Guest guest Posted April 17, 2007 Report Share Posted April 17, 2007 Well, got better the doctor said it was just a mild case of pancreatitis because after the initial spike the numbers for the pancreatic enzymes started to go back down. Tonight he was allowed to eat and at 10pm he was released. Last night was pretty scary but I am releaved it resolved so quickly. However, I did have a problem with the doctor. They wanted to do a CT scan on with contrast. They gave him phenergan (sp?) and he took one sip of the oral contrast mixed with ginger ale and threw up about ten times. So the nurse contacted the doctor and he told her to put on another nausea drug and have him try taking the contrast again. (This was all during the night.) I told the nurse that I was concerned about him trying to take the contrast again after the last time and asked her to contact the doctor to see if they could do an MRCP instead so he wouldn't need to take the contrast. I don't know what the nurse did or didn't say to the doctor but early in the morning one of the PA's who works with the doctor came by an when I repeated my request to her she asked the doctor and he called me an yelled at me about delaying my husband's care by refusing to let him have the test the doctor wanted and that the test he needed was a CT not an MRCP and believe it or not he did know what he was doing and because I held up the procedure would have to get in line behind all the other scans instead of getting in there first. I cried. Note: This is not his normal hepatologist who I have a good relationship with this is the ERCP specialist in the firm (and he is known to be really great at ERCPs). On the plus side on Monday morning he did agree to send the samples to Mayo and he called Mayo before the procedure to get specifics on what they wanted collected. So he isn't all bad but when he released I said that I was sorry about earlier and that I didn't mean to delay his care and he told me that he thought I was out of control and that in the future I should pick my doctors and then listen to what they say and have the tests they want ordered whether that be at Mayo or any place. Sorry to have such a long post again but I just wanted to share our ordeal with the group. Regards, Nichole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 Regardless of what he thinks, you ARE the customer, and he is NOT omnipotent. More than once, I've provided a bit of information that stopped my Dr. in his tracks (like, what do you mean, you only have one kidney? Maybe we should use a different drug). If he's unwilling to listen to your concerns, it's time to find one who will - after all, he doesn't live with , and can't possibly know everything about him. There are plenty of outstanding MDs, and fortunately, few MDeities. I'm glad had a " short " bout of pancreatitis - still no fun though. Arne 55 - UC 1977, PSC 2000 Alive and (mostly) well in Minnesota ________________________________ From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of nichole_rowland ....he told me that he thought I was out of control and that in the future I should pick my doctors and then listen to what they say and have the tests they want ordered whether that be at Mayo or any place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 , You ABSOLUTELY did the right thing by by questioning his care. I would like to call this doctor names after reading your summary, but I won't. He's obviously got power issues and didn't like being questioned. YOU are ' primary care giver. You are the one who looks out for his care 24/7. This doctor was a consultant asked to do a specific job. Yes, you're supposed to take his advice and work with him as best as possible, but that doesn't mean that you can't ask questions and even say no to treatment. It also doesn't mean that he has the right to bully you into accepting that treatment. If I were you, I'd think seriously about writing a letter of complaint to the hospital about the doctor's conduct. He needs to know that this behavior isn't acceptable. On another note, I've vomited when I take contrast orally, too. The stuff hits my gag reflex, and it is all over. It doesn't even hit my stomach before I'm vomiting. I've gotten to the point where if I have to have a CT, I request the clear kind of barium because I can get that down okay, usually. If that's not possible, I have them put in an NG tube (through the nose and down the esophagus) and put the fluid in that way. It takes forever, but it worked quite well when I needed a small bowel follow-through during my last hospital visit. This doctor seems pretty unsympathetic about the vomiting and that right there is a red flag. You were suggesting the only other imaging that might have rendered the pictures that could have helped. You were brainstorming for a way out of a miserable situation and you got no help back on the other side of it. Phenergan doesn't help if you're gagging from the stuff going down - it only helps if the fluid reaches your stomach and then you vomit! I suggest that you discuss this doctor's conduct with your usual hepatologist, and if he's not horrified and has promises to discuss the behavior with him, then I would write a letter or look for another practice. This is totally NOT okay. You were in the right. Just my 2 cents. Deb in VA PSC 1998, UC 1999, Listed Ltx 2001, LDLTX 5/19/2005, Partial Portal Vein Thrombosis 7/2005, 13 PTC's with drain placements/ replacements 9/2005-3/2006, 3 sinus surgeries 2006, 3 GI Bleeds 8/2006-2/2007. