Doctors And Rude Patients

Post by **tex** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:36 pm

Hi All,

I found this in a blog discussing why many patients are frustrated with their doctors, and don't trust them, and why doctors are frustrated with their patients. This one was too good not to pass on.

Doctors claim that they dislike rude patients, but look who they serve first. This says a lot about the sad state of events in our health care system, doesn't it. Apparently, if you are truly in need of health care, you'd better learn how to be rude and overbearing, or you may die before they get around to granting you an appointment:

#17.
June 28th,
2008
3:25 pm

Doctors say that they hate rude and obnoxious patients, but the truth is, these are the patients that get the care they need. I’m a very polite person, maybe a little bit quiet and shy, and I have run into all kinds of problems getting help for medical problems. I was having very heavy menstrual bleeding, to the point of feeling dizzy and faint. I had recently moved to the area and didn’t have a regular gynecologist yet, so I started calling doctors, politely explaining my problem. I called 20 of them and not one would see me any sooner than 4-5 months. I finally went to the emergency room, even though I felt I was wasting medical resources by using an ER, and the nurses told me that I needed to be loud and rude and pushy. I called back a couple of the same GYN offices, and I was obnoxious and rude and refused to be put off. Instead of meekly saying “please” and “thank you”, I shouted and used 4 letter words. (As a polite person, it made me feel nauseous to act that way, but I did it) But you know what, I got an appointment. The same people who hung up on me when I was careful and polite paid attention when I was rude and obnoxious.

If doctors want patients to be polite, they shouldn’t dismiss patients who are speaking quietly and politely. If you have to be loud and rude to get a doctor to listen to you, then even the polite people will be forced to be loud and rude.

— Posted by Karen

This is from a blog hosted by New York Times columnist Tara Parker-Pope, and there's a lot of interesting reading there:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/2 ... ment-79399

Tex

jodibelle352 · Post by **jodibelle352** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:04 pm

Great article Tex!

I had to stiffle a chuckel when I read it because several years ago when our 1st family physician decided to go into a specialized field. Which was her choice. But her choice to specialize left her vacated office with loyal patients having to continuously meet, greet, and tell all to several doctor's who came and went like flies.

Now comes doctor 8 or 9 and David and I had a scheduled appointment for check ups and when we got to the office once again we were informed we would be seeing yet another doctor. I can tell you I was livid!

When the doctor walked into the examination room he was very personal, kind, friendly and welcomed both David and myself. Well.............I can tell you his smile didn't impress me one bit because after he shook both of our hands I looked him in the eye and said;" I have one question for you before you even start. Are you planning to stay here or are you going to be leaving like the others in a week a month or days from now?" I also told him;" I'm not going to continuously go over my medical information over and over and over again if you're planning on leaving. Just be honest and let us know what your plans are because if you're not staying neither are we and we will look else where for a primary physician who's planning on staying in one place."

That doctor is still our primary physician and has been for over 15 years. The female doctor who left private practice to go on to specialize is now my GI specialist. Now I can't say I used 4 letter words because I did not, but I did let Dr. Scott McDougall know that if he wasn't staying neither was I or David. LOL So there truly must be some backing to what this article states because right now I do have 4 great doctors; 1 PP and 4 specialist who keep each other posted on all my visits, what's going on with not only myself but with David as well.

I don't think you really need to be rude or nasty but I do think you need to let them know you won't fill their pockets if they don't treat you in an appropriate manner and time.

Love and God Bless:
Jodi

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:48 pm

I'm scared to death about my first visit to my GI. I said "NO" twice to her on the phone. I'm certain she thought that was pretty rude. I'm taking DH to my appointment to be the bad cop (patient advocate).

jodibelle352 · Post by **jodibelle352** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:49 pm

Joan:

Just try and be yourself but go prepared with all your questions and or concerns. If he/she 's ideas are not exactly like yours doesn't mean they won't listen to you and your needs and concerns. Let your GI know exactly how you feel about being diagnoised with this disease and that you're scared as well as confused. Each and everyone of us hear have been and some still are in your position. You may have to be willing to compromise if your GI doesn't agree with some issues you have learned here but you want to continue then by all means continue with you GF diet with or without the approval of your GI. Good Luck my friend and ease up on yourself, you're a good person and like many of us we want to be well NOW and we get frustrated very quickly. Especially us Newbies.
Love and God Bless:
Jodi
Relax, in time we will soon beable to work a program that includes regular visits with our GI's but advance with the love and support from our friends here more quickly.

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 7:24 pm

For the most part, I am doing OK with the GF diet. I just would have liked the idea to have come from her(GI) not from PP and Dr. Fine's nurse. I would have been sick as anything and on some unneeded drugs if it weren't for this forum (Lialda or the cortico? steroid drug.) I'm not even on Welchol now.

