Annoyed that my Rheumotologist hasn't called back!!!

[MarkP_1972]

3 days I've been waiting!!!
I can't believe that I haven't received a callback yet! I told the Rheumy's office that I am HURTING!!
No reply. Not even out of courtesy.
I can't believe it.

[irish]

Mark, As an old retired nurse I can tell you that there can be 101 reasons that the doc hasn't called you. The number one reason is usually called poor communication. Often we leave a message and either someone at the front desk forgets to send it to the appropriate person, etc. Any number of things can have transpired.

I will tell you that this happens to me all the time with most of my doctors. Doctors are truly over run with patients who all want their attention. If the docs didn't have to tend to all the bloody government regulations and paperwork they would have more time to get everything done.

I generally wait a couple days and if I don't hear back I will do another call. By this point I am often teed off, but once the nurse calls me back it seems that all works out. As patients we just have to take care of more things these days. Hang in there kiddo, life isn't always a pain---just some of the time. Good luck. Irish

[dainbramage]

Hey don't wait a couple days for your doctor to call.  Call them back and keep calling.  If you have to call the office manager and speak to someone. Don't give up.  You have to be aggressive and write down dates and times when you speak to someone

[MarkP_1972]

Oh, I plan to drive them crazy on the phone Monday...lol 

I'm not going to be mean...just persistant.

[Madison Granny]

In today's world that's how you have to be.  I left a message for my GP one time about referring me to a Nephrologist and never heard back from her.  I should have made an appointment and when and confront her about it.  But her staff usually had been really good about giving her messages.  I just found a doctor and got a second opinion.  That doctor did find my problem but still did not refer me.  I think both of them did damage to my kidneys by not referring me.

[Patze]

I know how miserable it is to wait for a return call....its the pits.

Can you call your primary and see if he'll help you get through until you can reach the rheumy?

Hang in there and I sure hope you get some help soon -

Patze

[hootyhu1]

One thing I have found to be helpful both personally and professionally is to call my GP or whomever refered me to the specialist and complain to them that I cant get a call back. Most of the time they get right on the phone and call for me! GP's don't like to send patients to doc's that aren't good to their patients.

I also work for an optometrist right now and if I have a patient that didn't receive a call back from the ophthamologist that we refered them to for surgery or whatever I call the office right away and tell them A) you haven't called the patient back and B) I get them to answer the patient's question.  Sometimes it just holds more weight if the refering doc calls them on it.

hope this helps-hootyhu

[MarkP_1972]

Just found out today that my current Rheumatologist can't see me till July! So, I called around and found one that will see me on April 18.
I think that I am pretty much finished with my original Reumy...I mean, if you can't work in one of your patients that is in pain, what good are you?