Fucking worthless doctors

[Betticus]

I'm now completely disgusted with the incompetence of doctors. I'd have to say that around 93% of them are worthless. If you have an actual problem they don't even attempt to understand what's going on and instead refer you to another doctor and another doctor until you are lucky to hit upon one of that 7% of doctors that have more than two neurons firing in their brains.

But... if you are healthy and have insurance every doctor you see will happily send you to get every possible, massively expensive test so that they can rape you and your insurance company.

So, yesterday I was supposed to get the results of my chest biopsy, there's some kind of growth on the left upper inner chest wall and it's pressing against the lung... I waited at my doctors office for two hours until finally I had to go to work. I gave them my work number and asked them to call me as soon as they got an answer. So, not only do I not get the call but a completely different doctor apparently got a copy of the results and left a cryptic message on my voice mail while I was at work giving me no fucking information at all but then (cell phones are forbidden where I work) when I didn't call back I guess in a timely manner for this fuckwad he breaks out my next of kin emergency contact info and calls my fucking father who is 72 years old and lives in Oklahoma trying to figure out where I'm at. So, I get of work at 11pm and have to tell my father that I don't know what the fuck was going on nor why this shitbag decided to call him... without even telling him so much as what the fucking call was about.

Who the fuck does this to people?

On top of everything else, now the cocksuckers can't call me back. I leave for work in a couple of hours though, I'm sure they will start calling everyone but me in my family, tell them it's a fucking emergency, leave them worried and clueless all while I'm work just wondering what the fuck is going on....

These doctors are all fucking morons.

 

[Betticus]

Also, it's not cancer like everyone else seems to have wanted it to be, it's just some benign growth that happened when I had that swine flu and subsequent bacterial infection that I'm still fighting.

 

[chy_girl]

And you didn't make a personal trip into the doctor's office to yell at him in front of his co-workers? Because the call of an elderly parent would totally earn that, IMO.

Sorry to hear that things are still so fucked up when they don't need to be. (meaning the stupid human factor)

 

[Betticus]

And you didn't make a personal trip into the doctor's office to yell at him in front of his co-workers? Because the call of an elderly parent would totally earn that, IMO.

Sorry to hear that things are still so fucked up when they don't need to be. (meaning the stupid human factor)

I yelled at him on the phone a little while ago.

I keep telling my doctors that this damned stubborn bacterial infection is the cause of all this shit but they seem hell bent on my opinion being bunk when it turns out that at every corner I'm still right and they are still stupid.

The blind pursuit of moronic actions in spite of common sense is not a virtue... but a lot of people live their lives in that manner.

 

[graceanne]

And you didn't make a personal trip into the doctor's office to yell at him in front of his co-workers? Because the call of an elderly parent would totally earn that, IMO.

Yup. what she said.

ETA I've been saying that all doctors are idiots for years and years but no one listens to me.

 

[chy_girl]

Yup. what she said.

ETA I've been saying that all doctors are idiots for years and years but no one listens to me.

That's why I prefer LPN's. I swear it's the surgical rotation that fries the common sense sector of their brains and develops a god complex to replace it.

 

[graceanne]

That's why I prefer LPN's. I swear it's the surgical rotation that fries the common sense sector of their brains and develops a god complex to replace it.

Nah. After they graduate from college they go in, while they're sleeping, and remove their brains. Some of the doctors are not where they're supposed to be, so they are spared. I'm not sure what they're doing with their brains, but I wouldn't eat any 'chicken bi-product' if I were you.

 

[BiBunny]

That's why I prefer LPN's. I swear it's the surgical rotation that fries the common sense sector of their brains and develops a god complex to replace it.

Nurse practitioners? They suck, too. One tried to tell me that my asthma was a sinus infection. *Facepalm*

 

[chy_girl]

Nurse practitioners? They suck, too. One tried to tell me that my asthma was a sinus infection. *Facepalm*

There are some that are idiots. But in my experience, there's less stupidity per capita than with doctors.

Admittedly though, if you can find a doctor fresh out of med school (within about 5 years) who hasn't been disillusioned by the politics or insurance industry, they're pretty good. That whole 'help people and fix things' idealism is actually a wonderfully helpful quality to have for those in helping professions.

Who'da thunk?

 

[BiBunny]

There are some that are idiots. But in my experience, there's less stupidity per capita than with doctors.

Admittedly though, if you can find a doctor fresh out of med school (within about 5 years) who hasn't been disillusioned by the politics or insurance industry, they're pretty good. That whole 'help people and fix things' idealism is actually a wonderfully helpful quality to have for those in helping professions.

