Being the Perfect Patient, or not

[Guest guest]

,

You wrote, " then he said, " there were minimal changes of chronic

pancreatitis. I am not sure that I can attribute your pain to those changes. "

Then, the

shocker!! " return to work tomorrow " and " resume alcohol tomorrow (under the

nutrition section no less!!) "

My hand would definitely be across the forehead, saying, " Excuse me? "

There have been times when I seemed to be on a different wave length than my

doctor, and I found some help by requesting to speak to the Nurse Practitioner

or Office Nurse. I tend to be a sensitive sort and get my feeling hurt when a

doctor yells at me. And, actually, the term, yells, may be my interpretation,

as the doctor may not, in fact, raised his/her voice. But, I think many of us

can understand the look of shame and disrespect that a doctor can give us

when we have not lived up to their expectation. Somehow, through the stigma of

the doctor patient relationship we seem to feel bad if we aren't achieving their

goals.

My particular negative experiences have been related to feeling shamed by not

having my blood glucose logs completed. I know and realize that it is

impossible for the doctor to make any kind of educated guess as to the protocol

we

should follow when there is no data to evaluate. But they don't need to make me

feel like I am a terrible person or a 'bad patient' or worse, as the chart

indicated, 'the patient continues to be noncompliant.'

The other situation is similar to yours. There have been times when my

medical status completely stunned the doctors, in particular, the Nephrologist,

when

he could not get my edema under control. Somehow, I would always leave his

office, feeling responsible for the confusion. It was difficult to respond to

his frustration. Doctors often have a need to have a confirmed diagnosis. When

they can't they want to shoo the patient to someone else.

It is posts like this that make me remember how important it is that I

continue seeking the medical care I need. Just because someone who I consider to

be

an authority says I am healthy, if my body is telling me otherwise, that is

the authoritative voice for me.

Karyn E. , RN

Executive Director, PAI

http://www.pancassociation.org

Pancreatitis Association International

[Guest guest]

Hi : Yes, my hand was definitely across the forehead so to

speak. I was still under sedation heavily...but I insisted to the

nurses that I needed to see him right away. They at first said he

was " busy " ....but when I said I'd wait...he came in there about 10

mins later. I had time to write down my thoughts enough so that I

could speak to his written recommendations....he didn't give me much

time and was acting rather " bothered " and turned to leave a couple

of times...but I kept on....not that it mattered. I left there

feeling more distressed than if I'd just left w/o talking to him in

the first place.....that's when the tears started to flow...awful!!

I've actually got a call into Dr. Lehman's office right now

(message) and a call into my last GI doc's office as to " the guy

that does the ERCP w/manometry. " Nurse practitioner called from my

former GI doc's and said he wasn't in today but that she'd ask him

about it tomorrow (I believe.) So, we'll see....I'm still " not

right " today after it all. But, at least my PCP gave me the

prescription for the 50mcg duragesic patch....so that's good

anyway. Thanks!

love