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Posted 6/24/2021 12:33 AM (GMT 0)
My GP has stepped away from “Doctoring” and is full time at her skin care business.

Now I am going to be seeing her replacement.
I’m going to have to explain my need for monthly blood work due to being on abx long term.
I doubt it will go over well. Not many docs know about chronic Lyme here in the Pacific Northwest (Canada)

I had a great Doc! So sad to see her go.

If this new doc balks - I will tell her that I am on long term abx for at least a year and need to have monthly blood work. I will also say that it would be negligent to not do what Dr J considers to be “safety” labs.

Not looking forward to it. I don’t think she’s pro blood work like my previous doc was.
She already told my husband she doesn’t generally have her male patients test for PSA (prostate cancer screening test)

I might be shopping for a new Doc.
Posted 6/24/2021 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah my poor beleaguered gp... he’s very tolerant of me since we get along well personality-wise and we actually had a mutual doctor friend (who is now deceased). But he works really hard to try to fix logistical things for me. We found his office since they’re affiliated with my favorite home health agency. My home health agency had a lot of things semi adapted for me since they’re used to working with old cranky sick people. So they did amazing things like offer in home physical therapy snd even had a doctor who would visit our home.
Posted 6/24/2021 1:08 AM (GMT 0)
Dr J made the diagnosis and he prescribes the abx. It seems like for the new doc, the riskier play would be to deny labs to patient who needs them. I think new doc will want to follow suit of old doc.

Just to clarify, Dr J's lab orders no good in Canada?
Posted 6/24/2021 1:38 AM (GMT 0)

potsnpans said...
Dr J made the diagnosis and he prescribes the abx. It seems like for the new doc, the riskier play would be to deny labs to patient who needs them. I think new doc will want to follow suit of old doc.

Just to clarify, Dr J's lab orders no good in Canada?

Yes you are right - the fact is I am taking abx - so she should want to do the labs for safety reasons.

A Dr lab request from the US isn’t valid here in Canada and I’m assuming vice versa.

If you think about it - it makes sense. There is likely a data base of Drs that can write patient lab requests that the labs use. I doubt all the drs in the US are included in that…

If there isn’t a database - then anyone could write their own labs and put “Dr Jones” as the doctor ordering.
Posted 6/24/2021 1:42 AM (GMT 0)

Bailey said...
Yeah my poor beleaguered gp... he’s very tolerant of me since we get along well personality-wise and we actually had a mutual doctor friend (who is now deceased). But he works really hard to try to fix logistical things for me. We found his office since they’re affiliated with my favorite home health agency. My home health agency had a lot of things semi adapted for me since they’re used to working with old cranky sick people. So they did amazing things like offer in home physical therapy snd even had a doctor who would visit our home.

Sounds like you have a great doc!
Posted 6/24/2021 1:56 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah having that initial conversation with new doc.. even though it'll likely work out.. I'd be uncomfortable as well. Probably best to go into it with a "matter of fact" kinda attitude (without sounding too demanding).
Good luck, Girlie
Posted 6/24/2021 9:50 AM (GMT 0)
good luck Girlie

in the UK if they know you will be doing something anyway - even if they do not approve - and they have no control over eg like long term antibiotics - then they usually will treat that as outside their control and do the bits they can do - so i would expect them to try and advise you against - but when they find you are resolute and rational - they still have a duty of care and as pointed out above - its more risk for them if they don't, as you are still on their books.

i assume the logic will be similar there - just stay calm and rational
Posted 6/24/2021 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, Girlie, I'm so sorry!! I hate looking for a new doc! After being in the hospital for 2 days, and not having a regular doctor previously, they set me up with a new Nurse Practitioner to the area. I thought "Oh goodie!" (very sarcastically) - but I lucked out fortunately and she's been a really wonderful practitioner. She doesn't know much on how to take care of me (LOL!! Of course!), but she's willing to learn and she has!!

I was reinfected yet again 3 weeks ago, and she was going on her training of only one single dose of Doxy, but asked me about it since I had mentioned (only once) that I had dealt with chronic Lyme. I told her to look up ILADS guidelines and she came back with 200 mgs a day - I nearly panicked. LOL. But, I made an appt with her, and took in my printed out documentation and she was willing to change it to 200 twice a day. Whew! And, it's working for me - mild herxing and all. LOL

I wish you the best of luck with this new doc, and in finding a different doc if need be!!!
Posted 7/10/2021 2:17 PM (GMT 0)
Girlie this might help: https://bloodtestscanada.com

There are many of those in the US, I've used them all the time.

