Trouble in Paradise with pain doc

[Guest guest]

Hi ya'll,

I had to let ya'll know what happened to me this week. I just need to vent a

little.

I went to my pain doc because I was having such a horrible week. I knew I

was having to take more of my breakthrough med and that I didn't want to run

out. So instead of going to the ER, I went to her.

When I went in she asked why I was there early. When I explained to her why

I was there and that I didn't want to run out of my breakthrough meds and I

knew that she was going out of town the next week, etc. etc.

Anyway, she looked at me funny and said I don't understand why you are

taking so much of your breakthrough pain med. I told her that I had already

explained to her last month that the pain was getting worse and that Dr. Adam's

had

told me that I was going to have to have more surgery and that it was basically

up to me when I would have it. It all depended on how much pain I could

tolerate and how long I could live with it. He wants to do surgery in Nov. or

Dec.

and I want to wait until Jan. so my hubby will be off of work and be there

with me.

She acted like she didn't believe me. She has never treated me that way

before. She asked to feel my belly and listen to it. She said it was swollen and

that there were very little bowel sound. I told her I know that when I have an

attack I don't have bowel movements and that my abdomen distends.

She said I would like to talk to your doctor because I don't know if all you

are telling me is true. I was so shocked!!! I said sure and gave her 's

number and told her to ask if she could speak to Dr. Adam's if he was

available.

When she came back in the room, she was a different doc. She said he

confirmed everything I had said and asked her to please do anything it took to

make

me comfortable. I told her, I do not lie. I could never make all of this stuff

up anyway!

It really made me lose a little faith in her, that she would question my

integrity. It brought me to tears. I know they have a lot of patients who lie to

get pain meds but I have never had any reason at all to lie to her. Why would

I lie about needing pancreas surgery etc.

Anyway, I will continue to go to her until I have my surgery and then I may

go to a different pain doc if I still need to go to one. I really was

disappointed in her.

Angie in SC

" The happiest of people don't necessarily have the

best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along

their way. "

[Guest guest]

You know Angie...not to come to the defense of your Dr...but maybe someone with

drug seeking behavior just left her office and it was just off the top of her

mind.....If this is just one incident...give her the benifit of the doubt.....if

it happens again..then it is time to look for someone else.....I know that with

my Dr's I felt at the beginning that I always had to prove myself to

them.....What I did was for instance...going to the ER....I have a pain meds

lock box.....I would bring my lockbox into the ER with me and show them that

look.....I have tons of meds....so if I were looking to get high....I could

acheive that....I am in here because I cant' keep these meds down and havent'

eaten or drank anything....after a while, they just got to know me and I didn't

have to bring in my lock box anymore...I did the same thing with my Dr for

appts...I would bring my lock box and say....see.....I am ahead of the game....I

haven't had to take as many pain meds this month, or whatever it may be....after

a while I just didn't bring it to the appt....I still had it in my car for a

while.....so if they wanted to see...I would say, sure let me go to my car and

show you.....I have a great relationship with my Dr's now because I went out of

my way to show them, that I needed pain meds that I didn't abuse them.....I kept

a log of my pain each day to show where my pain meds went and how often I was

taking them.....Now if I need a little extra to get me through the month.....My

dr has no problem is calling in my meds...because they know and respect

me.....another thing that I am sure everyone knows by now.....I don't deal very

will with disrespect...and I wasnt' in there going oh see great dr I have these

meds and you are almighty so please please please.....nope...I talk to them like

they are friends of mine.....I just carry myself that way.....anyway....I am

rambling and I have no idea why your Dr did that..but if your Dr has been good

to you all the times in the past and this one instance, she had questions.....I

would give the benifit of the doubt....but I would also tell her right up front

as you did...I dont' lie about this.....if you want to see how I take my meds, I

will be happy to keep a log book for you and show you what is going on...or I

will be happy to get my medical records from the other dr to share with

you......so unless I have shown in the past that I am untrustworthy....Then

don't treat me as such now.....I hope this finds you and yours well.....Mark

> Hi ya'll,

> I had to let ya'll know what happened to me this week. I just

> need to vent a

> little.

