Very bizarre experience with doctor appointment today.

So I had an appointment today with the Gastroenterologist who first discovered the tumors in my pancreas about a year ago. I signed in and a few minutes later the nurse called for me to come up to the window. She informed me that my appointment had been canceled. I told her that I didn't cancel it so she said to have a seat and they would look into it.
Another couple minutes later a different nurse called for me to go back to where the exam rooms are. She proceeded to tell me that my appointment was canceled and when I told her I didn't cancel it, she tried to tell me that I had.
Then she told me that I was no longer a patient of the doctor I was there to see. Naturally, I asked why in an attempt to figure out what the heck was going on. She said that my care was transferred to another doctor. I asked what doctor and she said she didn't know and then said that I should know since I had been seeing him/her. I told her that I wasn't seeing any other GI docs and she said she was going to pull my chart and try to figure out what was going on and that I should have a seat in the waiting room again. I then said, "Yeah, because this is some crazy $%!#." I said that in a very calm way I might add and was smiling while looking at her when I said it.
So I sat in the waiting room for about 5-10 minutes and then a hospital security guy walks up to me and said that I had to leave or he would call the police. At this point I was really confused. I really have no idea why all this happened. I wasn't in a bad mood or anything or causing any problems whatsoever....I was just trying to figure out what was going on and what I was supposed to do for a doctor. I was given all medical records that that office had on me and I left.

Sorry it was so long. This was the craziest experience I have ever had when going to a doctors appointment.
Now...I am wondering what options I have. I have contacted the hospital administrator and left a message and I am going to sit down with a lawyer to discuss if I have any legal options with this situation.

I was just blown away by how rude all the nurses in that office were today. Has anyone else had experiences like this?

No, I have never had an experience like that. That is certainly very strange! They wouldn't tell you anything about why it was happening? They never attempted to contact you prior to your appointment? That is very odd indeed.

This wasn't my pain management doctor though. This was the gastroenterologist that first found my pancreatic tumors and was supposed to be monitoring their growth. The only prescriptions I was getting from him was Lomotil, Questran powder, and Hyoscyamine. Only the Lomotil is a controlled substance but it is only schedule 5 and it is to control my chronic diarrhea. Besides my pain management doctor, this was the only other doctor I have that actually seems to care and want to get to the bottom of what is going on and help me. He really is a nice doctor and I can't help but think all this has something to do with the ladies in his office and not him.

I really didn't have time to stick around and ask more questions as my appointment with my pain management doctor was my next appointment after that doctor. My PMD's office is a good half hour drive from my GI doctor's office so I didn't want to miss that appointment.

It seems like a lot of my doctors have been treating me differently since they found out that I am using the Fentanyl Patches for pain. My PCP seems to imply at every appointment that all my medical problems are being caused by narcotic pain meds. I can't believe the way doctors, nurses and pharmacists have started treating me ever since I started using this pain medicine.

That is just so weird. Were you non-compliant with treatment in some way? I have never heard of that happening at a GI - I would at least 'get it' with a PMD since they have to be so vigilant and there could be something you don't know about that's raising a red flag, but with a GI doc?

What are you going to do to follow up and find out what the heck is going on?

I hate it that doctors begrudge people the medications that help them. They don't understand what it's like to suffer from CP - that when you find something that WORKS you cling to it like a life raft while drowning - because you ARE drowning!

I hope you figure it out and will be interested to hear how they justify doing that to you. :(

I'm just so sorry to hear about this in addition to the other things you posted about. I wish you some relief.

Mark...First and Foremost...Get yourself to the hospital, whether by your wife or call an ambulance.  Don't take the time to read my rambling until you're past your crisis.  There HAS TO BE someone at the ER who can SEE your dire situation. GET HELP IMMEDIATELY!

I would understand your hesitancy after your bizarre GI appointment mix-up.  I also know that an ER visit is NO GUARANTEE of service.  One can fall through the proverbial cracks.  However, with your wife at your side to advocate, and you in your described "emaciated" state...GO to the ER!

There is incompetence EVERYWHERE.  Take your wife with you to INSIST on ADMISSION.  INSIST they take you seriously and not "dismiss" your issues and send you home...

REFERENCE TO EBOLA is only to make a point regarding the ER system.  I realize your problem is your pancreatic tumors.

    Folks were shocked when the first Ebola patient had been turned AWAY from the ER.  I wasn't. 

I've been there, not with Ebola of course, but there...just the same.  I begged the ER doctor for an IV push of Rocephin for what I knew was UTI attacking my kidneys.  Rocephin is an antibiotic, not a pain med.  I didn't want pain meds.  I wanted them to prevent my kidneys from shutting down.  I explained my bladder issues, that culture is necessary.  The doctor told me my urine was "good" and it would be mal-practice to administer antibiotics without diagnosis.  Before the long holiday weekend was over, I was BACK at the ER.  Guess what?  My records confirmed severe infection.  Guess what else?  I had to have IV push, followed by 30 day regimen of Levaquin...not good. 

That's just a "cherry on top" light-hearted "sharing" of one of MANY of my husband's and my merry-go-round medical "care" experiences.

