Re: Sorry to hear of your wasted appointment Penny

[Guest guest]

Hi Peg/Lanelle,

I definitely remember you. Glad you're still lurking, although sorry to hear you haven't been helped.

You basically hit the nail on the head with these doctors. They should be embarrassed and ashamed the way they treat patients.

I was speaking with one of the few good doctors I know, and she was telling me how we need to stand up for ourselves. That if we have even the slightest feeling of something being wrong, or off, we should just stand up, say no-thank you and leave. She told me how she had a dental hygenist who was really rough, even after being told twice to be more careful. So at the first opportunity, she got out of the chair and said, "this appointment is OVER!"

I'm never going to let a doctor speak to, or treat me the way that jerk did, again. No matter how vulnerable or scared I might be, I won't get teary eyed, or cowed again. I'm tired of letting these arrogant jerks spend 3 minutes with me and expect me to give them complete power over my life. NO THANK YOU!

She also gave me a different perspective on dentistry. I have felt for quite some time now that the dental profession is a completel disgrace. I always pinned that on incompentency and/or complacency more than anything.

But she pointed out that what it's really about is cash. Cash is the reason they have no desire to change the status quo. Cash is the reason they don't participate in the insurance system, because they know they've got people between a rock and a hard place, and they can overcharge astronomically for simple procedures. Wow. Hadn't really thought of that, but it's true. They pay $5 dollars for a numbing agent that can treat dozens of people, and then charge each patient $50 for a quick swab with the stuff. Dentists are making huge profits. There's no way the insurance industry would let them get away with it. And why don't these dentists seem to know anything about dental infection when dental bacteria have been proven to cause heart disease and other illness? Because that complicates things and the time needed could cut into their profits.

I think you could say the same about ENTs. Probably why most doctors want to specialize these days, and shun general or family practice. These ENTS have these amazing luxury offices, and want to do nothing but surgery. I have only talked to one ent who seemed to know the first thing about bacteria, and even she fell short when she hit the obstacle of recurring infection. And of course, she dropped my insurance company because they wouldn't pay her enough.

I complained mightilly about my insurance company not paying enough when I had my sinus surgery. For the first time, I kind of see the insurance company's point. It's the only means they have to rein some of these greedy doctors in. Don't get me wrong though, I have no love for insurance companies. Our health care system is a highly dysfunctional entity, in more ways than one.

Okay, end of rant.

I really hope that this new virus discovery, XMRV, leads PWC to be treated better, both medically and humanistically.

penny

From: perfectlypeg <perfectlypeg@...>Subject: [infections] Sorry to hear of your wasted appointment Pennyinfections Date: Thursday, January 7, 2010, 9:34 PM

I also had a similiar appointment recently. Well, frankly it seems that most of my appointments as new patient go that way. I spent years and years trying to get doctors to refer me to "higher level specialist" Naturally when I did receive a referral, I was hopeful. Typically the referring doctor does nothing more than go into his office and copy a name out of the directory. Several times I was referred to a physician not even in the specialty that I was being referred to. In the past five years 90% of my doctors appointments have been a waste of time. I have been given so many different reasons for being refused treatment that I seriously think there is a class for this in medical school. My favorite was from a retinologist when he confirmed that there was a neurological problem with my sudden 40% loss of vision in 30 days, but that they would not be conducting any further testing. Why? Because he says,"If we found something, we wouldn't know how

to treat it, so we would rather just not look for it." I guess it lets him sleep sounder at night, and after all, that is the objective, right? Yes, if my suspicions were ever in question, they are set in stone now. My life is no longer my own. My role on this earth is to play a two bit walk on role in the movie of these doctors so that their vision of what their life would be will result in the perfect staring role of "the doctor" Ta-da.What gets me most is that ten years ago, when I would be turned away, doctors would not look at me and they would try to come up with some kind of plausible excuse. But now, they are not even ashamed of their cavalier behavior in putting the needs of the patient solidly in last place.I've worked it out to a pattern actually. If they don't turn you away on the first visit, then it's usually a three visit minimum. First visit is the "howdy" visit. This is where they are the most agreeable. They draw the blood

and say that they are sure that they will be able to have answers for you next appt. 2nd appt. is where they begin to read the lab reports. Since they haven't even opened your file since your first visit, they have to refresh their brains with who you are and why you are there, plus study your way off base lab results. Of course he has no clue, so he isn't going to be able to give your those definitive answers this appointment, but he schedules another visit and promises to come up with logical conclusions that no one else has thought of. Now the 3rd visit is the real theatrical starring role.. He could go many different ways, but the end results are usually the same.. He drops you like a hot potatoe. Usually he will come out swinging, accusing you of all kinds of things. But will he come up with the correct answers? No, because it is too obvious to see that the real problem is his own stupidity and that'll never happen. I guess what is really

pathetic is how many visits does a patient have to see a doctor before they will remember my name? I'm on my fourth appt with a new GP and I have to give a complete history recap every visit. I'm too sick to hold my head up but I've got to hold up his stethescope to show him which end to use. Penny, I am sorry. I am sorry for you and for me and for all the other HUMAN BEINGS that aren't treated as anything more than ??? I don't even know anymore. But it isn't humane. I don't see as the problem being these pathogens.. I am truly embarrassed for these so called professionals that can't even find or treat a threat no bigger than a pin head. It's no surprise that man has only been able to keep the upper hand against bacteria for less than a century. Our arrogance shall never cease to amaze and mystify me.Peg or lanelleremember me?