> I went to my pain doc because I was having such a horrible week. I knew I

>

> was having to take more of my breakthrough med and that I

> didn't want to run

> out. So instead of going to the ER, I went to her.

> When I went in she asked why I was there early. When I explained to her why

> I was there and that I didn't

> want to run out of my breakthrough meds and I

> knew that she was going out of town the next week, etc. etc.

> Anyway, she looked at me funny and said I

> don't understand why you are

> taking so much of your breakthrough pain med. I told her that I had already

> explained to her last month that the pain was getting worse and that Dr.

Adam's

> had

> told me that I was going to have to have more surgery and that it was

> basically

> up to me when I would have it. It all depended on how much pain I could

> tolerate and how long I could live with it. He wants to do surgery in Nov.

> or Dec.

> and I want to wait until Jan. so my hubby will be off of work and be there

>

> with me.

> She acted like she didn't believe m

[Guest guest]

Mark & Angie,

I agree with you Mark. You have to treat a doctor like he's a good plumber

or other kind of tradesman (woman) because that's what they are. There are

good carpenters and poor carpenters just like there are good doctors and

poor doctors. I always talk to my docs like they're just another person. I

don't grovel or cringe when they are around. I also tell then like it is. If

something they suggested doesn't work, I tell them so in no uncertain terms.

I also insist on knowing what we are going to do next. I have said no to

surgeries, to ERCPs, and any other procedure I think is inappropriate at the

time. It is up to them to convince me that I need to have that procedure. If

they can't convince me, I won't do it.

When I first had this disease, I had real trouble getting the pain meds I

needed. So I just kept going to specialists until I found one who knew what

he was doing. I never abuse a doctors trust either. If I say I am going to

do something I do it. My doc's secretary tells me about patients who have

sold their meds on the street.

In my opinion, and my opinion only, if a doc would treat me as if I were

abusing drugs, I would drop him (her) like a hot potato. Life is too short

to convince a melon-head that you are a law-abiding person. Hey, it may not

even be the doc's fault. He (she) may have had so many bad experiences that

they are burned. Those things happen. But again, even if that were so, I

would not waste my time with them.

Just my 2 cents...

Jerry/NC

*************************************************

>

> You know Angie...not to come to the defense of your Dr...but maybe someone

> with drug seeking behavior just left her office and it was just off the top

> of her mind.....If this is just one incident...give her the benifit of the

> doubt.....if it happens again..then it is time to look for someone

> else.....I know that with my Dr's I felt at the beginning that I always had

> to prove myself to them.....What I did was for instance...going to the

> ER....I have a pain meds lock box.....I would bring my lockbox into the ER

> with me and show them that look.....I have tons of meds....so if I were

> looking to get high....I could acheive that....I am in here because I cant'

> keep these meds down and havent' eaten or drank anything....after a while,

> they just got to know me and I didn't have to bring in my lock box

> anymore...I did the same thing with my Dr for appts...I would bring my lock

> box and say....see.....I am ahead of the game....I haven't had to take as

> many pain meds this month, or whatever it may be....after a while I just

> didn't bring it to the appt....I still had it in my car for a while.....so

> if they wanted to see...I would say, sure let me go to my car and show

> you.....I have a great relationship with my Dr's now because I went out of

> my way to show them, that I needed pain meds that I didn't abuse them.....I

> kept a log of my pain each day to show where my pain meds went and how often

> I was taking them.....Now if I need a little extra to get me through the

> month.....My dr has no problem is calling in my meds...because they know and

> respect me.....another thing that I am sure everyone knows by now.....I

> don't deal very will with disrespect...and I wasnt' in there going oh see

> great dr I have these meds and you are almighty so please please

> please.....nope...I talk to them like they are friends of mine.....I just

> carry myself that way.....anyway....I am rambling and I have no idea why

> your Dr did that..but if your Dr has been good to you all the times in the

> past and this one instance, she had questions.....I would give the benifit

> of the doubt....but I would also tell her right up front as you did...I

> dont' lie about this.....if you want to see how I take my meds, I will be

> happy to keep a log book for you and show you what is going on...or I will

> be happy to get my medical records from the other dr to share with

> you......so unless I have shown in the past that I am untrustworthy....Then

> don't treat me as such now.....I hope this finds you and yours well.....Mark

>

>

[Guest guest]

Angie, I think I understand what you are feeling. It takes a long time for us to

develop a trusting relationship with a doctor. Usually it takes several visits

to develop a raport, to feel that you & the doc understand & trust each other.

