PITA mom on the loose! LOL

[Tesscorm]

I don't understand why some doctors must be so arrogant and stubborn!!

Stephen's had a few minor symptoms lately...

- lost 5 lbs in the last 2-3 weeks (cud be muscle loss as he hasn't played hockey in weeks but, also hasn't been burning calories???)
- hasn't had much appetite in the last few days (but has been fighting a cold)
- has been looking pale for the last 3-4 weeks (our 'home' nurse thought he should be tested for anemia last week) (have a home nurse because of his continuing EN therapy...)
- has had a bit of ab/stomach pain for a couple of days ...

Since his next GI follow up isn't until Feb. 22, and his GP is away, I took him to the walk-in clinic and asked for some bloodwork of the indicators that were slightly off last time (WBC, HGB, CRP, etc.).

OMG, what an annoying doctor we dealt with! ... I think he was the Dr who graduated at the bottom of his class! LOL (Somebody had to have the 'lowest' mark...)

- when I say he has Crohns, Dr says it's very unusual for someone his age to have Crohns (umm, okay???)

- when I explain what I would like done and why, he asks Stephen if he has diarrhea, when Stephen says no, Dr says it's probably not related to the Crohns (ya don't say...)

- says if Stephen isn't bleeding, then iron levels should be fine because you have to be bleeding to be low in iron (OMG, really???)

- says the CRP and sed rate will not confirm Crohns, are just an indication that there is an infection or inflammation (yay, one point for you)

- says they're useless without comparison (gave him a copy of Stephen's last results) and that these tests aren't used for my reasons (hmmm, GI always runs them???)

- says he doesn't understand why I want to run these tests:ywow:. So I explain that given the other symptoms/indictors, if the blood tests show that his WBC, HGB, CRP and sed rate are also off, I'll call his GI with the results and get him in sooner, otherwise, I'll just keep an eye on things...

At this point, other than asking Stephen re the diarrhea, he hasn't spoken with him, asked about his pain, nothing!

Finally, after me acting as obtuse as he has been, he gives me the test requisition and (needing to have the last word, I guess) tells me that he hopes I plan on following up! :yfaint:

Stephen's first words as we left were 'what was wrong with that dr?' LOL

Honestly..., do you guys think I was being unreasonable??? Do you think I was wrong or paranoid or something in asking for these tests? I wasn't trying to overburden the system by asking for unnecessary tests; if anything, I don't want to request a more urgent apptmt at the GI clinic if it isn't needed... :confused2:

 

[mickey]

No, you are right on target! Many docs are ignorant of symptoms and treatment. You have to be the advocate for your son and you know it better! We can not assume a doc knows ALL of the medical ailments and knows how to treat them.

 

[DustyKat]

Honestly..., do you guys think I was being unreasonable???

Hell no! I would have done the same thing, and don't the misconceptions just make you day...NOT!...too young, no diarrhoea, no blood = no Crohn's...grrrrrrrrrrr.

You really did get the doc that procured his degree from the bottom of the Corn Flakes box! :eek2: No one can know everything about everything, I just wish they could admit that and say...I'm sorry I don't know, and then take your lead. (((sigh)))

Thank goodness you got your point across in the end and got the request. I so hope Stephen is feeling better soon...:hug:...let us know how he gets on.

Thinking of you both, :heart:
Dusty. xxxxxxxx

 

[izzi'smom]

OMG your title made me lol and I award you.........

:award2::award2::award2::award2::award2:
PITA mom of the day!!!!

All kidding aside, great idea to approach it that way...too bad the doc had his head so far up...well, you know. I am so glad you ended up with the testing you needed but really??! What a royal pain he was!!

With docs specializing the way they do now, most of them realize when something is outside their scope of practice...too bad this doc is not on that list Hope everything comes back clear! :thumright:

 

[happy]

Tesscorm,
Don't you hate it when some people in the health professions make us second-guess ourselves when we are pro-active and ask for assessment/treatment for a health problem before it becomes a crisis? As if we haven't already argued with ourselves in our heads about whether a trip to the doctor/clinic/ER is required.

I have read many of your posts and you strike me as a well-informed caring mother who advocates for her childrens' health needs in a respectful, but assertive manner--exactly as you should be doing.

He probably wanted to get off shift and didn't want to follow-up lab results, deal with the paper trail and phone calls for positive results etc.

Keep doing what you know is best and next time try some of this if he gives you any guff: :voodoo:

 

[Rebecca85]

Just wanted to say, I have an IBD nurse at the hospital who is wonderful for things like that, if I ask for specific blood tests or anything she will mail me the forms out, not sure if you could get in touch with the nurses at your son's hospital?

 

[AZMOM]

Okay what an ass!

You need your GI to give you some standing orders at the lab. Or who to call between appointments next time you are worried!

If it makes you feel better, when I took Claire to the ER in Phoenix after finding a toilet full of blood. The attending told me it was probably the slushy she had at the movie before checking a single thing! After admission, he did come to the floor to apologize.

Sometimes they just don't think.........

Hugs,

J.

