The problem with teaching hospitals - docs change

I'm so sorry that you have to go through all that new doctor junk again....especially with a "very new one" because I have often found that the newest doctors just don't "get it" when it comes to pain. They are so young that they have never had too much of it on their own and they don't understand what it can do to you.

However, you could look on the bright side (which I'm not very good at) and think that you will get a new pair of eyes looking into your health and perhaps they will see what someone else missed. I have to admit that I have seen that too and that would be wonderful!

Please keep us updated on this new appointment and how things are going.

Peace my friend.

But I'm telling you, if this guy starts in on me like the other one did about my cholesterol (which isn't even high, it's on the high side of average, in the normal range) and ignore everything else? That sound you hear comin from south Louisiana is a 3rd year resident getting torn a new one.

My father was a Navy corpsman, who is fully accepted as a Marine in combat. My grandfather, the farmer, could dress someone down pretty well too. I can do it with the best of 'em.

I am bipolar certified. I haven't really blown my top in quite a while (thanks to the ativan, since replaced with klonopin), and I can usually roll with it, but the last time I saw the old doc, he completely went in another direction to a lab test he could point to. I held it together and started working on another plan.

But, I've been to this clinic 7 times now and have yet to get an xray done. I mean, really? My appointment isn't until 10/8, so if I get it out of my system now, it'll be better. I'm hoping, since I still see the other guy on the website, that I was handed to this more experienced guy because he maybe knows how to put his pants on right. Probably the most I'll do is ask for a referral if he can't or won't do anything for me.

See, my problem is, I'm not afraid of doctors, much less residents. I've worked in hospitals. It's sort of been the family business. I have no "white coat" syndrome. I once had to hip check a doctor out of the way because he had his hands in his pockets, just watching everyone else work a cardiac arrest, while no one was doing respirations. I moved him, grabbed the ambu-bag, and the doc was about to start yelling at me, until he saw what I was doing and just left the ER. The doctor that was doing chest compressions said that if "idiot-boy" (his quote) tried to write me up, everyone else in the room would back me.

Idiot boy was a pain specialist last I heard about him about 10 years ago. I saw his billboard on the interstate. Couldn't believe he still had a license, much less a practice.

Well, right now, my biggest problem is lack of medical records. All of the treatment I had was from hospitals in Alabama (and don't go badmouthing Birmingham's medical community, they are top notch) who charge outrageously for their medical records and images (that I can't afford), my old pain specialist has retired (and I ave no clue on how to start getting his records as his practice closed), and my primary doc's practice (huge practice, BTW, 15 doctors) is currently transferring everything to digital, and they have no idea where anything is right now. They just keep telling me to check back with them. It's been 3 months.

So, right now, I can't get ahold of my last 14 years of medical records for a number of reasons out of my control, and this new hospital is budget restrained like crazy, so it seems they don't want to start from scratch. Add to the fact that I looked up the pain management laws for Louisiana mentioned in another thread last night, and these jokers won't be able to do squat for me anyway, as 51% of a pain management's practice has to be pain management by a board certified PM doc. This is a family medicine clinic. They used to have PM in this system, 100+ miles away in New Orleans, but budget has shut it down. And I know these docs have licenses to protect. I get that.

Jan 2014, I get medicare, if my disability case does not fold under review. But another year of this? And that's IF I can find a PM doc nearby who will take a new medicare patient. Because not all do. It's just so unfair. And if I said what I REALLY wanted to say, I'd go in for a 72 hour psych hold. No, wait, they closed that too.

I am on disability, do not qualify for mediCAID, and will not qualify for mediCARE until Jan 2014. I'm in that 2 year waiting period prescribed by law. And I've checked with a lawyer, no way around it. They pay you juuuuuust too much (in my case about $75 a month) to get medicaid, but won't give you medicare, but you're officially disabled.

It's asinine. That's the kind of stuff that happens when people do things by committee.

Nope. I tried. Used my psych meds, which are around $90 a month (and the actual reason for my disability, not my back, go figure) to go that route, but was denied. Also tried my car insurance, and a couple of other things under my name I am directly responsible for.

No such luck. Here's the funny thing. If I had medicaid, the meds would be free. heh.

I get my meds from a pharmacy run by a local non-profit. They use funds from state and federal programs, and the manufacturers themselves often provide the meds free or at cost. I can also see my psychiatrist for $25. They have doctors there too, but the doctors do not under any circumstances write pain meds, they send you to the ER. There is dental at this clinic, and the dentists of course write for pain, but very judiciously. They are a Godsend to me. They take medicaid, medicare, regular insurance (sliding scale. of course) but they are staffed by pros.

That pharmacy does not take any drug discount cards (though they do take insurance) because of the funds they already get. I've gotten $2 scrips(which covers their costs for the bottle and label and handling) for a normally $19 one, if they got it at no cost for some reason.

I've priced my meds at places like WalMart Walgreens and CVS, and they are 1/4th the price of WalMart, and Walgreens/CVS aren't in the ballpark if you are paying cash.