I also gave up lettuce for a while because of PP. I'll have to try it.

Maybe, LC is easier to control than CC. I just don't know.

Have you gone GF, Jodi? I've tried to get that answer.

To think that I was sorry for my girlfriend who has to be low salt makes me laugh at the irony of it.

jodibelle352 · Post by **jodibelle352** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 7:44 pm

Hi Joan:

I am getting much better with following the GF diet but have to admit at times I have given into temptations. I think it's because I have this one track mind on my weight being so low that having an ice cream bar or a piece of cake just jumps up in front of me at times and says "Eat Me I Have Calories". I know it's not my brightest idea but for the most part I'm doing quite well following the diet except for a mess up here or there. I'm leaving a lot of dairy out of my diet except for a treat once and awhile but it's not everyday. Infact about once a week I treat myself to ice cream or a shake. So far it hasn't harmed me. I absolutely HAVE to stay away from ALL raw veggies and most fruits which is very hard for me but I'm doing it religously because within minutes of eating raw veggies I'm in severe abdominal pain. I can't even tolerate cooked tomatoes or raw. I can handle tomato juice with pasta or rice but that's eat, just the juice for flavor.
Hopefully, the lab work I had this past Tues. as well as the ultra sound results that I'm having on Fri. will give me answers about not being able to gain weight. I truly don't believe my nonweight gain is strictly because of my CC. Since my hospital stay over a week ago and the chance finding during a doppler on my neck the finding of a cystic nodule on or in the thyroid has both my PP and my GI insisting follow up labs and testing. My weight loss is SEVERE not MILD weight loss. There is nothing Mild about 94 pounds especially when 15 months ago I was 140 - 145 pounds.
Love and God Bless:
Jodi

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:17 pm

Great, I'm glad you are doing so much better by going GF. My HF store has some good cookies. Sweets are my downfall.....

I got some pretty decent blue corn chips from Trader Joe's. I have no idea where the closest one is. I will have to check. Maybe something like Whole Foods is in B'ham.

I hope they figure out your thyroid issues very fast. Could be the weight loss culprit. I'm praying for a good outcome for you and back to good health for you and all your family members.

My girlfriend in Cleveland is having a lumpectomy tomorrow.

I have another friend, formerly in the sailing club, who is being treated for lymphoma. Her sister has the very same kind.

Post by **tex** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:27 pm

The thyroid controls the body's metabolism. Nodules cause hyperthyroidism. People with hyperthyroidism are almost always unable to gain any significant amounts of weight, until the hyperthyroidism is controlled.

Conversely, people with hypothyroidism have a very difficult time losing weight.

Love,
Tex

jodibelle352 · Post by **jodibelle352** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:49 pm

I have been searching the web and reading up on cystic nodules as well as hyperthyroidism and I have read that with hyperthyroidism you can either gain weight or become unable to gain weight. I have to talk to my PP and GI about this as I've been writing lots and lots of questions down. But maybe my friends here could give me their thoughts about what I've been thinking about. The CC diagnosis created the Big D to overwhelm me for several months which created the severe weight loss. The doppler that was taken in the hospital showed that my blood was flowing very well but it picked up the cystic nodule on/in/around the thyroid. Both my PP and GI were unable to feel the nodule by just a physical exam so that's why they are doing a complete thyroid blood work up as well as the ultra sound on Fri. to find out where exactly the cystic nodule is placed. The ultra sound will not beable determine if it is benign or cancerous but will beable to determine its size and if it's filled with fluid or if it is solid. Depending on these findings will determine if I will need a needle biopsy performed, a needle draining of the cystic nodule or possible surgery to remove the nodule. There is so much to read and digest but I'm also aware that everyone at some point develope nodules but the are not creating problems. These test this week should hopefully give us some answers and would like all this to be over RIGHT NOW so that I could have all the test result back already. Can you tell how impatient I am. I tried telling the doctor's and nurses in the hospital that "I DON'T MAKE A VERY GOOD PATIENT" "I'M A CAREGIVER!" Most thought I was just a real pain in the butt. Looking forward to your thoughts and ideas on my thoughts.
Love:
Jodi

Post by **tex** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:50 pm

My thoughts:

I don't recall ever seeing weight gain listed as a symptom of hyperthyroidism, (for hypothyroidism, yes, but not for hyperthyroidism), but maybe there's a list somewhere that I haven't seen.

CC does not normally cause weight loss - it certainly can, of course, but weight loss is not a given for any type of MC. Some/many people gain weight with MC.

Your description of the steps to be taken to analyze the thyroid issue appears to me to be correct.