 

[Tesscorm]

Thanks everyone! The more I think about this dr, the more I realize what a :quack: he was!!! LOL Guess that's why he was working the holiday shift at a walk-in clinic! Funny, in Toronto, it's next to impossible to find a GP (a real problem here!) and, in the waiting room, there was a sign indicating that there was a doctor accepting new patients. Just passing the time, I thought 'wow, a doctor accepting patients! Wonder if he's new to town, etc. ...' This was the doctor! Shudder to think what's happened to his old patients! :yfaint: LOL

And, yes, agree with everyone - I don't expect a GP to know all about Crohns, no doctor can know all about all illnesses but I wish that, at least, they'd accept that they don't know everything! And be open-minded when speaking with a lowly patient (or parent) who deals with it regularly. Oh well, I guess that's what makes some doctors 'great'. :thumleft: But, wow, I guess I just haven't dealt with that many doctors or experienced one who was so ignorant of Crohns' symptoms! I was so surprised at some of his comments - no external bleeding = no anemia??? (That one left me speechless for a few moments! LOL ...need a blubbering emoticon here)

Rebecca, Julie - great idea re the standing orders. :ybiggrin: I will speak with Stephen's GI or nurse. I wonder if that's something they do???

Thanks again everyone, stupid that I let him second-guess myself! :ghug:

 

[Tesscorm]

Just a little update re that loser doctor... an 'I KNEW it' moment! Just out of curiousity, I looked up the doctor on www.ratemds.com and, wouldn't you know it, lots of horrible reviews by patients! One said he'd been asked to leave his last practice and another said they had filed a complaint with the College of Physicians! :voodoo: And, lucky us, we get to see him again tomorrow for the follow-up! :dance:

By the way, in case you missed my other post (in General forum), I found a site that I'm finding really useful -- www.ratemds.com. It lists doctors' ratings as posted by patients and includes GPs and specialists in Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa and India! Doesn't list all doctors as they have to be added by 'someone' and, of course, use with 'caution' - anyone can write anything but an interesting site. I'm looking for a new GP for Stephen (current one only works part time and has moved a bit far away) and am using the site to narrow down GPs in our area with high ratings - am thinking that'll be a good list to start!

(In case it's of interest, there's another site www.ratemyteachers.com and www.ratemyprofessors.com ...) :ysmile:

 

[mickey]

You may want to consider cancelling tomorrow's appointment and asking for another doc. Perhaps his current employer does not know about the complaint? Why waste $$ on another visit that is probably not going to help. Something to consider! good luck!

 

[Tesscorm]

Hey Mickey,

As ridiculous as this sounds :ywow:... it probably won't matter what this doctor says (unless he's concerned about something unrelated to crohns). I primarily want to get the results and compare them to his last results. His blood test indicators were a bit worse last time from the time before (not by much but still a move in the wrong direction...), and if they are a bit worse again, I will call his GI and ask to move up his appointment. If they are about the same, I will just keep watching for any other signs until his GI appointment on Feb. 22. :shifty:

He still looks pale and thinner to me but he says the pain has gone (he was fighting a cold and had taken some Tylenol - I'm wondering if that could have caused the pain?) and I did notice that he ate a fair bit at dinner yesterday.

Its too bad I can't get him into his regular GP but her new part time hours (10-2:30, 4 days/wk) and further location make it so difficult to arrange an apptmt.

We'll see how it goes tomorrow...

 

[DustyKat]

:lol: Isn't validation just the best! Good on you Tess! :biggrin:

I so hope the results show things heading back into positive territory hun...:goodluck:

I wouldn't have thought that Tylenol would cause the pain but I'm sure stranger things happened! I can see your radar is on Mum...:hug:

Dusty. :heart:

 

[Tesscorm]

Radar on, but on mute! :lol: Told him my New Years resolution would be to stop asking him 'is everything okay?'.

Re the pain, crossed my mind that it might have been the tylenol as he's had very, very little OTC meds since diagnosis... sure it could also have been different foods, different schedules, more desserts/sugar??? Altho he's not someone who often overeats or tries new foods... not even desserts.

Off topic, but just find it interesting that he's never been a huge eater, has always preferred to 'graze' throughout the day, has never liked alot of desserts (easily turns down a 3 layer, decadent chocolate cake while watching everyone else eat it if he's not actually hungry!! Who needs to be hungry to eat choc cake?! :yrolleyes and has always preferred plain, simple foods without sauces, etc.. Altho he never showed signs of crohns until March, I sometimes wonder if he instinctively picked up on his body's signals and eaten this way??? Ah well, just wondering aloud here, not important ...

 

[Tesscorm]

Wow, interesting about their preferences for foods! While Stephen was in the hospital, we were waiting on a colonoscopy so the doctor put him on a low fibre/residue diet... for the most part, they were his favourite foods. White bread, pasta, french fries, etc. :lol:

As for my resolution... got him in for the test in the nick of time - Dec. 29! But, will likely be breaking this resolution fairly soon! Oh well, haven't stuck to the lose weight/exercise more resolution either!:redface:

 

[radchic]

Holy cow! Lucas has never been a big meat or veggie eater and Zoey announced last night that she no longer wants any meat and is trying the vegetarian thing. She says meat makes her feel like crap. Guess I won't force the issue now!

 

[Tesscorm]

Isn't that strange! I think, as adults, we lose some of our instinctive responses after being taught for years to eat, think, do things a certain way ...

From a very young age, my daughter has always been a good eater and always open to trying new foods (even foods I consider a bit unusual/exotic and wouldn't dream of tasting!) but, some common things, like melons, corn on the cob, she never liked. When she was about 6 we had her tested for allergies and these were two foods (groups?) for which she had a mild allergic reaction. The allergist said this could explain why she didn't like them - she instinctively reacted to something that didn't make her feel well.