Who'da thunk?

Imagine that.

 

[Vixandra]

I've worked with and for and been the patient of a variety of doctors.

I have to say, my favorite to deal with are Internal Medicine docs or their more trained peers, Cardiology doctors. Take a "normal" doc, put it back through school, a second residency and a lot of humbling, and that's kind of doc you get for an Internal Med doc, in my experience.


Stupid people are part of the population, even among doctors and other medical professionals. Add in the god complex that many doctors get and its a recipe for disaster.

I hope you find a good, stable one soon.

 

[cfuhrer]

I swear it's the surgical rotation that fries the common sense sector of their brains and develops a god complex to replace it.

I tend to agree. I see a Physicians Assistant and always feel heard and understood and taken care of.

Betticus- stay strong in the face of stupidity!

 

[graceanne]

There are some that are idiots. But in my experience, there's less stupidity per capita than with doctors.

Admittedly though, if you can find a doctor fresh out of med school (within about 5 years) who hasn't been disillusioned by the politics or insurance industry, they're pretty good. That whole 'help people and fix things' idealism is actually a wonderfully helpful quality to have for those in helping professions.

Who'da thunk?

Eh. My last doctor was fresh out of college and he was an idiot. I had some weird infection, where I was getting these bubbles of puss under my skin and he thought it was impetigo. It didn't even look like impetigo! And when I got pneumonia, I had chest xrays taken at the hospital, and blood drawn and was told I have pneumonia. I made an appointment (almost a week later) told my doctor all this (the chest xrays and all that) and he said "Why do you think you have pneumonia?" Normally I am way more polite but I was really sick and I've absolutely HAD IT with doctors not believing me, so I chewed his ass. "Why do I THINK I have pneumonia? What are you accusing me of making it up? A DOCTOR and XRAYS say I have pneumonia!"

Idiot.

 

[Sir_Winston54]

I've actually been pretty well pleased with VA doctors - even though their cardiologists have obviously had their sense of humor surgically removed. However, their skills - from young to old - have been very good and they spend enough time with me for me to talk to them about all the things I can remember that I want to talk to them about. Even though they don't make as much money as their private practice compatriots, I think especially the ones who have been there for a while are there because they feel ... a calling, an obligation? Whatever, they're remarkably patient and I've had *no* complaints about the services they've rendered me.

 

[chy_girl]

Eh. My last doctor was fresh out of college and he was an idiot. I had some weird infection, where I was getting these bubbles of puss under my skin and he thought it was impetigo. It didn't even look like impetigo! And when I got pneumonia, I had chest xrays taken at the hospital, and blood drawn and was told I have pneumonia. I made an appointment (almost a week later) told my doctor all this (the chest xrays and all that) and he said "Why do you think you have pneumonia?" Normally I am way more polite but I was really sick and I've absolutely HAD IT with doctors not believing me, so I chewed his ass. "Why do I THINK I have pneumonia? What are you accusing me of making it up? A DOCTOR and XRAYS say I have pneumonia!"

Idiot.

Perhaps my family's just been lucky then. My mom and turtle girl have both ended up in the ER and it's the idealistic, a couple years out of school doctors (who looks about 15) or the LPN who actually listen, look further, and follow their instinct. Amazing what that does when it comes to getting a correct diagnosis.

Hell, if it hadn't been for the one doc getting turtle girl back in November, they'd have done the first test, shrugged and sent her home - which was SOP. This doc sat in the room looking at my kiddo for a good 10 minutes before he finally said "Look... This is what the tests say, this is what I think, these are the risks. What do you want to do."

Had he sent her home with the recommendation of seeing her pediatrician in the morning (again SOP), her appendix would have ruptured instead of just seeping.

Day three of five in the hospital I tracked down the receptionist that had been working that night and told her to thank the nice doctor profusely for me. I can only hope he continues to tell the rule book and the insurance companies to fuck off. God knows we need more of him, cause that sure ain't the norm.

 

[graceanne]

Perhaps my family's just been lucky then.

I can go on for days and days and days about stupid doctors nearly killing me. If I'd been taken seriously when I first reported blood in my stool I wouldn't be so sick. When I told them something was wrong, if they'd believed me instead of patting me on the head and saying post partum depression, I wouldn't be so sick. If they'd believed me when I said I was STILL bleeding heavily, I wouldn't have spent a week in the hospital getting blood transfusions, and if they'd believed me any of my ER trips I wouldn't have been in the hospital for 11 days on massive amounts of prednisone. Those fucking idiots took a bad situation and made it worse, just by not listening and opening their eyes and LOOKING at me. I am not the only fat crohnie.

