Bad Doctors...Bad Medical Care...How... 
BlueRose
15 y
2,699
† Cross †
A recent health crisis got me thinking. Now, in my mid-50s, I wonder how does one get doctors to really listen and help you? Let me explain...
When I was in my late teens, I started having bad menstrual cramps. At first, it was once in a while and some aspirin or tylenol, a hot water bottle and lying down with my feet propped up help alleviate it. However, gradually things got worse. Aspirin and hot water bottles did no good neither did a prescription for Darvon. Eventually, things got so bad that one day a month I was incapacitated. The cramps on those days were excruciating. I couldn't even keep water down, I was constantly throwing up. Anyone who saw me on those days could tell that I was really sick. When I was out of college and working, I had to miss a whole day or half a day of work each month. I went to doctor after doctor with no results. Some would listen sympathetically, examine me and tell me nothing was wrong. Others would ignore me when I tried to explain. The worst one was an arrogant woman who wrinkled her nose and looked down at me and told me that she took Tylenol for her cramps. Finally, she gave me a prescription for a narcotic painkiller, all the while making me feel like I was a drug addict for asking for help. The painkiller made me feel out of it but I still had cramps.
Finally, after telling women I knew about my problem, my aunt wrote me a letter and told me that my cousin got a prescription for Motrin and it made a difference. A relative who was a pharmacist gave me a sample. Wow! What a difference! I got my life back! Yet, I was left wondering---why oh why didn't any doctor make the connection and prescribe it for me? Back then, you needed a prescription for it.
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Once the cramps were taken care of, I developed IBS-D. At first it wasn't so bad as to prevent me from going out. The first occurence was when we moved to a new place. One thing I loved to do before the IBS showed up was to take walks during my lunch break. I would eat some lunch and walk until it was time to go back for work. Soon I noticed that everytime I did that, the diarrhea came. Things only worsened when I had my gallbladder removed. My life really became restricted as did my diet as so many things triggered diarrhea. Well...poor diet by necessity and no exercise for fear of diarrhea---the weight gain came. Again---telling doctors and nurse practitioners got me nowhere. Just useless advice like "don't get stressed and eat lots of fiber". Telling them, that doesn't work didn't help. Other times, I was just ignored. Finally, last year, my doctor really listened and prescribed Cholestyramine---and relief! I got my life back! My only guess as to why she listened---she was out for a year due to health problems (I suspect she had cancer) and I know when doctors become ill, it makes them more compassionate towards their patients.
Meanwhile, I thought that no one prescribed Cholestyramine before because it was new. Wrong! It had been around for a while. Again, why didn't anyone listen? I even went into details describing what I experienced.
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Yet, another example. After my daughter was born, my periods became heavy. Again, I told the GYN and the nurse practitioners, even once asking if I could get tested to see if I had a hormonal imbalance. Not necessary, said the nurse practitioner, after all, don't we all get heavy periods? Besides, tests for hormonal imbalances are painful. Really?, I wondered---I just thought all it took was a blood test. Well, one day I had the worst period ever when it came to bleeding and then 2 weeks later, yet another horrible period. By now, we had internet service so I began to wonder---could it be fibroids? So...I began researching. Well...the symptoms matched up to what happened to me.
So...back to the GYN. This time I said "I think I have fibroids" and explained why. The answer...oh, let's send you for a pelvic ultrasound! And sure enough, I was right! Again, why didn't anyone suggest the ultrasound before?
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Now, I'm no hypochondriac. I don't go to the doctor for every ache and pain. Nor do I go for every sore throat or runny nose. I try to treat these things at home and will only go to the doctor if, after a reasonable amount of time, I'm not better. I do this because I know that if doctors label you as a hypochondriac, they tend to be dismissive of any problems you have. I once saw a news report where doctors admitted that if they didn't like a patient, they were more likely to not listen to them and do all they can to push him/her out of their office. One doctor even said he had a woman for a patient who had a whiny, grating voice. She came in with a problem and he was dismissive. He just wanted her out of his office. She ended up dying because he did this!
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So, what is the answer? Just how does one get a doctor to listen? That's where I'm now stuck. If I get poor service at a store or restaurant, I speak up and talk to the manager. However, I think that with doctors if one comes across as loud, obnoxious or pushy, the doctors tune out. However, I'm tired of doctors who don't listen. Also, it scares me, too. What if the problem is very serious and the doctor is dismissive? We belong to an HMO so going outside the system means paying out of pocket---which is not cheap. As a patient, I should be able to describe my symptoms to a doctor and have him/her either 1) tell me what is going on or 2) send me for tests to find out what is wrong.
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I know this is long but I needed to get this off my chest. Yesterday I was thinking about how much I've lost due to doctors not listening. Something could have been done about the cramps, the IBS-D, and the fibroids a lot sooner. Due to, in large part I believe, the IBS-D not being taken care of earlier, I now am told I have type II diabetes. All those years of not being able to excercise and eating a poor diet took their toll. I'm not on diabetes meds---yet. However, I've decided that I'm going to tell the doctor I don't want to go on them. I'll explain why---all about the lost years and how now I'm working hard to make up for lost time.