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 You are right Deb. I work in the hospital and patients constantly get sick from that stuff. They want you to drink a quart of this stuff within an hour and expect you to keep it down during transport and moving around to get on the table. Then when you do get down to CT they still inject dye in your IV on top of that. My husband had to drink that stuff and had a hard time keeping it down to. The transporter came to get him one time and he didn't even make it out of the room but, luckily he had enough down they were still able to get the pictures. It is miserable to not feel good and then try to drink something that makes you feel even worse. , Deb is right you do need to let the hospital know how the doctor treated you because I quarantee it isn't the first complaint they have had about the doctor. You don't deserve to be talked to like that. You know when my husband was diagnosed with PSC, the doctor told me not to get on the internet and read about the disease because it will only scare me. I told him that I want to find out as much about it as possible, so when the doctors are talking to me I would know what they are talking about. It was the best thing I did. Wish you luck and take care Tina Re: Nichole and - Update ,You ABSOLUTELY did the right thing by by questioning his care. I would like to call this doctor names after reading your summary, but I won't. He's obviously got power issues and didn't like being questioned. YOU are ' primary care giver. You are the one who looks out for his care 24/7. This doctor was a consultant asked to do a specific job. Yes, you're supposed to take his advice and work with him as best as possible, but that doesn't mean that you can't ask questions and even say no to treatment. It also doesn't mean that he has the right to bully you into accepting that treatment. If I were you, I'd think seriously about writing a letter of complaint to the hospital about the doctor's conduct. He needs to know that this behavior isn't acceptable.On another note, I've vomited when I take contrast orally, too. The stuff hits my gag reflex, and it is all over. It doesn't even hit my stomach before I'm vomiting. I've gotten to the point where if I have to have a CT, I request the clear kind of barium because I can get that down okay, usually. If that's not possible, I have them put in an NG tube (through the nose and down the esophagus) and put the fluid in that way. It takes forever, but it worked quite well when I needed a small bowel follow-through during my last hospital visit. This doctor seems pretty unsympathetic about the vomiting and that right there is a red flag. You were suggesting the only other imaging that might have rendered the pictures that could have helped. You were brainstorming for a way out of a miserable situation and you got no help back on the other side of it. Phenergan doesn't help if you're gagging from the stuff going down - it only helps if the fluid reaches your stomach and then you vomit!I suggest that you discuss this doctor's conduct with your usual hepatologist, and if he's not horrified and has promises to discuss the behavior with him, then I would write a letter or look for another practice. This is totally NOT okay. You were in the right.Just my 2 cents.Deb in VAPSC 1998, UC 1999, Listed Ltx 2001, LDLTX 5/19/2005, Partial Portal Vein Thrombosis 7/2005, 13 PTC's with drain placements/ replacements 9/2005-3/2006, 3 sinus surgeries 2006, 3 GI Bleeds 8/2006-2/2007. Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check out new cars at Yahoo! Autos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2007 Report Share Posted April 18, 2007 I have never heard of them mixing contrast with ginger ale. I think that would make me vomit to. Contrast at where I work is made of cherry Sugar free koolaid. The place he had transplant uses grape slush puppy.. I don't understand the ginger ale. My husband always drank it over ice but, transplant hospital wouldn't let him drink it over ice. I guess everybody does it different but ginger ale. WOW!!!!!! The doctor was definitely out of line and needs to be professional no matter what. You are the customer and deserve a professional answer not smart remarks. Tina Re: Nichole and - Update Well, got better the doctor said it was just a mild case of pancreatitis because after the initial spike the numbers for the pancreatic enzymes started to go back down. Tonight he was allowed to eat and at 10pm he was released. Last night was pretty scary but I am releaved it resolved so quickly.However, I did have a problem with the doctor. They wanted to do a CT scan on with contrast. They gave him phenergan (sp?) and he took one sip of the oral contrast mixed with ginger ale and threw up about ten times. So the nurse contacted the doctor and he told her to put on another nausea drug and have him try taking the contrast again. (This was all during the night.) I told the nurse that I was concerned about him trying to take the contrast again after the last time and asked her to contact the doctor to see if they could do an MRCP instead so he wouldn't need to take the contrast. I don't know what the nurse did or didn't say to the doctor but early in the morning one of the PA's who works with the doctor came by an when I repeated my request to her she asked the doctor and he called me an yelled at me about delaying my husband's care by refusing to let him have the test the doctor wanted and that the test he needed was a CT not an MRCP and believe it or not he did know what he was doing and because I held up the procedure would have to get in line behind all the other scans instead of getting in there first. I cried. Note: This is not his normal hepatologist who I have a good relationship with this is the ERCP specialist in the firm (and he is known to be really great at ERCPs). On the plus side on Monday morning he did agree to send the samples to Mayo and he called Mayo before the procedure to get specifics on what they wanted collected. So he isn't all bad but when he released I said that I was sorry about earlier and that I didn't mean to delay his care and he told me that he thought I was out of control and that in the future I should pick my doctors and then listen to what they say and have the tests they want ordered whether that be at Mayo or any place.Sorry to have such a long post again but I just wanted to share our ordeal with the group.Regards,Nichole Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check out new cars at Yahoo! Autos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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