 

[ecstaticsub]

The hospital I work at is staffed by hospitalists. For those who may not know hospitalists are doctors who do not hold office hours. They cover shifts in a hospital instead of the patients primary care doctor seeing them. Teaching hospitals have residents, non-teaching hospitals have hospitalists (in general)

I am friends with many of these hospitalists. We hang out together outside of work also. I can tell you they are not idiots. Some of them have a bit of an ego, but they are far from stupid. What they are is overworked. There are not enough hospitalists or primary care doctors in the US.

There is also so much to know. Even as a pharmacist I know that is is extremely difficult to keep up on new information. One of the reason so many doctors specialize is not because of the money but so they can know their one area to the fullest. Being a generalist can be overwhelming.

I'm not saying that there are no bad doctors, because I know there are. (I've had a few). Many need to learn how to really listen to their patients. Most doctors want more time with their patients. The best doctors I have had have been military doctors because they have more time to spend with me during an appointment (a great example of a government run healthcare system that works)

Patients need to take more responsibility for their own health, too. So many times a patient will come into the hospital and have no idea of what medications they are on, or they haven't been taking their meds as prescribed, they have "borrowed" a friends antibiotic or other med, they don't exercise, have horrible diets, are mobidly obese and they come in and want the doctors to fix them.

Betticus-Sorry for the pro-doctor rant, the doctors I know realy try their best and work their asses off.

What happened to you is absurd. Your doctor had no business calling your father. If he came him any information he could be in violation of HIPPA. Patient privacy is taken very seriously now.

 

[graceanne]

The hospital I work at is staffed by hospitalists. For those who may not know hospitalists are doctors who do not hold office hours. They cover shifts in a hospital instead of the patients primary care doctor seeing them. Teaching hospitals have residents, non-teaching hospitals have hospitalists (in general)

I am friends with many of these hospitalists. We hang out together outside of work also. I can tell you they are not idiots. Some of them have a bit of an ego, but they are far from stupid. What they are is overworked. There are not enough hospitalists or primary care doctors in the US.

There is also so much to know. Even as a pharmacist I know that is is extremely difficult to keep up on new information. One of the reason so many doctors specialize is not because of the money but so they can know their one area to the fullest. Being a generalist can be overwhelming.

Then when someone comes in saying their is blood in their stool they should refer that person to the specialist of that field, instead of trying to figure it out themselves. I have no issues with them giving me referrals, but getting those referrals is like pulling fucking teeth. You'd swear I just called them a bad doctor because I think they should stick to general medicine, which is their flippin' job! BTW - four doctors I've had who give me crap about seeing a GI from my crohns disease. Not just one. I think that my health insurance is paying them to not give me referrals, because it was a fight to get my health insurance to agree to pay for me to see my GI whenever I want, and then they only agreed when their refusal resulted in a hospital stay for me.

I'm not saying that there are no bad doctors, because I know there are. (I've had a few). Many need to learn how to really listen to their patients. Most doctors want more time with their patients. The best doctors I have had have been military doctors because they have more time to spend with me during an appointment (a great example of a government run healthcare system that works)

Patients need to take more responsibility for their own health, too. So many times a patient will come into the hospital and have no idea of what medications they are on, or they haven't been taking their meds as prescribed, they have "borrowed" a friends antibiotic or other med, they don't exercise, have horrible diets, are mobidly obese and they come in and want the doctors to fix them.

I do take responsibility for my health. I have to because my doctors won't. Hospital nurses love me. I know what I'm taking, I know what I can and cannot eat, and I know what's wrong with me. I do not annoy them with demands that cannot be met. Maybe I'm just a stupid doctor magnet, but with the exception of my rheumatologist (who catches the slack of all my other doctors), I've only ever had stupid doctors.

Most recent stupid doctor moment? I have constant allergies; there is not a antihistamine out there that will get rid of my constant sneezing. I got a referral to a ENT (ear nose and throat doctor) cause I was having trouble hearing (and getting that referral was like pulling teeth, too). The ENT took a look at my ears (which are fine) and then at my nose (which is not). He literally said 'wow your nose is messed up'. (I have scar tissue from my constant 'allergies'.) I have non allergic rhinitis, which is very very easy to treat, but since my primary decided to treat my allergies, which is NOT HIS JOB (he should have referred me as soon as it became obvious that allergy meds do not work) I've spent most of my life with a problem that just requires a nose spray to fix! And that's 6 different primaries I've gone through who didn't give me that referral.

