Re: any advice about pcp not returning calls?

[Guest guest]

Hi Jan,

I' m sorry you get short Changed when our snow birds come down from Maine.

Every time some one in my family goes to the DR i get their business card.

If the card has no e-mail address on it I ask for it. I have never had to

use it for any other family member but Cassie since she is the one with CP.

But it sure makes life easier.

Most physician office and hopitals have internet hope up to a variety of

medical and drug libraries. The Dr.s are online alot. If i have questions

or concerns that are not of urgent nature or life threatening I e-mail her

Dr.'s, I usually get a response in no more than 8 hours. a coupletimes it

was within minutes. Even if I have a question just regarding a procedure or

something I always give a progress report on how Cassie's doing. The other

benefit of this is I get around receptionists/nurses whose response fore

everthing is bring her in. For use even though we do have insurance, SSI and

medicaid on her it's still quite a hassle. Most visits are several hours

long. And for some reason they refuse to have orders for her blood work

waiting. WE have to see the dr 1st. I now get around all this. her dr's

know we know when she needs to go to hospital. another thing is I send them

information i find intersting, usefull and worth investigating woth Cassie.

I've found they learning about this just as we are.

Have you applied for SSI, yes your husband is working to jobs but i bet the

stress is killing him. You may not qualify for disability but you may

qualify for supplemental Serucity income which for Cassie included medicaid.

It's worth a try. If you have already applied and been denied get an lawyer.

Sorry for your difficulties and your pain. god bless

Patty in Bangor,ME

[Guest guest]

Jan,

so sorry for your situation. I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my pcp

would not prescribe narcotics if it had been beyond a certain time since he'd

seen me. I don't really know what that time limit would be. He's really good

and caring but he's also very conservative on pain meds. My daughter is 21 and

has been away at college for 2 1/2 years now. When she went, my pcp gave her a

year's prescription for her routine meds. It seems he must have given her

another year's worth at some point. Anyway, she found out recently that she was

out of refills on her anti-depressant. If she even takes it late, she gets

really sick. I called my pcp to ask if he'd call in another prescription. He

looked at the chart and it had been over a year since he'd seen my daughter. He

said he really couldn't call in a year's worth without seeing her again since

it'd been so long. He did call in a month's and I told him that would give her

time to go to the local doc she's seen for sinus infections and such once or

twice. I know this is totally different but I hda really not thought about how

long it had been since my daughter had seen him. As far as we are concerned

he's still her pcp. However, I did understand his position. He did at least

get on the phone with me immediately. He did take care of her for a month so

she wouldnt' get terribly sick from going off her med. Having said all this, I

know that if I called him after not seeing him for several months, no way would

he call in narcotic pain med without seeing me. He would return my call. He

would be nice and understanding. he would tell me I would have to either come

in and see him (and he'd work me in that day - no doubt) or I'd have to go to

the ER. Yeah, he's made me mad a little at times but at least I know how he is

and I deal with it.

I don't really know what to say as I do understand with no insurance you must

see docs VERY sparingly. I so think I'd either make an appt with him (and bite

the bullet on the money if you can) or alternatively, write him a letter telling

him only the facts. Try to leave passion and emotion out of the letter. Ask

what he would have you to do. Should you change docs or is he willing to help?

If so, what are his terms?

Take care and I hope your appt with your GI goes well.

W

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

You added some wonderful info for Jan. I didn't think to tell her

to make sure to tell the doc about the problems with his nurse

(or other staff) if she did decide to see him. I'm sure this must

be awful for Jan. I am so incredibly blessed with my health

insurance.

W

>

,

Thanks for your comment. I really believe that much of the time

the doctors just don't know the whole story, and it's usually due

to nurses or staff that fail to pass on the patient's requests or

concerns.

It must be so difficult for those who don't have insurance! We

never thought we would need the extensive coverage that we

signed up for in 2001. Prior to that we were paying the lesser

amount for an HMO, and had never had many claims. For some

unexplainable reason, we decided to go for the higher, more

expensive coverage...I guess maybe due to our increasing age.

