RE: Letter to the doc who said I wouldn't get better

[Guest guest]

Lindsey,

I am so surprised by the number of people who are saying don't send the letter.

I just wanted to write you and express my support for your decision to send it. Doctors are people just like everyone else and they NEED fedback from their patients to know when their decisions have negative effects. In light of this information, I would think it would be his advantage to think twice about spouting off things that he thinks most people will just swallow and move on.

There is a quote that has stuck with me since I heard it years ago : Do you know what they call a medical student who finnished last in his class? Doctor.

There are good ones and their are not so good ones. There are alot of different things that come into play when assessing what makes a great doctor. One of the primary things that must be established is doctor-patient trust. He obviously didn't establish this with you and for good reason.

Your letter may just be a drop in the pond, but if no one makes ripples to correct gross wrongs (especially in the medical field) then things will never change.

Heck, it takes a bit more guts, but if you haven't sent the letter, you might just want to tell him your concerns in person. That way he can't just toss it in the trash and avoid what you have to say. It would have a greater impact on him to have a face to face discussion about your concerns. The wost thing that can happen is that he gets angry about what you have to say. Additionally, that would just reinforce your argument that he isn't a very good doctor because he wouldn't be listening to the concerns of his patient.

Good Luck!

Eve

Reply-To: VulvarDisorders To: VulvarDisorders Subject: Letter to the doc who said I wouldn't get betterDate: Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:26:08 -0000

See what you’re getting into…before you go there

[Guest guest]

In the last fifteen months it took me eighteen

doctors to find the three wonderful ones I have now. Should I write to all the

doctors who did not help me, and explain to them their missed diagnosis plus complain

to them of their lousy treatment? Some of these doctors just didn’t have

the knowledge. One even admitted that he didn’t know what to do. Others

were just plain nasty and dismissive.

My husband does not like doctors in general,

but since I haven’t been able to drive, he takes me to my appointments.

Since he is already there I have him come in with me as an extra set of “ears”,

in case I miss something during the conversation. I have noticed that “we”

as a couple are treated differently than when I just went in alone. And because

of this I think I have gotten better care and my husband has even found a

couple of doctors he actually likes. And speaking of quotes similar to Eve’s, when doctors have finished their testing

they are given a license to “practice” medicine. So it is everyone’s

interpretation of what “practice” means when it comes to treating

patients.

nne