View Full Version : Ridiculous doc visit
I always dread going to the doctor. I've had so many awful practitioners I could write a book about it (and I may!)...Anyway, we moved to a new city three years ago, and DH and I started seeing a male doctor who accepts our insurance. He's sort of unconscious, but more about that later.
So anyway, I had a pap smear due, and this doctor recommended a female doctor in the adjacent suite. I wasn't looking forward to trying to establish a new relationship with yet another doctor, but I made the appointment and went in. The nurse was nice, and I was feeling better. So Dr. Pradesh came in (not her real name), and we had a nice chat about this and that. Then my heart started sinking. She asked me a string of questions about my background. Suddenly she says, "Didn't you fill out this information somewhere?"
I said yes, all of my chartwork had been done by the previous doctor. And she's STANDING there staring at her laptop. "Oh," she says, and types some stuff in and accesses my chart. I'm thinking, so why didn't she do that before? Or maybe look at my chart BEFORE coming in the room? Do these people ever do any prep at all?
Then she asks for details of my family medical history. I explain that I don't have it, because I was adopted. (This was in my chart, which she hadn't taken the time to read.) Another "Oh!" It was apparently in the records that my mother died of ovarian cancer. She pointed that out, and I repeated that my mother wasn't biologically related to me, so it wasn't really relevant. (I'm explaining this to the doctor, lol!)
She goes, "Oh." And then, "Well, you're not at risk for ovarian cancer then."
And I'm like, WTF?? I have NO family medical background info, so I don't know what I might be at risk for. I might be at risk for ovarian cancer or I might not. Not knowing doesn't mean you're not at risk! This woman had clearly skipped logic in college. I sat there thinking of all the things I could be monitoring, if I had any information about my background. It's always made me uneasy not knowing anything. But the doctor interps this as: Woo hoo, free pass, you're adopted! No worries!
How do these people get through school?
Oh, and this really takes the cake: So it's a pap smear, and I'm sitting there in the stirrups, and she opens the lady parts and says, "Oh no!"
And I'm dying a thousand deaths, picturing all kinds of unspeakable things that could have prompted the doctor's exclamation. And then she says:
"That person coughing in the next room! Sounds awful, that's whooping cough!"
I wanted to sit up in those stirrups and take her head right off. I didn't say it, but in my mind I was all: "Don't you EVEN be opening up my lady parts and saying OH NO! DO NOT SCARE ME LIKE THAT! You stupid crap-for-brains so-and-so! And get the hell outta there, too, before you do me any damage! I wouldn't trust you as far as I could kick you!"
Of course, I didn't say that.
So that's partly why I can't stand doctors. (sigh) Thanks for letting me rant!
I have to agree that there are some pretty pathetic docs out there. And I learned very quickly that going to a female doc doesn't mean they're going to be more sensitive.
You just have to keep looking, and hopefully you'll find a decent one. Docs of today aren't like the docs of yesteryear. They are businesspeople, and that's all.
I too have had more than my share of insensitive idiots for docs.
I'll join you and add a story of my own. :D I was recently in the hospital and the admitting staff realized they'd forgotten to do any sort of pelvic exam or vaginal culture - for abdominal pain and fever, awesome detective work there. So ... they go to do this two days later and realize there are no beds with stirrups in this tiny hospital, save one being used by a woman in labor. After much ado about trying to do without, someone remembers that there is indeed a bed with stirrups - it's being stored in this unused office along with every other piece of unnecessary equipment and supply. So off we go, me and my wheelchair and my IV pole and my flapping gown, to have a pap smear (still no pelvic, which might have solved the whole mystery) in something that resembles a janitor's closet with a total stranger. Very nice woman who seemed appalled by the whole thing but somehow unable to summon the courage to say, "this is ridiculous".
Thanks for the support, guys :))
OMG, that is terrible, kib! The kind of thing that you'd think someone should know about...I never think to report anything until later, and I never know quite who to complain to. Maybe the hospital itself, or a physician's board or something?
Well I did get a questionaire to fill out and I mentioned it there. Really, this hospital has a terrible reputation and I wasn't going to go there except it was a holiday weekend and it's very close to home - NOT, I've discovered, a good enough reason to put yourself in the hands of incompetents. I knew I was in trouble when they gave me a potion that gave me the runs every ten minutes ... and then put me in a room with a bathroom door that would stick to the point where I couldn't open it. Nothing like waltzing around, hunched over and feverish, in the dark at 3 am - and 3:10, and 3:20 - with an IV pole and a needle in your arm, eyes, legs and fingers crossed as you haul and jiggle madly on the doorknob. !thumbsup!
I once had an ER doc say to me with great puzzlement that he was quite surprised that I was still alive. He noted that he could not really explain how it was possible.
At the time and still, I am not sure if I should have been insulted, marveling along with him, or pointing out that that probably was not tops on the list of things you might say to your ER patient.
