Time for a new Dr. or just nurse roadblock?

[Net]

So my last Dr. and nurse for the last 3 years in the middle of diagnosis and treatment have been so---- super and always returned calls the same or next day and have always helped to "figure" me out, if not, make  me feel better. ....Then I got referrred to my Rheumatologist and now have had 2 bad experiences of the nurse not getting an answer from her for 2 1/2 days and now she is on vacation so  this new nurse told me that I would just have to wait. Even tho I told her that I had been in to see my GP  and he says I need to call her because my arthritis meds are just not working if I am waking at night with symptoms yet and living off tylenol in between etc etc. Needless to say I now have become depressed so asked to be started on some  meds. Had been doing quite well but I guess I feel like I now have a "who cares about you" Dr. instead of the really super one I had  before. So, what's the expected turnaround time of a rheumy and should the nursing staff be a lot more helpful? I realize rheumatology is probably not considered "emergency" but it sure seems like I should be looking for a bit more caring than "you'll just have to wait". I've been on etolodac almost a month now after arthritis started when I got taken off predisone, and figured I would be feeling lots better by now.(I've been on hydroxychol. for almost 1 yr.) Anybody else? Thanks for any input. Net

[kim31072]

I personally would make an appt to talk to the dr when he/she gets back..and let them be absolutely 1000 percent aware the difficulty you have encountered trying to gain access to them through the nurse.Find out if it is their office policy to routinely allow nurses to "screen " calls and the dr view on turnaround for patient return calls(you should have a return call and answer by end of business that day IMO) or questions.My rheumys nurse will take your question and either call you back when dr gets out of patient room or often dr will  talk to you right then if he is available.

If your dr has no answers they might not be aware this is ongoing..make them aware and if they dont seem concerned or act like its "normal" and not at all upset..then tell them you need to be honest you are most likely going to look for another dr..you realize they are busy but in the grand scheme of things you like a speedy or timely response to illness concerns and questions and dont feel like you are receiving it from them.You want a more on the ball dr and one who doesnt allow staff to be gatekeepers.

The dr may not know this is going on so give them the benefit of the doubt..if they dont they will most likely fix it pretty quickly..and if they do and arent concerned then they dont sound like the dr for you.If you do change make sure the new one knows you left due to inability to access the dr for medical concerns and questions and lack of response despite numerous attempts.I personally wouldnt like the fact that the dr is gone on vacation and has made no evident attempt to place their practice with a fill in dr for emergency situations..I would not like the wait for return speech...my dr finds a fill in and leaves the other rheumys contact info who is covering for him on the voicemail of the phone to his office.

Good luck I hope it works out.

Kim

[pudmott]

That sounds like good advice net


In the mean time you might need to contact your primry dr to see if they can give you some advice and/or assistance

Pud

[Patze]

Hi Net,

Me too, I'd go back to the primary and let him see what he can do until you can get in contact with the rheumy. 


Patze

[lynnmarie219]

That sounds like great advice Kim!

Good plan of action!

[BonusMom]

I had a similar situation when I was dealing with a GI (gastroenterologist).  My insurance company denied a med that my GI prescribed for an "off label" use.  I kept trying, to no avail, to get the rx filled.  I finally called the insurance co. and asked what the problem was.  They told me that they hadn't received any of the requested info from the GI.  I faxed a letter to the GI, complimenting him and thanking him for recognizing symptoms of gastroparesis and ordering the appropriate exams.  In the next paragraph I asserted an apparent lack of comminication with the unreturned phone calls to his office and lack of responsiveness to the insurance co.  In the last paragraph I explained that, as my specialist, I expected him to be my advocate for the treatment and medication that he deemed appropriate and promptly returning calls and inquiries was part of being my advocate.

I had my new meds the following week.

I had occasion to deal with this office again the past Dec.  All calls were returned promptly and his nurse couldn't have been nicer.

Moral of the story:  put it in writing to your doctor because, chances are, he has no idea what his nurse is/isn't doing.  The only way he'll know is if you tell him (nicely-at first anyway).

