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]

Jan,

Surely your pcp has an answering service for after hours and weekends calls or

emergency. I would try to get in contact with him thru the answering service

tell them that your doubled over with the pain and need to talk to your doc. it

may take awhile but usually they will call you back or the answering will call

you cback and tell you that your doc said to go to the Er. If this is not an

option for you, be sure and tell the answering service the first time you call

that you can't go to the ER and must talk to the doc. When you do get ahold of

him , let him know that your having troulbe with the receptionist and your not

getting your calls returned and your in pain and something must be done that

night. I hope that this suggestion helps.

Take Care,

Louie in WV

any advice about pcp not returning calls?

i HAVE had my pcp now for 11 months... I don't know what to make of

him.. He is young.. but initially sounded like he was knowledgeable

and caring about my cp now for 6 years.. I have been through lots of

doc's that just don't know a thing or they are really nasty! I

haven't had insurance now for 3 years and tom has now spent ALL his

inheritance money on me and my medical bills which are

henderous.......! Now..... the inheritance money is ...0....

gone and he is working 2 full time jobs just tokeep up. Anyway...

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. i

wasn't aware of the two appts. i explained or i surely would have

called or been there.... and as for the surgery.... i didn't refuse

it..... that it was decided that the two large pseudocysts they

found .... one larger than my pan and the other covering my left

kidney..... had shrunk dramatically in 5 days AFTER the

cat/scan..! I had and still along with prayer, meditation... do

visualization..... and these two large cysts have now shrunk and I

didn't even need pain meds..... I told her our situation had now

changed and we had no money for a 140.00 office visit and anyway I

couldn't get there. Could you please let me talk to dr. a.???? or

what do you suggest i do? He never returned my callsssss and I have

a feeling she... isn't giving him the message... I just don't know.

and I don't know how to find out if he doesn't want to treat me

anymore or he isn't getting the messages I give to her..... her name

is Patty. This isn't the first time she has made things difficult

for me. she has an attitude..... if you get what i'm saying....

Dr. A. pcp has conversed with Dr. J. my gastro specialist.... who

by the way is an absolute saint!.... every single time I go to see

him. Dr. A that is... Maybe..... Dr. A. is tired of me or...... I

don't have a clue as to what's going on. A few days ago.. I called

Dr. J. to see if I could get in ... and the recptl just

laughed.... Dr. J. is booked.... because of season starting

now.. Down here.... in florida.. the snow birds take presidence over

us locals... and things are miserable when they are here. They are

rude to say the least. She called me back a day later and I have

a cancellation spot tuesday... to see Dr. J.... He has done many

ERCP's on me and stents and as much as I hate them ...... they do

help..... especially the stents.. But the pain factor.... up to

three days after the procedures is maddening... to say the least... I

get 150 demoral every 2 hours with a breakthrough of 5 morphine if

needed.... And it doesn't even begin to take the pain away.. but

that's all they will give. I pace and pace and pace...when i'm in

the hospital and i seldom sleep a wink... I always have centerlines

in hosptial as my veins roll and colapse easily even with a ped's

butterfly. I also rock.. sitting in bed.. I rock myself up and down

from my waist to the bed constantly... it doesn't what realm of drugs

they give..... I cannot relax. I have been tortured by unqualified

personal before in hosptials before many many times... and I seem to

have to know what all is going on at all times.. I have been told by

the chief of surgery 3 years ago... that I better hope he is not

the ER doc when I go in as it will be him that decides IF or HOW

MUCH pain meds he will give!!!! because I didn't agree with him....

can you believe it?? Also another doc... one time told me ......

again I didn't agree with him. that I was a waste of his time and

his money and he would be taking me off his list of patients! I

have countless horror stories.. The thing is...... I am still

here.... and I know that sometimes the procedures they want to do

are not necessary...... they are grasping at straws.... and thanks

to this website i am more knowledgable . Experience is

knowledge... and I tell you.....some days I feel like a

genius???!!?! not really.. But..... I am really puzzled about this

situation of my pcp.... any advice??? I really don't want to start

from square one once again with a new one.... my case is

sooooo complicated... thanks for listening.... jan

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