Re: what you don't want to hear from a doctor

[Guest guest]

I know the feeling. My PCP looked in and said " That is not a

normal ear " " No rush, but, I want you to see an ENT. Just make

sure it is not cancer, or, something. "

Then you wait 4 weeks for an appointment with the ENT.

It was a relief to find that it " was only " C'toma.

tom

>

> When I began having ear trouble, back in 1998,

> I had health insurance through Kaiser Medical.

> I went for an exam; the doctor took a look,

> and exclaimed, " Man! You've got one _weird-looking_ eardrum! "

>

> I was not comforted.

>

> /grant

[Guest guest]

Hi Grant,

Yes that sure isn't comforting news!! When I first went in to see an ENT the nurse checked out my ear prior to the ENT and all she said was "Oh oh!" and said she better go get the doctor. I was scared sh*tless!!!

Kim

grantsh <grant@...> wrote:

When I began having ear trouble, back in 1998,I had health insurance through Kaiser Medical.I went for an exam; the doctor took a look,and exclaimed, "Man! You've got one _weird-looking_ eardrum!"I was not comforted./grantPost your free ad now! Canada Personals

[Guest guest]

Hi,

My GP's comment was " It looks like a little pus pocket on the eardrum, send

her to an ENT " . That was on my previously good ear. The other ear drum was

as thin as saran wrap and just as transparent because of ear infections.

Jane

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[Guest guest]

My GP's comments - " No I don't think an ENT referral is necessary for

your ear (that has been discharging for 6 months). We'll try a

different course of antibiotics. "

A week later I had to be taken to casualty in an ambulance with what

felt like the world's worst vertigo attack. Now my wife has seen me

worse for wear for drink on the odd occasion occasion but this seeing

me sober and so dizzy I was incapable of standing was *scary* for her

even.

My CEO very kindly paid for me to see an private ENT consultant who

diagnosed my c-toma in short order. Since then I've been referred to

my local NHS hospital for treatment. The staff there are great but

*so* obviously overworked and under-resourced. If I'm lucky I might

get surgery early next year.

I wonder if any of the folk in the group from the UK have had similar

experiences getting referred by your GP? Incidentally I have a good

relationship with my local GP - the decision on referral had as much

to do with funding as anything else IMO.

[Guest guest]

I wonder if any of the folk in the group from the UK have had similar experiences getting referred by your GP? Incidentally I have a good relationship with my local GP - the decision on referral had as much to do with funding as anything else IMO.I recently made mention of a GP (21/10) who didn't diagnose the c-toma even after he'd sent a sample for analysis. Basically I'd been going to him for about 10 years with chronic discharge and constant earache. He always sent me away with a prescription for Otomize spray which did help to ease the symptoms. Previously I'd been an outpatient at the ENT clinic for many years, had some surgeries but no success. He had some very old files of mine, from childhood onwards and reasoned "With such a long history of ear disease the ENT department aren't going to be able to do anything for you now" and "They'll just give you more hearing-aids" . So he was really trying to be sympathetic and wanting to protect me from further diappointment or false hope.

Several people in the medical profession have given me a more cynical explanation and suggested that many GPs are terrified of getting a reputation for over-referral because it not only strains an oversubscribed system but also gives them a bad name amongst hospital administrators and consultants; the people who carry the clout in the medical profession

Phil

[Guest guest]

On Wed, 23 Oct 2002 21:44:26 -0000

" garryp100 " <garryp@...> wrote:

> I wonder if any of the folk in the group from the UK have had similar

> experiences getting referred by your GP? Incidentally I have a good

> relationship with my local GP - the decision on referral had as much

> to do with funding as anything else IMO.

Sorry to be replying to this so late - but I dip in and out of the list

these days :-)

I live in the UK. It took 15 years for me to finally be referred to an

ENT consultant, all the while having a red/yellow foul smelling

discharge from initially the left ear, but eventually the right too.

In the end it took a locum Dr to take one look at my ears and instantly

refer me to an ENT. I've since had the opportunity to personally thank

that Dr, as he was eventually made a member of the practice.

I'm convalescing this week after having my 3rd surgery on Monday (2nd

for the left ear). Unfortunately they found a sizeable piece of

cholesteatoma embedded in the mastoid bone, so I'll be having a 3rd

operation on that ear in another 9 months. :-(

--

Pete

pete@...

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