But I found this one in Canada for you.
Posted 7/10/2021 2:29 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks RainyCloud - I hadn’t heard of this service!

I haven’t discussed with my new Dr yet as my previous lab standing order is valid until September.
But I believe my new Dr is getting the lab results because she took over my previous docs practice.

I do have an upcoming appt soon - so will see
Posted 7/10/2021 3:17 PM (GMT 0)

potsnpans said...
Yeah having that initial conversation with new doc.. even though it'll likely work out.. I'd be uncomfortable as well. Probably best to go into it with a "matter of fact" kinda attitude (without sounding too demanding).
Good luck, Girlie

Thanks potsnpans - I’m not going to be sheepish - but like you suggested - “matter of fact “
Posted 7/10/2021 3:21 PM (GMT 0)

Garzie said...
good luck Girlie

in the UK if they know you will be doing something anyway - even if they do not approve - and they have no control over eg like long term antibiotics - then they usually will treat that as outside their control and do the bits they can do - so i would expect them to try and advise you against - but when they find you are resolute and rational - they still have a duty of care and as pointed out above - its more risk for them if they don't, as you are still on their books.

i assume the logic will be similar there - just stay calm and rational

I would think so…
Posted 7/10/2021 3:23 PM (GMT 0)

Traveler said...
Oh, Girlie, I'm so sorry!! I hate looking for a new doc! After being in the hospital for 2 days, and not having a regular doctor previously, they set me up with a new Nurse Practitioner to the area. I thought "Oh goodie!" (very sarcastically) - but I lucked out fortunately and she's been a really wonderful practitioner. She doesn't know much on how to take care of me (LOL!! Of course!), but she's willing to learn and she has!!

I was reinfected yet again 3 weeks ago, and she was going on her training of only one single dose of Doxy, but asked me about it since I had mentioned (only once) that I had dealt with chronic Lyme. I told her to look up ILADS guidelines and she came back with 200 mgs a day - I nearly panicked. LOL. But, I made an appt with her, and took in my printed out documentation and she was willing to change it to 200 twice a day. Whew! And, it's working for me - mild herxing and all. LOL

I wish you the best of luck with this new doc, and in finding a different doc if need be!!!

Thanks Traveler!

Yup - I don’t expect her to have knowledge of Lyme disease but hoping she is open minded.
Posted 7/10/2021 8:54 PM (GMT 0)
Wish I could help you with this one, Girlie. Living in the south (Georgia), I'm not real familiar with doctors within your travel area. But at least this will bump this back up in case someone missed it.
Posted 7/10/2021 10:06 PM (GMT 0)

running wild said...
Wish I could help you with this one, Girlie. Living in the south (Georgia), I'm not real familiar with doctors within your travel area. But at least this will bump this back up in case someone missed it.

I’ve decided that if she balks about the basic tests (I’m actually not getting all the tests dr J wants - like co2 and three different liver tests and several more on his list - I will put it on her. I will tell her I WILL be taking these abx a few days per month for several more months and the monthly blood work are for my safety. I will also inform her that my Dr is a highly regarded Infectious disease doc and he monitors monthly labs…. “are you going to deny him these labs?”

And if she says “no” I’m going Dr shopping. We’ve had a flood of new Docs come to our small city - so hopefully there will be one who acquiesces
Posted 7/10/2021 11:18 PM (GMT 0)
Don't blame you. Self advocate. You've come too far to let someone help you backslide.
Posted 7/12/2021 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
You might want to write a one page summary with dates and symptoms that have resolved. If the Dr is interested having it written down may hold some more persuasion rather then rambling through an explanation.
Posted 7/12/2021 5:01 AM (GMT 0)

skinny_joe said...
You might want to write a one page summary with dates and symptoms that have resolved. If the Dr is interested having it written down may hold some more persuasion rather then rambling through an explanation.

I’m hoping she can see the previous docs notes - not sure how that works. She is taking over her practice so I am assuming that’s how it is.

I’m going to try my best to be confident and hopefully it won’t take too much convincing.
Posted 7/12/2021 4:53 PM (GMT 0)
Most doctors rarely read patient histories other then the last entry in the medical record. Often the record is a mess of comments as well. Thats where my suggestion to write up your history came from. Once they have that they may be inclined to read the rest of your record.
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