Aa
MedicGirl how are you?
I haven't seen you post for several days and just wondering how you are? Has your doctor referred you to a neurologist yet?
Wanna
Wanna
I am very sorry about your troubles, health wise and with the doctor. I am new here, but I do know about dealing with drs, because of problems I had with my parents drs when they were gravely ill. It is very frustrating and completely unacceptable to be treated wrongly by the people we entrust with our lives and the lives of the people we love.
I agree with everyone else about writing down everything he said to you, and to make sure you file something against him and the advocate as soon as you are feeling better.
Take care and I hope you will be feeling better soon. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Doni
I agree with everyone else about writing down everything he said to you, and to make sure you file something against him and the advocate as soon as you are feeling better.
Take care and I hope you will be feeling better soon. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Doni
MedicGirl,
Please make sure you file a complaint against this doctor when you are feeling better. Write down now what he said to you and what you said to him during this ER visit (if need be) so you will remember exactly what went on and can accurately file a complaint against him when the time comes. No doctor should be able to treat a patient that way and get away with it. He will only do it to someone else. Make sure you write that you did not request pain meds, in spite of the fact that you were in severe pain, yet he thought you were there to get narcotics, and his refusal to give you anything for the nausea in spite of your projectile vomiting and your being allergic to aspirin in Maalox, how high your BP was, etc. I would also tell your family doc exactly what went on so he has a record of your telling him of the events. Make an appointment to see him as soon as he is back from vacation.
The fact that the hospital's patient "advocate" didn't do anything to help you doesn't surprise me at all. You are up against the "good ol' boys club" when you are dealing with hospitals and doctors. They are a UNITED FRONT. I have learned this lesson well in the 13 years I've been sick. I have been experiencing something similar and it has made me feel very nervous/alone/angry. Doctors in my hometown are dumping me/refusing to see me, too, because of some critical (albeit truthful) comments I made during a phone call to a new neuro practice in town regarding three neurologists I had seen in the past, two of whom discounted my symptoms/wrote me off as psychosomatic and one who refused to give me my records after repeated requests on my part. Because I dared to speak about this, the truth, the new neuro practice would not take me as a patient, soon after my old PCP terminated me in a very nasty manner, and now my new PCP is threatening to dump me (he apparently just talked to my old PCP about why *he* dumped me when requesting my records from him). It's like the "gift that keeps on giving." They have the capacity to brand you for life. This would be hard enough to deal with if one were healthy, but it's especially difficult and stressful when one is ill to boot.
The thing is, if you question or comment on their wrongdoing, then they try to make you out to be the troublemaker---you are "confrontational, hostile," etc.,--in other words, YOU become the problem. I honestly don't know what one can do about it other than to file a complaint with the hospital. When it is a doctor in private practice, what do you do then? Doctors can refuse to see you and treat you if they have never seen you before, but once they have seen you and you are their patient (unless there was an agreement that it was a provisional/"trial" initial meeting), then they are required to have a good reason for terminating you as a patient. My PCP didn't have a good or legitimate reason (he said I didn't "trust" him--but it was really because of my critical comments regarding the neuros), but he clearly wasn't interested in my welfare.
MedicGirl, if I were you I would type up what transpired with this ER doc, be concrete about what he said to you and you said to him, and take it with you to the neurologist (unless he is an a--hole, too). Then there will at least (hopefully) be a record disputing the ER doc's record of what took place during that visit (as well as make an appnt. with your family doc and tell him). I don't think the ER doc will be talking to your doctors or to another ER (I could be wrong, though), but you should be able to return to this same ER w/o having to worry about another ER doctor unfairly judging you based on this jack-a-s-s-e-s inaccurate assessment of you. If you are having so much pain and nausea and can't wait until your family doc gets back or you see the neuro, I would go to a different ER and tell them about your symptoms as well as your experience at the other ER. I hope you start feeling better soon and good luck to you.
Please make sure you file a complaint against this doctor when you are feeling better. Write down now what he said to you and what you said to him during this ER visit (if need be) so you will remember exactly what went on and can accurately file a complaint against him when the time comes. No doctor should be able to treat a patient that way and get away with it. He will only do it to someone else. Make sure you write that you did not request pain meds, in spite of the fact that you were in severe pain, yet he thought you were there to get narcotics, and his refusal to give you anything for the nausea in spite of your projectile vomiting and your being allergic to aspirin in Maalox, how high your BP was, etc. I would also tell your family doc exactly what went on so he has a record of your telling him of the events. Make an appointment to see him as soon as he is back from vacation.