I do remember thinking that it was fortunate that his medical skills way exceeded his interpersonal skills.
I had an eye doctor say to me, while doing the eye exam, "Geez, how did you even pass your driver's test?" Jerk.
iris lily
6-24-11, 10:19pm
In my long life and brief history with doctors, there's only been 2 I liked. One was my childhood physician who not only took care of me for years, but who once drove my old cat back to the cat's new house when she saw him limping along the road, heading toward cat's old house. Cat did not take to the move well, and he was a tripod cat so walking half a mile wasn't easy for him.
The other doc I liked was this short Russian Jew who came highly recommended by friends, and I dug him (for a physician.)But damn, he up and moved to, of all places, Arkansas and I felt abandoned. Have hated everyone since.
I think DH's doc is cute and I wouldn't mind going to him, but he's not taking new patients. He is gay and the gay community keeps him pretty busy.
iris lily
6-24-11, 10:22pm
I will also mention that, hating docs, I have whichever GP I'm visiting do the pap smear, it's not a big deal, they know how to do it and you don't have to go to a specialist. I think that specialist gyno thing is much ado about nothing in most cases.
husband whet for his yearly health insurance screening this morning. When the Dr. listened to his heart he heard something he did not like. They ran an EKG and wanted to call an ambulance to come and pick him up. He would not have it, but did take himself to the ER for another EKG. This one was normal and the Dr. did not hear anything unusual. Clinic calls him this afternoon and talks him into wearing a heart monitor a couple of days next week. Now we are scared to death and don't know who to believe. I suspect, perhaps unjustly so, that we are being milked for insurance payouts. Problem is, insurance will not pay it all. I am sure he will end up having to see and specialist to rule out any heart problems. That's why most of us only go to the Dr. when we have no other choice. They always find something and run you all over the place, it is never ending.
rosarugosa
6-25-11, 9:56am
So I should probably put this on the gratitude thread, but DH and I have the best primary care doctor ever. He's been our MD now for probably close to 20 years. He's smart and compassionate. When I go to see him, he seems to realize that I'm in charge and he's the hired consultant (most doctors get this backwards). This may sound trivial, but we like lots of the same music and talk about concerts, etc. He's even called us at home and left us his cell # to ask about the name of that hotel in Portland we like so much (and then he spent a weekend there with his SO on our recommendation). The reason this stuff is important is that he relates to us as PEOPLE who are more than just the sum of our parts :)
one thing in the doctor's defense ... I've worked in healthcare for about 14 years now, and our workloads are increasing constantly, and there really is no time to review a chart before entering a room. we have to multitask all of that as quickly as we can to only run 1-2 hours behind by the end of each day. this is unfortunate, but it is true of every setting where I have worked. and we often take a 10 minute lunch as our only break in a 10 hour day, just to not fall further behind.
as to the other things this doc said or did, I was not there and can not address it. but the one thing i know is true I have written above. its way too much stress, to the point where I am sometimes reluctant to encourage young people to work in healthcare. but then i want good caregivers when i am old, so what am i to do?? ;)
I have to agree that there are some pretty pathetic docs out there. And I learned very quickly that going to a female doc doesn't mean they're going to be more sensitive.
You just have to keep looking, and hopefully you'll find a decent one. Docs of today aren't like the docs of yesteryear. They are businesspeople, and that's all.
I too have had more than my share of insensitive idiots for docs.
they are business people because the system forces them in that direction. most of the docs i know are not business people at heart, and did not start out that way. they are as frustrated with this system as we are.
DH and I had the same doc for 25 years before we moved. He was a real person and treated us as such. When we moved we hooked up with the wrong guy. After a false start, we now have an internest much like the one we left behind. I guess we're extremely lucky!
Too funny. not the seriousness of it all, but your obvious sense of humor. You had me cracking up and reading it out loud to family!
Thanks interesting Iris Lily, never really thought of that...I guess I mostly feel less embarassed with a female doctor, but if I could find a male doctor that I felt at ease with, it probably wouldn't be an issue. Easier said than done ;)
I will also mention that, hating docs, I have whichever GP I'm visiting do the pap smear, it's not a big deal, they know how to do it and you don't have to go to a specialist. I think that specialist gyno thing is much ado about nothing in most cases.
That is so very important! Which Portland hotel do you like BTW? We stay there a lot :)
Thanks Paige! I have to laugh, otherwise I'd go postal :)))
Thanks for the responses, guys :)
I agree, there just have to be some good docs out there. I haven't had one, but I'll continue to believe because it makes me feel better :) OMG, don't even get me started on therapists...
One more bad doc story, and then a good one. I went in to a dermatologist to get some moles removed. I'm officially middle-aged now, although I look great (lol) and have good skin for my age. I want to keep it that way, and I've never actually paid attention before. So time to start a regimen.