Love,
Tex

jodibelle352 · Post by **jodibelle352** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:02 pm

I may have my "hypo" and "hyper" mixed up. Which wouldn't be anything unusual for me. LOL
I'm going to go back to the site I was reading and post it so you can check it out.
It was even mentioned under "signs" and "symptoms" some very interesting issues that caught my attention. Especially, palpatations (which I've experienced frequently), shortness of breath, inability to gain weight, chest pain, insomnia as well as fatigue and BINGO!!!! depression.
There were others that right now I'm unable to recall but I found this particular site very informative so I truly am anxious to get all my test results back.
I do not believe that having CC is creating all my medical issues. Yes, some issues but not all. If I remember right CC listed possible moderate weight loss and as you already know my weight loss is NOT moderate by any means. Being on the Entocort and Bentyl has improved my bouts of the Big D by 90% -95%. I'm watching my diet and illiminating even dairy (except for sneaking a lemon ice or shurbert here and there. With the D no longer a daily issue then my thoughts lean towards finding that cystic nodule when they did that doppler on me as a possible clue and possible answer.
I'm also dealing with other medical conditions such as SLE (Systemic Lupus) but my autoimmune specialist Dr. Diola did lab work on me before I even had my gallbladder removed and my levels still showed me in remission. My T cell counts were good.
I also have Fibromyalgia but that has nothing to do with this weight loss. At least I don't see any connection with it.
It's just really frustrating when I'm trying to do everything in my power to correct my weight issue and it's like beating a dead horse. Excuse my choice of puns here. LOL
Thanks for sharing and helping me with fixing my computer glich earlier. It took 10 days for me to figure out what was causing all my notifications to go down to NOTHING!!!! Heeheehee
Love and God Bless:
Jodi

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:08 am

Lemon ice doesn't have milk as far as I know and sorbet (not sherbet) doesn't either.

I've been diagnosed hypothyroid for about 50 years!

Post by **tex** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:15 am

Jodi,

Quite often, people with MC have periods where they lose weight, usually because they cut out meals, in order to try to minimize the D. That weight loss is due to reduced food intake, obviously, and I've done that myself, now and then. However, when I started feeling better, (or got hungrier), I would resume eating again, and gain the weight back. When you're eating enough that you should be gaining weight, (IOW, taking in more calories than you should need just to maintain your weight), and still not gaining weight, then something else is going on, and the thyroid is the prime suspect.

You're correct that symptoms of thyroid issues can be conflicting and sometimes confusing. IOW, certain symptoms, (such as shortness of breath, fatigue, etc.), can occur with both hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism, because of the way that the thyroid affects so many other hormonal functions in the body. Certain symptoms, though, are unique to one or the other - for example, palpitations are common to hyperthyroidism, but not hypothyroidism. In fact, if a person is hypothyroid, and taking a thyroid hormone supplement, palpitations are a sign of an overdose of the supplement.

As Joan mentioned, lemon ice, and other flavors of sorbet, are dairy free, but sherbet, (or sherbert), does contain milk. That's true in this country, anyway. The British, however, apparently refer to a drink made of sweetened, diluted fruit juice as a sherbet.

You're very welcome. Spam filters can be a real PITA at times, but these days, they're a necessary evil.

Love,
Tex

Post by **tex** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:32 am

Joan,

If you don't mind saying, are you taking synthetic T4, or Armour? The reason I ask, is because I've been taking synthetic T4, (levothyroxine), for over a year, and it doesn't quite resolve all my symptoms, (even though it resolves the labs just fine). I'm about to switch to Armour, because I'm betting that the addition of the T3 will make a difference. If you've been treating hypothyroidism that long, I'm guessing that you have experience with Armour.

Tex

jodibelle352 · Post by **jodibelle352** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:24 am

Tex:
Thanks for the information. Have to admit right now I'm not in the greatest of moods as early this a.m. my PP office called with the results of the labs on my thyroid. The labs were "good". Soooooooooo, I may be wrong but since the labs were "good" what's the sense of having the ultra sound done tomorrow?
When I called the office back to cancel my ultra sound I was told that it is neccessary to follow up on ultra sound because of the cystic nodule.
You would think if the nodule were a problem it would have created some abnormal levels of some kind in the labs.
I'm just really edgy as well as upset about going further into debt with more test. I was really hoping that something would show up so finally I would have an answer to my NON-WEIGHT GAIN issues. Guess I'm just confused and maybe I'm asking too much right now about wanting to have an answer as to WHY?
The wind was knocked right out of my sails and I don't see what difference it's going to now make having the ultra sound done if the thyroid apparently is working just fine according to the lab work.
Jodi