The fact that the hospital's patient "advocate" didn't do anything to help you doesn't surprise me at all. You are up against the "good ol' boys club" when you are dealing with hospitals and doctors. They are a UNITED FRONT. I have learned this lesson well in the 13 years I've been sick. I have been experiencing something similar and it has made me feel very nervous/alone/angry. Doctors in my hometown are dumping me/refusing to see me, too, because of some critical (albeit truthful) comments I made during a phone call to a new neuro practice in town regarding three neurologists I had seen in the past, two of whom discounted my symptoms/wrote me off as psychosomatic and one who refused to give me my records after repeated requests on my part. Because I dared to speak about this, the truth, the new neuro practice would not take me as a patient, soon after my old PCP terminated me in a very nasty manner, and now my new PCP is threatening to dump me (he apparently just talked to my old PCP about why *he* dumped me when requesting my records from him). It's like the "gift that keeps on giving." They have the capacity to brand you for life. This would be hard enough to deal with if one were healthy, but it's especially difficult and stressful when one is ill to boot.
The thing is, if you question or comment on their wrongdoing, then they try to make you out to be the troublemaker---you are "confrontational, hostile," etc.,--in other words, YOU become the problem. I honestly don't know what one can do about it other than to file a complaint with the hospital. When it is a doctor in private practice, what do you do then? Doctors can refuse to see you and treat you if they have never seen you before, but once they have seen you and you are their patient (unless there was an agreement that it was a provisional/"trial" initial meeting), then they are required to have a good reason for terminating you as a patient. My PCP didn't have a good or legitimate reason (he said I didn't "trust" him--but it was really because of my critical comments regarding the neuros), but he clearly wasn't interested in my welfare.
MedicGirl, if I were you I would type up what transpired with this ER doc, be concrete about what he said to you and you said to him, and take it with you to the neurologist (unless he is an a--hole, too). Then there will at least (hopefully) be a record disputing the ER doc's record of what took place during that visit (as well as make an appnt. with your family doc and tell him). I don't think the ER doc will be talking to your doctors or to another ER (I could be wrong, though), but you should be able to return to this same ER w/o having to worry about another ER doctor unfairly judging you based on this jack-a-s-s-e-s inaccurate assessment of you. If you are having so much pain and nausea and can't wait until your family doc gets back or you see the neuro, I would go to a different ER and tell them about your symptoms as well as your experience at the other ER. I hope you start feeling better soon and good luck to you.
You definately need medical intervention.
As far as one hospital stating that other hospitals won't treat you ,he's mistaken.They can not share your medical records or ER visits to other medical facilities unless they are affiliated with each other and they have a central computer.
Keep in mind he is a ER Doctor,one that is either in training or one that can't survive in private practice.
I hope someone is with you and helping you,I understand the pain and the difficulty with walking.
If it takes having someone drive you to a larger medical facility(teaching hospital or a university hospital)it would be worth it,they have neuro's on staff or on call.They will get you the proper medical help.
As far as one hospital stating that other hospitals won't treat you ,he's mistaken.They can not share your medical records or ER visits to other medical facilities unless they are affiliated with each other and they have a central computer.
Keep in mind he is a ER Doctor,one that is either in training or one that can't survive in private practice.
I hope someone is with you and helping you,I understand the pain and the difficulty with walking.
If it takes having someone drive you to a larger medical facility(teaching hospital or a university hospital)it would be worth it,they have neuro's on staff or on call.They will get you the proper medical help.
I am hoping you are not reading this and that you are somewhere getting the medical help you need. Please take Quix's advice and find someone who is in your life to help you get the help you need!!
Wanna
Wanna
I can't believe that behavior! When your more well a formal complaint can be lodged. Do not give into his threat to keep you out of another ER. Is there any other advocate family, professor, colleague, that you can turn to to accompany you to get some care? I don't know why the AH would withhold all meds for all reasons. That is not drug seeking. You have no choice but the ER's until someone takes charge of your care. Have someone contact another hospital, first getting hold of the ER Supervisor or hosp advocate or patient rights/relations person. Tell them the problem. Explain that the MS has just appeared, that you haven't yet found a doctor to take care of you and your only recourse right now is The ER for pain, dehydration nausea and vomiting. The MS is out of control and you have to find someone to help you. Where is your family?