Let us know how you fare.

[Patze]

Hi BonusMom,

How right you are, sometimes you need to get a bit more aggressive (nicely of course ) when dealing with the supporting staff (and sometimes the doctors too).  I guess like everything else, sometimes you get good ones, sometimes not.

I'm glad to see that you got the needed med, I'm glad to hear about a success story!  Good for you!

Take care -

Patze

[Net]

Thanks for all the inputs. Sometimes I have a hard time being an advocate for myself and have no problem sticking up for my children and their health issues. "Cowboy Up --right?" Also my Rheumy is 2 hrs away and I have been debating the issue of trying to go with closer health care to skip all this exhausting traveling. Supposedly she comes back Tues from vacation, tonite is Sunday, my nights are still sucky , for some reason I wake like clockwork at 2:30 and hurt like heck all over and usually my legs are bugging me too. Am in the middle of getting a punch biopsy if I get a flareup again on my  legs and have been getting edema too, that's why I went to visit my GP. Kinda told him that I really didn't know what things I'm supposed to be calling my rhuemy for(rookie-me). Well better get some zzzzzs before the aches start--Thanx-Net

[kim31072]

My general rule of thumb regarding GP/RD choice is..if I *think* its related to the illness I was sent to them to treat(in my case SLE)I call there first..and say..its me,here is the issue,do I need to be looked at,and if so by you or the GP?I dont want to go to the GP and have them say "oops this needs a rheumy checkout" cause then I just wasted my $$  ...what I ran into was once I needed rheumy care..if it wasnt run of the mill cough,cold,general sickness the GP wanted me to see the rheumy as he felt like it was kind of out of his knowledge range with the lupus thrown in.

So that may be one way for you to go about it..if you dont think its a general everyday illness that a GP would see you (or someone else) for and might be related to a bigger diagnosis seek out rheumy care (which in this case is the issue..not being able to get it) 

I hope you get all settled quickly

Kim

[Net]

Doc came back from vacation and no call back, not even a nurse. Called about 4:30 yest. and they all were gone for the day. A very nice rec. took a new message and typed priority after I explained my situation and that I had called last Fri and got the runaround. So, today..no calls. So I called at 4:00 and got the nurse prac. and I asked if she had received my messages for the Dr.? Well the excuses began...back from vacation, lots of patients, lots of calls to make, needs to go over my chart. I asked "how can she even go over anything when no one has even spoken to me"? She proceeded to say oh yes you have and read a small version of what the rude nurse said to me and I said to her last Friday. Well, I took some of your advice and proceeded to ask why no one is on call and here someone was and I was not informed. She said a few rude comments like"I don't know a lot about sjogrens but isn't arthritis part of it anyways?" I basically said" obviously I'm learnining about it too but it's obviously not normal to be waking in the night in tears cuz you hurt so bad"--I did not say this back to her nicely. We did keep talking and she said some off the wall things like that I should be going to my GP for everything and he should be calling them as he feels neccessary. I told her I totally disagree, that my Rheumy is supposed to be in charge of my care as a sjogrens patient and I am losing all faith in this clinic, etc, etc., few tears along the way as I talked about the Dr. who referred me who took such great care of me for the past 3 years and his staff. 7 p.m. Dr. called me ( I already have left a message to my GP to refer me to a new Rheumy and please help me with my care until I can get an appt)--her excuses began....Then she was pretty nice but I think she  has that feeling it's the last time she's gonna talk to me.Funny how some of the questions she asked I'd say to her-didn't your nurse tell you that, --she didn't know a half a dozen things that basically should have been recorded.Thanks for all the input and advice, you all helped in one way or another! --Net

[pudmott]

Kim i tend to agree there and was just talking to my immunologist about it the other day.

If its anything other than cough cold flu, Or prescription advice my gp office say waittill you see the immunologist and ask him. Meanwhile there' $70 down the drain and an hour out of my day


Pd