Quote:
Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel
Seriously, I've had some not great doctors and I think what we need people to do is to learn to advocate for themselves and do some research. I don't mean spending hours on WebMD, but keeping track of changes/norms so when something comes up there is a baseline and a time line. If I go to the doctor and my blood pressure is high and I ate a high salt meal or was running late, that would make sense. If I just drank coffee, that could account for an elevated temp. So much of that behavior for me is left over from having to keep track for health issues I just kept doing it and I always bring that to an appointment, as well as writing down my concerns. I want to make the most of my time and the doctor's time.
I was dismissed once for breast cancer and I was so fortunate the ENT surgeon (huge a-hole, but good surgeon) refused to operate until a doctor he trusted ruled out cancer as the person I normally saw was on maternity leave and the other doctor didn't find my concerns important (that person is no longer in the practice). I have the option of a second opinion but it is so annoying when office #1 will not send your records in a timely manner to office #2. If I had cancer and they blew me off I'd have considered filing a law suit because it shouldn't take three months to send records. I go to the biggest practice in town and thankfully they also run the Urgent Care but one practitioner doesn't get butt hurt if you see someone else because they aren't available, nor is there drama if they consider different treatments. Living in a rural area makes it hard at times, and many people make the 1.5 hour drive to Spokane for specialists.
My time in Alaska is always a crap shoot because the clinic is either 30-100 miles away and because I'm an outsider the med student who is doing a rotation always wants to see me because I'm less likely to object (I don't have tinfoil underpants and believe in conspiracy theories) and have some strange shizz in my medical history. I've only been cranky once when one young woman was telling me I should be concerned about osteoporosis, when my only risk factor is being female. No one in my family has had it, I've never broken a bone, my bone affected surgeries healed freakishly fast, I'm not lactose intolerant, and I'm Norwegian so eating cheese on the daily.
My temp is low though, constantly, about 97.5-97.9 but allegedly it is genetic. I'm willing to have my thyroid checked though because I tolerate cold too well for some people's liking.
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First bold- YES! I am a doctor, but first I am a patient. You have to be your own advocate. Doctors are human. We make mistakes. We have biases. Don't take it if a doctor gets "butt hurt" if you see someone else if they weren't available. My neurologist did that to me and actually YELLED at me while I had a migraine. I never went back to him again. It was unprofessional, and I can find a new neurologist that will treat me with respect. Even physicians get the run around when they become patients. It is hard to be a patient...even harder when you don't know what you are getting yourself into, so educate yourself!
Second bold...ahhh, Alaska!
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