]

On 4/9/2015 Bird mama said:

I am lucky to be fairly healthy and understand that my health status can change on a dime. For years my gynecologist treated me head to toe. If he felt something was outside of his realm, he would refer me, but that rarely happened. When he retired, another doctor within that practice (better than starting with someone I don't know from Adam) took me on as a patient and also susbcribed to the treatment head to toe concept. Now, if there is something wrong with me, he would also refer me to a specialist.

In 2013, I found out my thyroid is out of whack. I figured, be nice to my gyno and just go to an endocrinologist so my gyno can focus on pregnant women and not bother him with my thyroid. Apparently I live in a part of Michigan that is considered a thyroid belt. More patients that endocrinologists. So anyway, I found an endocrinologist that I am not crazy about. In 2014 I went to her every 6 months and because I've established consistent blood test results, graduated this March to only having to see her once a year. I would have done cartwheels in the parking lot if it wasn't for the frozen shoulder (lol).

Health care has become such a business and unless I'm talking to my gyno, I feel like a number.

When I went to the hospital to get my screening mammogram last fall and then a follow up ultrasound, the women who checked me in asked me my primary physician's name. I told her and she said, he's a specialist. I said, yes he is very special, do you have a point? I may have been looking at her using my church lady face (I don't know), but she dropped it.

[mousiegirl]

On 4/9/2015 sfnative said:

Please allow me to apologize for all that went wrong during that appointment. I have many years experience in healthcare and have gotten to know many physicians quite closely - close enough to know that on occasion I'd say to myself, "I don't want Dr. _____ within 5 feet of me."

You did the right thing by re-scheduling with another physician!!!

I had a somewhat similar situation when we retired and moved to another state mid-2013. I had to find an ortho doc who could address a metatarsal issue in my left foot. As it turned out, this doc was only interested in listening to his own voice. You know what I mean? He had absolutely no interest in what I, the patient, had to say. Finally, as I was becoming more exasperated I said, "Stop." And he just talked over me. So, I slightly raised my voice again and raised my right hand and said, "Stop, please!" He said, "What, what's the problem?" I said, "You. You've not listened to any of the medical history I told you about my foot and the previous contributing fractures. I'm leaving now and will not be back."

Get this: Then he says, "You can't go. You have to fill out this form." (You gotta be kidding.) As soon as I could put my shoes back on, I was out that door.

I was probably the first patient that ever put him in his place. We need to remember they're not gods.

God Bless - Rebecca

Edited to include: I so wanted to tell him "you're fired," but chickened out.

[OnlyShopsOnline]

I have an internist that I'm not crazy about. He gets rave reviews from others in the medical profession, and has a waiting list for patients. But he doesn't "LISTEN" to what you tell him. And, the two of us have butted heads several times because I complained of symptoms for years, that he wrote off as anxiety. It turned out to be thyroid disease. Since then, he has an attitude, I think because his ego was damaged....awwwwwwww.

I have made appointments with several others over the past few years, and they were worse. I have since decided that I will use him for my annual physicals and medication management for my high blood pressure. However, our insurance does allow us to see specialists without referrals, so when I have a particular issue, I find a specialist. I have a whole list of docs now that I like a lot better.

But, you "need" a family doctor, even to be admitted into a hospital. So, that's about all I use him for.

[Firefly3]

I had the same problem and changed dr!