Half way through that year I had my first acute attack, and the bills

were unbelievable. Once we met our out of pocket, (easily done

in just the first few months with my three ultrasounds,

hospitalization and five CT-scans) we were clear for the

remainder of 2002. Our benefits were involuntarily changed due

to severe cutbacks with the airline my husband works for a few

months ago, and we're not sure how that will affect any future

expenses. A lot of people with the same company have

complained of tremendous problems and denials of coverage

for things that were allowable before, so I'm hoping my health

doesn't go haywire. My next scan is in January, so I guess we'll

see how it goes then.

I've been doing so poorly for the last three weeks or more that I

may find out even sooner though! I'm looking for just more than

one good day in succession, and haven't had it yet.

Hope you are doing well this evening.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

Southeastern Representative

Pancreatitis Association, Intl.

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

You added some wonderful info for Jan. I didn't think to tell her

to make sure to tell the doc about the problems with his nurse

(or other staff) if she did decide to see him. I'm sure this must

be awful for Jan. I am so incredibly blessed with my health

insurance.

W

>

,

Thanks for your comment. I really believe that much of the time

the doctors just don't know the whole story, and it's usually due

to nurses or staff that fail to pass on the patient's requests or

concerns.

It must be so difficult for those who don't have insurance! We

never thought we would need the extensive coverage that we

signed up for in 2001. Prior to that we were paying the lesser

amount for an HMO, and had never had many claims. For some

unexplainable reason, we decided to go for the higher, more

expensive coverage...I guess maybe due to our increasing age.

Half way through that year I had my first acute attack, and the bills

were unbelievable. Once we met our out of pocket, (easily done

in just the first few months with my three ultrasounds,

hospitalization and five CT-scans) we were clear for the

remainder of 2002. Our benefits were involuntarily changed due

to severe cutbacks with the airline my husband works for a few

months ago, and we're not sure how that will affect any future

expenses. A lot of people with the same company have

complained of tremendous problems and denials of coverage

for things that were allowable before, so I'm hoping my health

doesn't go haywire. My next scan is in January, so I guess we'll

see how it goes then.

I've been doing so poorly for the last three weeks or more that I

may find out even sooner though! I'm looking for just more than

one good day in succession, and haven't had it yet.

Hope you are doing well this evening.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

Southeastern Representative

Pancreatitis Association, Intl.

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

You added some wonderful info for Jan. I didn't think to tell her

to make sure to tell the doc about the problems with his nurse

(or other staff) if she did decide to see him. I'm sure this must

be awful for Jan. I am so incredibly blessed with my health

insurance.

W

>

,

Thanks for your comment. I really believe that much of the time

the doctors just don't know the whole story, and it's usually due

to nurses or staff that fail to pass on the patient's requests or

concerns.

It must be so difficult for those who don't have insurance! We

never thought we would need the extensive coverage that we

signed up for in 2001. Prior to that we were paying the lesser

amount for an HMO, and had never had many claims. For some

unexplainable reason, we decided to go for the higher, more

expensive coverage...I guess maybe due to our increasing age.

Half way through that year I had my first acute attack, and the bills

were unbelievable. Once we met our out of pocket, (easily done

in just the first few months with my three ultrasounds,

hospitalization and five CT-scans) we were clear for the

remainder of 2002. Our benefits were involuntarily changed due

to severe cutbacks with the airline my husband works for a few

months ago, and we're not sure how that will affect any future

expenses. A lot of people with the same company have

complained of tremendous problems and denials of coverage

for things that were allowable before, so I'm hoping my health

doesn't go haywire. My next scan is in January, so I guess we'll

see how it goes then.

I've been doing so poorly for the last three weeks or more that I

may find out even sooner though! I'm looking for just more than

one good day in succession, and haven't had it yet.

Hope you are doing well this evening.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

Southeastern Representative

Pancreatitis Association, Intl.