HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Fun at the doctor's office (sarcasm) haha

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/8/2012 3:46 AM (GMT 0)
Had a difficult appointment today at the gastro's office. In early January, I had some bloodwork done from my new doctor. My old doctor wasn't on top of my bloodwork and never got around to doing it very much. I hoped my new doctor would be different. Well, I had been calling quite a lot and leaving messages since I got my bloodwork done because I wanted to know the results.

At my appointment today, I brought up the fact that I still hadn't seen my bloodwork that was done in January. It turns out that neither did my nurse or doctor. My nurse had been spelling my name wrong and that's why none of my bloodwork was in my file. She was saying "Oh, Quest can lose it sometimes, and blah blah blah." She found it when I told her how to spell my name and it turns out my liver enzymes are through the roof. So high, that she ran in and told my doctor and she said to get more bloodwork right away and don't refill my 6mp just yet.

Well, the weird part is that at the end of January, my body had been telling me to cut down on 50 mg of 6mp to 25 mg a day. I was just listening to my gut instinct. I hadn't mentioned this to my doctor because I hadn't seen her. I just wanted to see how it went and if it affected me. When I mentioned this to her today, she said she was so glad I had known to do that.

This just annoys me so much though. What if I hadn't followed my intuition and just stayed on 50 mg? Nobody would've ever notified me about my bloodwork and high liver enzymes and I could've gotten really sick. Are people just so careless these days? I feel like nobody takes things seriously around here at all.

Posted 3/8/2012 4:47 AM (GMT 0)
HOLY CRAP!!! It's not only around there either!

I hope there's a rush on stuff...AND....please get copies of the ones in January and all from now on.

It's good you asked.

q
Posted 3/8/2012 11:37 AM (GMT 0)
That's horrible. I am happy you're on a lower dose and that you're finally getting things checked out.
Posted 3/8/2012 12:59 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, the saying holds true in your case: be your own advocate!
Posted 3/8/2012 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, Joanna, it's a good thing you know how to listen to your body!
You have to be your own best doctor.
Posted 3/8/2012 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
You won't believe what happened today at Quest. I go in to get my bloodwork done because I need to know what's up with everything- CBC, liver enzymes, vit d, iron, b12, etc. My nurse forgot to give me the prescription yesterday so she ended up faxing it to Quest. First off, my name was still spelled wrong haha and second, NONE of my liver enzymes or platelet counts were checked off to be tested!!!!

I said to the technician, "She does have them on there to be tested, right?" and the technician says "No, you need a prescription for it. I can't just add them on here without consent."

I was thinking 'You have got to be kidding me. This is the whole reason I am getting bloodwork and none of the right things are being checked.' I called my nurse while I was in the appointment and at first she's like "You're kidding?? That's so weird." Then she said that she forgot to add all those because the office was busy yesterday. So thankfully, my technician talked with her on the phone and added everything that needed testing.

I am wondering if my nurse is not really a nurse... haha
Posted 3/8/2012 5:36 PM (GMT 0)
Let me guess, you live in Southern California and the nurse draws her eyebrows on with a pencil...

I just can not find a doctor who gives a crap in this town. Not to mention, I just got a bill from my last round of blood work at Cedars for $3400!!!!!!!! I called as i assumed it HAD to be a mistake. Nope. I was informed that the price was reduced to $1700 for the insurance company and my part would be $500. Seriously? Thanks for the heads up, Doc.

Good luck. Unless you like your doc a lot, I would switch. That nurse could have killed you.

Matt
Posted 3/8/2012 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
Oh no, Joanna! I remember you telling me about this--can't believe that was the results. So glad you're alright and that you're being proactive.
Posted 3/8/2012 6:20 PM (GMT 0)

Red_34 said...
Wow, the saying holds true in your case: be your own advocate!

 

I think now a days, you have to be your own advocate, not only with medical issues, but every other aspect of your life too!

Posted 3/8/2012 11:02 PM (GMT 0)
This time, I asked the Quest technician to mail me ALL my results because lord knows nobody at the doctor's office will call me about it.
Posted 3/9/2012 12:20 PM (GMT 0)
bananagirl,

I'm surprised they agreed to mail you the results.