If he came him any information he could be in violation of HIPPA. Patient privacy is taken very seriously now.

On that we totally agree.

 

[FurryFury]

I yelled at him on the phone a little while ago.

I keep telling my doctors that this damned stubborn bacterial infection is the cause of all this shit but they seem hell bent on my opinion being bunk when it turns out that at every corner I'm still right and they are still stupid.

The blind pursuit of moronic actions in spite of common sense is not a virtue... but a lot of people live their lives in that manner.

I have felt that doctors were idiots for a very long time now too. Trust yourself to know yourself.

*HUGS*

 

[00Syd]

*Hugs*

 

[Betticus]

Ok, to add to the misery.. keep in mind that I have a whole five days off from work and I've been planning on getting my diet straightened out during this time and definitely planning on not seeing or hearing from any doctors.

I am in bed this morning when my phone rings.. it's my doctors nurse telling me that I have an appointment to have that biopsy repeated tomorrow morning at 8 and that I need to be at the hospital by 6 to check in.

So naturally I ask.. why does the biopsy need to be repeated? She doesn't know so I ask her to have the doctor call me when she gets in.

Then I get a call from the hospital wanting to pre-admit me for tomorrow. I naturally say I don't know what's going on but don't do anything and I'll have someone contact you when I know what's going on.

I get a call back from the nurse who says that the report from the biopsy from Friday didn't get enough of a sample to test. So I say that I still want to talk to the doctor when she gets in.

Then.. I run out to grab some breakfast because the 400 or so calories I've been getting a day is not ok.. As I'm getting breakfast I get another call from someone else at the hospital asking me about my appointment... I tell her I was not informed by my doctor before she made the appointment nor was I asked if it was ok and that I was trying to work it out.

I get breakfast and on the way home I get a call from work. Someone else from the hospital has been calling my work trying to get in touch with me and that's the final fucking straw of the morning. I told my boss that these people were massively incompetent and that they should not be calling anyone but me for any reason. Then as soon as I get home I call this person who has been calling my work, I chewed her ass for a while then I completely cancelled any appointments with the hospital saying that they were unauthorized and were made without my knowledge or consent.

Then I called my doctors nurse back and told her I cancelled the appointment and to not make any more without first consulting with me.

Finally the doctor calls me back and is telling me I need to have this biopsy done as soon as possible. I tell her that just on the antibiotics the growth on my collarbone has diminished noticeably and that what I have will turn out to be just from the infection and that by next week it will be obvious. She tries to insist that I need this biopsy so I tell her that the hospital was incompetent enough to fuck it up once and that there was no way I am going back just to be charged twice for the same procedure.... ooh, all because the guy who did the ct scan guided biopsy didn't stick the fucking needle in far enough. He got muscle tissue from between my ribs and didn't even make it to the tumor.

So I ended up telling her to leave me alone for at least a week. On top of it all... they were supposed to also biopsy the growth on the front of my collarbone which is just sticking out there and which no doctor could have missed but they elected to not take a sample from there.

In summation, it's a case of stupidity meets incompetence and I have no clue what my insurance company is going to think of paying several thousand dollars out for a biopsy procedure that the doctor failed to obtain a sample from and then pay for the exact same procedure again because you know that the hospital isn't going to not charge for the botched procedure.

bottom line is that I cannot afford nor do I make enough to support the mass incompetence that I've been subjected to for the past several weeks.

Also, I just got a collections notice from an imaging center for thirty dollars from an ultrasound I had done three weeks ago that I already paid 200 bucks in cash from my own pocket for. The statement said I was severely overdue in paying for a test done a mere three weeks ago and this is the first letter I've gotten from them. More incompetence this time tied to some sort of malice.

 

[FurryFury]

That's just terrible Bet.

*HUGS and HUGS*

 

[YourCaptor]

You will get those overdue payment letters for everything. I don't know why they do it but they do. I've gotten some a year and a half after paying.

Keep your eye on the goal here, don't let the stupid game in between throw you off. You need to figure out what this thing is.

 

[Betticus]

All of my symptoms can be attributed to cirrhosis of the liver and/or a bacterial infection. Two things we all know I already have. I don't understand their insistence on running me through massively expensive tests for everything else under the sun when my primary cause is known. It's like they are trying to diagnose my liver failure symptoms as completely separate diseases on their own.

And I'm sure billing the shit out of me and my insurance company.

 

[Betticus]

Also, my av... I do not look like that anymore. More like an emaciated caricature of a stick figure since I've lost so much weight and muscle.