Sher

[Guest guest]

How terribly frustrating it is to find out you didn't know

everything you should have known! Sometimes I just despise

doctors. My family doctor treated me for 20 years. He's known me

through the birth of all of my children and even delivered one of

them. He is a wonderful man, and always treated me well....so I

thought! I still believe he actually is a nice person, but his

physician skills are lacking something! One visit to a new family

doctor when I moved and SHAZAM! I knew what had been ailing me for

years wasn't recurrent bouts of pneumonia, and it wasn't asthma,

alleregies or any of the other numerous things my long-time doctor

had treated me for. I was under a health insurance plan which

required a referral to see a specialist and even when I requested a

referral from my long-time family doctor, he disregarded my request

and said " let's wait and see if you get better. " The problem was, I

would get better. At least with the pneumonia. Like I said, it

wasn't until a new physician saw me and I was very forth-right with

my attitude that I would not want long term looking after, but

rather, real answers. My new family doctor just opened her first

practice in 2006. So when I say she was new, I mean very new, and

very young. What that did for me was give me a chance to be seen by

new, more aggressive, eyes. She sent me to a specialist from day

one! She agreed that she did not like the idea of recurrent

pneumonia, etc., with little relief. She did not like what she saw

on the x-rays and she did not like what she heard when she listened

to my breathing, not to mention my 02 was less than 80 the first

time in her office! So, to sum it up, definitely find a doctor whom

gives you the time and attention your illness needs! I know I am

lucky to have my family doctor, even though the outcome may have

been different had I had a different one a long, long time ago.

Take care and God Bless!

Tina

IPF 04/07 PH 11/07 Ohio