AGREED...Something went horribly wrong here.  I only wish I could say I've never heard of anything so crazy...but I have.  SIGNIFICANT errors and oversights are being made by "front desk" folks, with no vested interest in your healthcare.  I don't make blanket generalizations, so I won't.  I've had "head nurses" that should have been FIRED by the physician for "dropping the ball"...Instead I have suffered the life-altering consequences. I've dealt with doctors who have no business being in the industry.  This IMO is far more frightening than any epidemic...which is widespread...APATHY and lack of ACCOUNTABILITY. 

Get emergency attention...You need IV fluids NOW.  You need a doctor who is competent to follow through with extensive GI testing, while you are in hospital receiving strength-restoring fluids.  I know that you know this, too, but have grown to weak to FIGHT.  I've been there, too and re-visit often.  PLEASE KEEP FIGHTING...GET to the ER.  Once you're stronger, you can "bird dog" the cause of chaos last week.  Let it go for now.  Focus your sights on the help you need NOW.

~~Dixie

Mark, please listen to all of us. Everything you describe, all put together, really sounds life-threatening. As in, IMMEDIATELY life threatening. Please, please get help ASAP. We do not want to lose you.

Hello my old friends. It's been awhile but I too am being slammed into the cracks on here. I've been under pain management care for 8 years now- just a little before the pill mills were found. I've complied with every MRI and test they have asked for and no issue ever. Ever.
The month before my family pharmacy warned me the dea is cracking down on everyone again. She would have to drop 30 pills off my script, but at one point she said she knew they would have to drop to a max of 90. Fl has a law where your narcotics have to align with a certain amount of non-narcotics.
We went to a Walgreens we knew accepted my friend. I was assured by the counter girl- after talking to them pharmacist- they would take me on. I'm thinking fantastic!!! So we transferred everything to them. Those people, count 10, 9, 8... Lol, ugggggh!! They filled my non narcotics & called my hubby the next day. He didn't realize till he was home there wasn't any pain meds. He called & they said to come back the next day. So he did- the pharmacist approaches and said that they couldn't fill it according to some good faith policy. Which irks me cause I'd even brought in a 1 year print out off my meds to prove I wasn't just trying to get that. Other meds are prescribed for other issues show I wasn't just after them. So he went to another Walgreens and THE HEAD pharmacist was all "I don't know why they said that since we don't even carry that at all" whaaaa? Imagine my concern now. All I have is a script for my massive pain meds. God bless him he went to 42 different pharmacies trying to get me meds. Calling is pointless- all they say is "we can't say over the phone but come on down." Get there and "sorry".... What is happening? I do not understand!!!! I live in a city who I surrender my urine to monthly. I've never once violated my contract. And how does a pharmacist have the right to overrule a highly esteemed dr in his specialty? I don't know what's happening. My husbands norco was bumped to a class 3. Really?!!!
Obviously I've had zero pain meds this month & I've barely gotten out of bed. It's been hell. It's degrading. I get judged every single time I'm in the ER even though I volunteer I have a pump. I've had pills withheld for days when admitted to the ER until they could confirm I was prescribed them. It's awful here. I felt we needed ursine tests, linked pharmacies, etc. but I now feel imrisoned by this law. I am so frustrated over this. I needed severely tests done a surgery and can't do any this month!!!

kttn251977:
i too live in tampa and have been in chronic pain treatment over 8 years. i also go to the same dr as you (i saw in one of your posts from a few years ago) and LOVE him (dr O, but also dr G). i just switched to walgreens a couple months ago, (because my 7-year-history pharmacy decided it was not gonna sell pain treatment anymore), and there is indeed a "good faith" policy they have; if you google it, you will find formus, complaints, as wells as websites dedicated to lawsuits against walgreens, petitions, etc. i now receive my meds from walgreens but the first time i dropped off i had to wait almost a week for them to go thru the "GF policy". An ex-walgreens pharmacy employee leaked said policy online so that we could all see what it entails, since it is suppose to be kept secret from us lowly patients, and the staff are instructed not to give out any info about what its insane "requirements" are. i totally agree with what you were saying about the idea that these pharmacists are given final say in whether we patients should be getting the meds, dosages, etc that the ACTUAL LEGITIMATE DOCTORS are writing for us. (if they are having this say, they must be doctors! or higher than! they sure are missing out on doctor salary, if they are working as pharmacists. excuse my dry attempt at sarcasm) We are Legit patients with LEGIT issues who do everything by the book, submit to any and all monthly (or more often) drug testing, do not take anything illegal or unprescribed, and yet, as i realize will be from now to eternity, are treated just like Joe Junkie on Hillsborough Avenue in the orange vest offering to make you a flower cross for some spare change for his next fix.

id be happy to P.M. with you.
have a few things i am interested in your opinion on. Hit me up if you get the chance. Anyone else is welcome as well.
thanks!

That has been one of the hardest things for me. I go to a reputable, well known PM specialist and yet my other doctors seem very judgemental about my pain meds. There are times I want to discuss these meds with my Primary Care but there is a judgement I feel coming from her. Very hard on top of the pain.

Hello downNola44 & welcome to the forum. downNola, we do ask all new members to make a separate intro post so that all members will see it & be able to say hello. By posting on this thread not many people will see your post. And we don't want to hijack the original posters thread.

Also, Kttn has not been back to Healing Well since the above post was made back in November. If you will click on a members name it will show you several of their last posts.

PLEASE DO NOT POST ANY FURTHER ON THIS THREAD. ITS NOT FAIR TO HIJACK SOMEONE ELSES THREAD. THANKS.