I asked him about my freckling, which is new, and some broken veins and redness around my nose. Nothing urgent. He looked at my face and said, "Yeah. You've got some redness. Wear sunscreen." Then he launched into a long tale of how he was a star tennis player at Yale and got really fried over a few summers, and is now paying the price with his skin. He went on and on about his own life and situation. Never asked me a single question. I recall having read an article about some organization that surveyed a huge cross section of people who had sought medical care in the past year, and the number one complaint was the medical provider
- didn't listen, and
- didn't ask questions.
I did have one angelic doctor when I was 22 - I had a massive skin rash on one knee and couldn't get rid of it. Dr. Weinstein his name was. He asked me some questions about my parents and school and how I felt about life in general. And he said something that really touched me - "Skin rashes like this can be caused by stress. Lots of smart people have breakdowns around your age. Have you heard of John Stuart Mill? You're in good company!"
I've never forgotten it :)
The best doctor I ever had got fed up with the system he was trapped in, quit and became a third grade teacher.
I have an excellent GP, but I can tell she's getting frustrated. Her office is computerizing, which means patient records have to be entered from scratch if the overworked clerical staff doesn't get to them before the doctor sees the patient. I had her third appointment of the morning the last time and she was already running an hour late. Electronic test results are often misfiled because the clerical staff isn't all that medically knowledgable.
On the whole, however, I've had a lot of bad experiences with doctors, particularly specialists, who seem overly eager to drum up business. The prize-winner is the pulmonologist who noticed a black spot in my esophagus in my CT chest scan and had me nearly convinced I had esophageal cancer. After I recovered from the shock, I realized the spot was most likely the brass button on my jeans, as I had only been told to strip to the waist for the scan. My upper GI series with Barium swallow showed nothing at all abnormal. My follow-up CT chest scan didn't show anything abnormal either, likely because I wore pants with a plastic button.
I'm glad there was nothing wrong, but I resent the time I spent running from one test to another and the expenses that were run up for my insurance company. This is the kind of thing that makes health insurance unaffordable for many.
Oh WOW! And you were the one who had to tell them what was wrong. That is priceless!
On the whole, however, I've had a lot of bad experiences with doctors, particularly specialists, who seem overly eager to drum up business. The prize-winner is the pulmonologist who noticed a black spot in my esophagus in my CT chest scan and had me nearly convinced I had esophageal cancer. After I recovered from the shock, I realized the spot was most likely the brass button on my jeans, as I had only been told to strip to the waist for the scan. My upper GI series with Barium swallow showed nothing at all abnormal. My follow-up CT chest scan didn't show anything abnormal either, likely because I wore pants with a plastic button.
I'm glad there was nothing wrong, but I resent the time I spent running from one test to another and the expenses that were run up for my insurance company. This is the kind of thing that makes health insurance unaffordable for many.
Slightly off topic, but my favorite Doc story.
My DD, age 7, was bitten by a dog on July 4th. I took her to the ER where a young MD examined her. He noticed her name and asked "Is she related to Dr. X?" (My DH, a college prof.)
"Yes, he is her dad."
"How about that! I had him for Embryology!"
Without thinking, I grabbed DD and pulled her behind me and demanded "What did you get?"
He laughed and said, "Don't worry, I got an A"
So, slightly embarassed, I let him treat her.
rosarugosa
6-29-11, 9:18pm
Kitten,
We usually stay at the Portland Regency. That's Portland, ME, not OR.
the rickster
7-31-11, 7:18pm
I share all of your frustrations. I avoid going to the doc like anything, even for my annual check up. And I like my physician!
One thing to know: Angie's List, which is best known for compiling and sharing customer reviews of contractors, is now doing the same thing for doctors. So if you want to compare reviews of--for example--Los Angeles doctors (http://www.angieslist.com/companylist/los-angeles/doctor.htm), you can just go to Angie's List and get info on them. They are in just about every major city in the US now.
rodeosweetheart
8-1-11, 4:00pm
I once had a doctor, while doing a biopsy, call in colleagues and say, "I have never seen a malignancy this large."
My sister-in-law's surgeon, when opening her abdomen, said, "God, what a mess in there."
So hey, we're still here. Both doctors may have been short on bedside manner, but did a good job.
This reminds me of a scottish Dr I knew now living and practicing in the US. He said it took him a while to realize that everything in America needed to be an soul satifiying experience, not just good medical care. Once he realized that his practice flourished.
In the same city there was a ENT who had awful bedside manners, but if I had ever needed someone to put my face back together he would have been my number one choice, I could easily work around his bedside manner.
I can honestly state that I have experienced nothing but great care and DH went through so many medical visits last year and this and we have absolutely no complaints.
Well, maybe one. I wish that that health professionals would not use the short-form expressions for discussing issues with DH like COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) which means nothing to him so he let it simply slide over his head. When I clarified what it meant, he muttered that he wished that people would explain things in terms that he could understand.
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