Labcorp, at least in Florida, although they do cite HIPAA as an excuse which is national, told me they are only allowed to mail results to patients IF the doctor has explicitedly written a note on the script for labcorp to do so.

You're so much better off having it all or at least as much as you can under your control.

Posted 3/9/2012 12:29 PM (GMT 0)
She didn't know how to spell "bananagirl?"
Posted 3/9/2012 5:38 PM (GMT 0)
Insofla, when I was at the doctor's office, I had my nurse right on the prescription "copy to joanna" so they would send it to me.
Posted 3/9/2012 8:33 PM (GMT 0)
Terrible! *** is wrong with that doctors staff... I would mention something to them the next time you see them, slip ups are not okay at this time, given the circumstances. Glad you caught this Bananagirl, hope everything works out...
Posted 3/10/2012 2:25 AM (GMT 0)
I would definitely complain. That nurse is an idiot. I'd chew her head off next time I went in and she screwed up. Good luck with everything.
Posted 3/11/2012 5:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Joanna,

I'm here in NJ and had an appointment on Friday and REALLY *** is going on with doctors today.

I went to the NEW GI doc and just got back the results of my colonoscopy (0n 2/20). Had meeting yesterday (Friday) with doc.

When I suggested that she (doc) tell me the results of my test(s) instead of having an LPN call and tell me of a cyst on my pancreas.

She told me that I should see another GI doc and referred me to someone an hour away. So she is very good (I think) but a prima donna.

It was revealed that my severe left sided colitis (chronic active inflammation) is now showing signs of irritation on the right side.

Suggestion to begin Remicade and 6MP.

So here I am feeling okay and under control. Being dumped by this doc and referred out. Looking for a GI doc in central NJ, with exp. with UC.

Any thoughts / suggestions would be appreciated.

So if isn't a lab or doctors office screwing of the spelling of a name then there is the doctor who is just too busy to talk to a patient and pawns off that to administrative assistant or LPN.

It is too much to ask to be treated like a person and have the slightest hope for a "normal" life.

TG for this forum and all who participate.
Posted 3/12/2012 11:44 PM (GMT 0)
I'm also glad you listened to your body and cut down the meds. However, I'm curious to know what it was telling you, haha? All kidding aside, what symptoms did you have that made you want to cut down?

I am a firm believer that you have to be your own advocate. My original GI NEVER did any blood work. After I went to the OBGYN he was horrified and sent for complete blood work (which revealed severe anemia as well as lack of calcium) and a bone density.
Posted 3/15/2012 1:29 AM (GMT 0)
You really do need to look out for yourself.  I no longer have this doctor, but when I was under his care I caught a lot of mistakes.  Once the nurse told me to take 80mg a day.  I questioned it because I knew that was really high for me and turned out "oops he meant 40mg".  Oh and one of my favorites...I had to get a chest xray before getting more remicade because I had a cough for awhile.  I happened to look at the order as I walked in for the xray.  It had a couple numbers and then "hip" then a couple more numbers.  I was like no way....he isn't ordering a hip xray for a cough.  Turned out he did.  I had them call the office and get it figured out while I waited.  The next time I went in they told me there was a flag on the computer that I had not done a test or treatment.  They still wanted me to get that hip xray.  I told him I knew it was a deep cough but didn't think it was that deep.  lol  I am so happy to be out of that office.  Who knows how many other errors I didn't catch?
Posted 3/15/2012 2:48 AM (GMT 0)
I have read a lot lately about mix-ups with labs, GI's not listening to their patients, lack of necessary blood-work, and overall incompetence on the part of medical staff.

Makes me appreciate my current set-up so much more. I love my current GI, and all my labs and test-results (as well as prescriptions, office visit results, scheduling appointments, emails to/from doctors, etc) are instantly available online via my medical foundation's website. I dropped off my blood Monday afternoon and saw the results online the next morning.

Wish everyone had access to competent health care and wish you all luck with yours. And YES, please be your own advocate and demand they take you seriously!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply