Re: any advice about pcp not returning calls?

November 17, 2002

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

November 17, 2002

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

November 17, 2002

> I called dr.a my pcp and asked the recpt./nurse for some

lortab as

> I haven't had pain meds in 2 months. Could she call in a

prescrip.

> as she has done before..... I am having major flareuiups and

can't

> control them.. She said she would ask Dr. A. She called back

and

> said he didn't feel comfortable giving the prescript. as i had

missed

> 2 appts... and refused surgery as was recommended by

surgeon. jan

Jan,

Patty and have already given you some good advice. An

email directly to Dr. A if possible, or a letter. I don't know how

long it has been since you have seen this doctor, but many

doctors will not prescribe refills on pain reliever's unless they

see the patient within a specified amount of time. With my GI,

who also prescribes my pain relievers, I need to see him at least

once every 6 months, or no refills. My GI's nurse, who I had

nicknamed " Cruel Carole " , is much like your doc's nurse Patty,

she fields all requests for refills and controls what messages

get through to the doctor. On several occasions I called for

refills, or with serious pain issues, once it was an acute attack

and I had no meds, and she would not let me speak with the

doctor, nor did she tell him why I was calling!

The only way I was able to get this straightened out was by

gettting an appointment and telling the doctor at the appointment

about my difficulties with this nurse. It worked, I have had no

problems with my refills since.

I doubt that your PCP is not interested in your situation, I think he

probably isn't even aware of what is going on. Without

insurance, I realize a doctor's appointment is an unwanted

expense, yet necessary at times as the doctors are required by

law to physically see the patient within certain periods of time in

order to dispense narcotic medications. As said, you

may just have to bite the bullet and get in there to see him, and

while you're there, tell him about the problems with his nurse.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

Southeastern Rep.

Pancreatitis Association, Intl.

November 17, 2002