Then, when the doc does or says something out of the blue that lets you know

that they no longer trust you to be truthful, it feels like a betrayal.

In your case, you & the pain doc had a good relationship, & all at once the doc

treats you like a stranger. I think Mark Armstrong made a good point when he

wrote: " not to come to the defense of your Dr...but maybe someone with drug

seeking behavior just left her office and it was just off the top of her

mind.....If this is just one incident...give her the benifit of the doubt.....if

it happens again..then it is time to look for someone else. "

Just my opinion, but if I were you, I think I would try to understand what

happened during the problem visit. Perhaps next time you go to this doctor you

could say something like, " I've been upset since our last visit. I thought you

understood my condition and had some understanding of me as a person. I have

always been truthful with you. I have never misused any medicine you prescribed.

I use pain medicines only when I need them because of the pain of pancreatitis,

never for any other purpose. You had always acted like you knew why I need

treatment for pain. Last visit you acted as if I had become a drug-seeking

stranger. I'm telling you my feelings because I want us to maintain a good

therapeutic relationship. If you have a problem with me, please be honest & tell

me. "

If you don't discuss this problem you won't be able to trust this doctor. Its

hard to confront an authority figure, but your future comfort is at stake.

Usually its far better to discuss a problem then to bury it. If you can't bring

yourself to talk to the doctor, perhaps you could write a note to her. It would

be a shame to lose a good docctor if you can get back to a trusting

relationship.

Good luck. Please let me know what you decide to do (or not do).

Jan g

Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2005 15:27:48 EDT

From: NOTOFARMS2@...

Subject: Trouble in Paradise with pain doc

Hi ya'll,

I had to let ya'll know what happened to me this week. I just need to vent a

little.

I went to my pain doc because I was having such a horrible week. I knew I

was having to take more of my breakthrough med and that I didn't want to run

out. So instead of going to the ER, I went to her.

When I went in she asked why I was there early. When I explained to her why

I was there and that I didn't want to run out of my breakthrough meds and I

knew that she was going out of town the next week, etc. etc.

Anyway, she looked at me funny and said I don't understand why you are

taking so much of your breakthrough pain med. I told her that I had already

explained to her last month that the pain was getting worse and that Dr. Adam's

had

told me that I was going to have to have more surgery and that it was basically

up to me when I would have it. It all depended on how much pain I could

tolerate and how long I could live with it. He wants to do surgery in Nov. or

Dec.

and I want to wait until Jan. so my hubby will be off of work and be there

with me.

She acted like she didn't believe me. She has never treated me that way

before. She asked to feel my belly and listen to it. She said it was swollen and

that there were very little bowel sound. I told her I know that when I have an

attack I don't have bowel movements and that my abdomen distends.

She said I would like to talk to your doctor because I don't know if all you

are telling me is true. I was so shocked!!! I said sure and gave her 's

number and told her to ask if she could speak to Dr. Adam's if he was

available.

When she came back in the room, she was a different doc. She said he

confirmed everything I had said and asked her to please do anything it took to

make

me comfortable. I told her, I do not lie. I could never make all of this stuff

up anyway!

It really made me lose a little faith in her, that she would question my

integrity. It brought me to tears. I know they have a lot of patients who lie to

get pain meds but I have never had any reason at all to lie to her. Why would

I lie about needing pancreas surgery etc.

Anyway, I will continue to go to her until I have my surgery and then I may

go to a different pain doc if I still need to go to one. I really was

disappointed in her.

Angie in SC

The person who says it cannot be done

should not interrupt the person who is doing it

May you always have in your arms the one who is in your heart

You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because

thorns have roses.

---------------------------------

Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

[Guest guest]

Jan,

I will talk to her about it. After, I go to Dr. Adam's next week and we

decide when my surgery is going to be. I will also ask him to contact her with

info so that she is not left in the dark, as to where I stand with his

treatment.