No doctor can "order" that other doctors won't care for you! MS relapses may last for months - he is obviously an idiot to advise resting in bed until it passes. Who is covering for your family doc? He has to provide his patients with emergency coverage. What is going on? Where are the people in your life? All the doc's you have seen should have emergency coverage. What about the neuro? Who is covering for him this weekend. Get ahold of someone and get them to help you.
Prednisone is not the treatment for optic neuritis! I don't understand why there is no one that can take care of you. Where are you that this is happening? When I was in med school I was surrounded by physicians who would advocate for us. Is there anyone you can contact - like family where you can go and get treatment started? or can come to you and help with running the ER gamut?
You would feel so much better with some IV hydration, some Zofran (MY DRUG OF CHOICE) and the needed analgesia. We are so helpless from here. There has to be someone around that you can contact to get you through this! Please make some phone calls and let us know. Okay? Once we get you taken care of we can formally complain about this doctor. The MS societies usually have advocates.
Quix
No doctor can "order" that other doctors won't care for you! MS relapses may last for months - he is obviously an idiot to advise resting in bed until it passes. Who is covering for your family doc? He has to provide his patients with emergency coverage. What is going on? Where are the people in your life? All the doc's you have seen should have emergency coverage. What about the neuro? Who is covering for him this weekend. Get ahold of someone and get them to help you.
Prednisone is not the treatment for optic neuritis! I don't understand why there is no one that can take care of you. Where are you that this is happening? When I was in med school I was surrounded by physicians who would advocate for us. Is there anyone you can contact - like family where you can go and get treatment started? or can come to you and help with running the ER gamut?
You would feel so much better with some IV hydration, some Zofran (MY DRUG OF CHOICE) and the needed analgesia. We are so helpless from here. There has to be someone around that you can contact to get you through this! Please make some phone calls and let us know. Okay? Once we get you taken care of we can formally complain about this doctor. The MS societies usually have advocates.
Quix
Hi everyone, I'm sorry I haven't been here for several day's. I have had a rough time. I got really sick a few day's ago, severe pain in my arms and hand's, headache, n/v. I went to the ER because it wouldn't go away, I couldn't keep anything down. The doc that saw me was such an ***hole!! ( sorry about the language-but it's the only way to describe him) My bp was through the roof 142/102, pulse 168. ( my bp is normally 98/40) I was in so much pain, vomiting. I told the doc my hx, and what was going on. He did a urine test before anything. I told him I wasn't pregnant-it was that time of the month. I don't do drugs-the urine test was neg for that. He said because I was in the ER several weeks before, ( for the sudden loss of vision-my family doc sent me) he was worried that I was drug seeking!! I was so upset at him. I told him that I don't have magical powers to make my bp soar, to make myself projectile vomit, or to make my limbs hurt to the point that I cannot walk!!!!! He informed me that just because I tested positive for MS, I cannot come to the ER every time I have a flare-up. I asked him what the **** I was susposed to do during my flare-ups? He said I should lay in bed and rest until it passes. He said he wouldn't give me any meds for nausea/pain, nor would he write me a script for meds to take at home. He told me to take Pepto for nausea. ( I told him I am allergic to ASA, which is in Pepto-he said then there wasn't anything he could do for me, and sent me home) I don't frequent ER's. I went when I first lost my vision-my family doc sent me, I went last week because my jaw locked shut-due to the MS-my family doc sent me, and he went with me. ( he followed me there because he couldn't get my jaw to open in the office) I haven't ever been treated so badly in my life!!! I spoke to the hospitals patient advocate that night, she didn't do anything to help me either. I thought doc's were required to treat patients?? My family doc is still on vacation-he won't be back for another week. The ER doc said the "events" of my visit would be on my "permenet record", and if I tried to get care for the MS at any other ER, they wouldn't treat me either. The sick part of this was, I never even asked for pain relief!! I asked for anything to make me stop vomiting!! I know the pain I have is part of the MS-but I can't make it stop. I'm scared that it won't go away-I cannot walk but a few steps at a time without horrible pain. Now I can't get relief-from hospitals that are susposed to treat patients. Does anyone have any advice?? I don't know what to do anymore. I go to the neuro next Friday. I had to change my appt. because I couldn't stop vomiting.
I still can't see well. My family doc gave me prednisone. It didn't help much at all. I am so scared, the pain is horrible-I can't walk well. A few steps at a time-I can't go to the ER. That doc won't treat me, and said it's on my "record" that all ER's would see. Threatning me with the MS diagnosis that other ER docs would see it on my record, and not treat the pain or other side effects. That is so low!!
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