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Any thoughts and advice are truly appreciated. Thank you!
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- Re: Bad Doctors...Bad Medical Care..... StratRebel
15 y
2,257
This is a reply to # 1,363,501BlueRose,
It saddens me to see that you have had such a poor experience with your medical care. Unfortuantly, this tends to be the way medicine is going. Why? (I will try to avoid too much soap box on this) Insurance and HMOs are the problem.
First, insurance is destroying medical SERVICE. While people with insurance are more likely to get care, they are less likely to get quality care. Why? In-network insurance (which almost all physicians are forced to take) forces the doctor to take a pay cut, sometimes a HUGE pay cut. A typical doctor visit would run $150 to run the electricity, pay the staff, pay for equipment used, and eventually profit the doctor. You typically pay a $25 copay on most insurance, which will then pay around $50-75. Thats a 30% plus reduction in payment. Now, what has this caused doctors to do?
1) Spend less time with patients...more patients eventually pay for the FIXED costs of running an office.
2) Double and triple book patients to make up for cancellations
-This runs the doctor ragged, overworked and underpaid.
From a doctor point of view, an HMO is the worst thing ever. Basically, the HMO pays the doctor for every patient they send them (whether or not they show up or get treatment). This is a FLAT rate. So, the more treatment you need, the doctor ends up paying you to come see him. What does this ultimately do? Destroys your service and gives the doctor no incentive to actually treat you. EVERYWHERE else in the US, more work equals more pay...with an HMO, less work equals more pay.
I absolutely do not agree with what doctors do in order to compensate for insurance/HMOs, however I do understand the situation they are in. Dentists have thankfully stayed mostly out of the insurance deathtrap, but its creeping up slowly.
What can you do to find a doctor who might actually listen?
1) Younger doctors are more apt to listen than older ones (who are set in their ways and ideas)
2) Doctors who are NOT in network are more likely to be able to spend more time with their patients.
3) And ultimately, its a patient-doctor relationship. Just like every relationship in life, some work out and some don't. Its a long search until you find one you like, but eventually its worth it.
I know this probably does not help much, but I hope the background information will help you be more informed when you seek quality medical care.
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- Re: Bad Doctors...Bad Medical Care..... BlueRose
15 y
2,416
This is a reply to # 1,363,572StratRebel---Thank you for your quick response. The way my HMO works, the doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, lab technicians, etc. are all employees of the HMO. They're all located in different centers and when you join the HMO, you have to pick your center. I recently found out that the county where my center is located, sends all their indigent people who have no insurance coverage there. They're given HMO membership cards and their care is covered by the taxpayers. Unfortunately, I know that those who are poor and receive coverage through the state/county, tend to get poor quality medical care. Doctors tend to not want to spend time with indigent patients. I think that the doctors at my center have, perhaps, become jaded towards all patients. Interestingly enough, everytime I've found a doctor or nurse practitioner that I've liked who works for the HMO, they don't last long. It's gotten so that if I find a good one, I know s/he won't around for long.
I would love to get out of the HMO and everytime open season comes around, my husband and I have discussed changing health care providers. Unfortunately, in the area we live in, many doctors no longer take new patients. For example, we could switch to Blue Cross and be given a list of doctors. We would start calling local doctors only to hear they aren't taking new patients. So...we stick with the HMO. We hope to move from this area and if we do, our HMO doesn't have centers in the area we would like to live in. So, in that situation, we would be able to finally rid ourselves of the HMO by necessity.
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An interesting observation---I think the doctors actually listen better to my husband than they do to me. They listen to him, yes, but he is now on so many prescription meds. - Re: Bad Doctors...Bad Medical Care..... Growing Gratitude
15 y
2,105
This is a reply to # 1,363,572I have found younger doctors spend ten minutes examining and taking the briefest of health histories while older doctors will actually sit down and spend an hour checking all systems and learning the bare bones of one's health history.
- Re: Bad Doctors...Bad Medical Care..... BlueRose
15 y
2,205
This is a reply to # 1,379,404That's interesting. Here at my HMO, I've found good and bad doctors in all age groups. What's frustrating is when the HMO gets a really good doctor or nurse practitioner, s/he doesn't stay long. I once had to go to one of their ear, nose and throat doctors. While he was examining me, a nurse opened the exam room door and told him there was something he needed to do right now. When he came back to the exam room, he muttered "Sometimes I feel like quitting!" Uhhh...Doc?...Not the best thing to be telling your patient!
I look forward to one day dumping the HMO. It will have to wait until we move from this area, however. The area we want to move to, doesn't have this particular HMO. So...we'll see. Thank you for the feedback!
- Re: Bad Doctors...Bad Medical Care..... BlueRose
15 y
2,205
- Re: Bad Doctors...Bad Medical Care..... BlueRose
15 y
2,416
- Re: Bad Doctors...Bad Medical Care..... StratRebel
15 y
2,257
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