She was very impressed with him when she talked to him, so to me that is a

good thing.

I do really like her and I hope this won't hurt our relationship. It just is

really hard to understand why she did it. I do think that she deals with a

LOT of drug seekers. She deals with alot of rehab patients who have had car

accidents etc. In fact, most of her practice is just that. Her practice is

called

Augusta Rehabilitation Specialists. So she does rehabilitation for accident

victims. Usually when I go in there are at least 4 people in a wheelchair or

using some sort of equipment to help them walk or manuever around.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not trying to say that all people who have had

accidents are drug seekers. I am NOT saying that at all. But, I know that she

sees alot of them who are seeking drugs after their rehab is over. I have

overheard her conversations with them in my room. So, maybe it was just a bad

day.

Also, she doesn't see many cp patients at all. In fact, I may be her only

one. So she is educating herself on my illness. So I will give her the benefit

of the doubt.

I really like her, I just had to vent a little because I was so disheatened.

I knew you guys would understand my frustration. It seems like no matter what

doc we choose, no matter what area they deal with, they always assume things

with cp patients. It is so frustrating!!!! Ya'll know what I mean. We all deal

with it all the time!

Take care,

Angie in SC

" The happiest of people don't necessarily have the

best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along

their way. "

[Guest guest]

Angie,

The earlier advice you've been given from Mark, Jerry and Jan all has

good merit, and I'm sure you've appreciated their comments. I just

wanted to add a few words of my own.

You've only been seeing this woman for a few months now, and as Jan

said, it usually takes some time for a patient to establish a good

relationship and honest rapport with their doctor. In each of your

earlier posts about this doctor, you've raved about how much you

liked her and how glad you were to have found her. Trust your first

instincts on this.

Any number of incidents unknown to you could have prompted her

suspicion; it could have been an earlier session with a " real " drug

abuser who caused her to question everyone else up the line, or

perhaps she also received the new DHEA notice to doctors about

narcotic drug monitoring that came out this month. When you told her

about your intended upcoming surgery with a still indefinite date,

it's not unreasonable for her to want to confirm this with Dr.

to make sure that things are as you say. You need to remember that

Pain Management doctors see a LOT of patients who are seeking

narcotics, and many of those are for invalid reasons, so it's really

in your best interests that she does want to talk to your other

doctor because then she WILL get the straight scoop on you, and will

know that you are an honest patient that in the future she won't have

to worry about prescribing additional medication for.

I think any time we ask for extra pain medication it alerts the

doctor that there's something more going on, and it's not unreasonable

for them to want to validate the problem so they can note this on

their records. They are scrutinized so closely by the DHEA that they

need to have backup, if it's available, from a patient's other

treating doctor(s) whenever they increase a patient's meds. I know my

PM doctor was routinely checking with my GI whenever I asked for an

increase. He explained to me that it wasn't because he didn't trust

my word, but that if he had comments verifying changes in my condition

from my GI to add to his records, it would keep him from additional

scrutiny from the DHEA.

I know it really hurts you when you think that this trust has already

been established, and for an honest person like you are, it hurts to

think that your word isn't good enough. But you have to think about

the way pain management doctors are constantly under review and

supervision by the DHEA now, with them having to document each and

every medication they prescribe, and provide the reasons for doing so

to the " system " , so they can continue to stay in business! It's

ridiculous, but unfortunately all part of what's happening now. Be

happy that you've found a doctor that WILL prescribe narcotics, when

so many of the pain clinics now won't even do that!

Give her the benefit of the doubt in this instance. Then at your

next appointment you can explain to her how her hesitation hurt you,

and see what she says to explain it. If, after talking with her

again, you still feel that you aren't comfortable with her, then

think about trying to replace her. Don't forget that finding another

PM doctor who WILL prescribe narcotics, instead of blocks, therapy or

non-medical relief will be a challenge, especially in this state.

Just my usual, short, word or two. (Wink) Take care.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

Bluffton, SC

SC State & SE Regional Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or

opinion only, and should not be substituted for professional medical

consultation.