HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Have you ever fired your doctor?

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/7/2011 11:27 PM (GMT 0)
I had a doctor who made a very quick and irrational decision to cxld my Entocort refill. It was prompted by a call from my Pharmacy stating this was a duplicate therapy. In reality it was not and we have discussed this at my last appointment so it should have been on record. Also he should know you can't stop oral steroids cold turkey! I was in tear as I already ran out and had to switch to the generic which make some feel lousy! He quickly refilled it the next day.

I already found a new doctor and would like to send him a "pink slip". I feel he needs to know the reason and maybe he will learn from this error.

Anybody try this and if so did they ever get any response from the office?
Posted 12/7/2011 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
I have fired/dropped 3 GI's in my 20 yrs of having IBD....I think when you no longer go to see them, the message becomes pretty clear to them, so I've never actually gave them the reasons why I dropped them...besides, I find the majority of them to be quite arrogant so they don't often listen or care about an explanation as to why they're being dumped...of course you have every right to express your feelings to them, just don't want you to be surprised at their reaction to it, especially if they don't have the reaction you're possibly hoping for.

Based on what you've said though, I don't blame you for finding a new one.
Posted 12/7/2011 11:48 PM (GMT 0)
I left my first GI b/c he was arrogant and condescending. I never went back after the last bad visit. I did however write a review on the doctors reveiw website (actually 2 websites). I gave an honest evaluation and thought others should be aware of how this doctor works...the good and the bad. I'm not sure if letting them know will change their ways or not, but for me, writing on the website did make me feel a little better. I was very upset about the way I was treated. I think you need to do what would give you closure.
B
Posted 12/7/2011 11:55 PM (GMT 0)
I have fired 2 GIs. I never gave them the reason.

I complained to the director of the hospital recently about a psychiatrist I went to a couple times after she put me on a drug I never should have been on and gave me horrible, horrible care.
Posted 12/8/2011 12:03 AM (GMT 0)
Yes! I had a GI doc once who I swear he thought he was God. He was a total jerk. Big top GI dr. in a major city hospital. What a jerk he was....dumped him but not before my hubby tore him a new you know what.
Posted 12/8/2011 5:02 AM (GMT 0)
I fired my GI doc, both him and his assistant were really rude and nasty. Plus I felt like I knew more about UC than he did. I never gave a reason, I just found a new doc. His office sent me a letter six months later saying I was due for a check up. I still didn't call and tell him I wasn't coming back because I figured no one cared. But like hateuc, I left feedback on a couple of websites. I felt the best thing I could do was let others know how I had been treated.
Posted 12/8/2011 5:14 AM (GMT 0)
I'm considering it, but I'm limited to other GI's in my area. Most are in the same office as his. Convenient, really.
Posted 12/8/2011 12:11 PM (GMT 0)
I never fired a GI doc but I should have fired my first one. I was undemanding and in denial 11 years ago so I didn't know how poor his patient care was and how little he explained my UC to me. I've never had an "excellent" GI but I have one now that suits my personality and there is good communication.

I have fired other doctors and given them reviews on ratemds.com (also left good reviews for others too).

I think GI's dealing with IBD and IBS have a tough job, many different types of IBD and no definitive treatment that they know will help alleviate the daily symptoms except prednisone. Some things work for some people and some things don't so they are left to try one pill first and then another. No medical support is given to alternative therapies (diet, fecal transplant, supplements, LDN, etc) so they are playing with half a deck in my opinion. I never thought of doctors as "pill pushers" before I got UC and now I do, because unless you're a surgeon that's all they get to work with and for me pills were just not enough.
Posted 12/8/2011 1:08 PM (GMT 0)
I never had to fire a GI but I did a Rheumatologist. I also had to fire a Urologist on my gma's behalf. Some specialists let that title get to their head and they seem to lose touch with the compassionate side of medicine.

I've been lucky with my GI's. My first one was a sweetheart. But she was in a large teaching hospital (U of M) and she became too busy with research, conventions, review boards etc that it was getting too difficult to see her and my insurance changed so I had to find another doctor. I've been with my GI now for about 15 years. He's literally seen my kids grow up over the years and just recently gave my daughter a colonoscopy. I have recommended him to a few people on this board that are from MI.
Posted 12/8/2011 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
There were some I wish I had, but I didn't know until much later how poor the care I received was. I wanted to write a huge nasty gram to the Doc who said high heels were causing my feet to swell (found out later was my kidneys).

I did go for 2nd opinons for my UC and my kidneys both at a great hospital. The other UC Doc said exactly the same as mine did and I went because I wanted to make sure I was getting the best care. I stuck w/my original Doc and he has continuted to be great, he calls me personally to check on me and always gets me in to see him when I need to and works with me. He is not perfect but we discuss things and have a two way communication.

I really liked my original kidney Doc but felt that his knowledge was limited in my area of care. I was right, my new Kidney Doc has more experience and knowlege (but not a lot since it is rare), he sometimes forgets what we talk about but I trust the decisions he makes. He is always very professional and business like but he made a comment to me once that really stuck with me, "I care for you not only as a patient but as a person" I knew he meant it and it meant the world to me to hear that from him.

My pharmacy accidentally called my orig Kidney Doc for a refill after I was seeing my new Doc and he actually called my cell phone right after to see what he could do to help and asked how I was doing. I had been up front with him about getting a second opinion orignally and he was very supportive.
Posted 12/8/2011 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
I have stopped seeing doctors and switched to others over the years. I don't consider it "firing" as they weren't my employees or on my monthly payroll. The last time I stopped seeing a new internist was due to her non-understanding of jpouch surgery. After explaining my health history with UC followed by surgery, the first question out of her mouth was, "So, how is your UC?" Duh! I figured she was not listening to a word I had said and quickly changed doctors. I have come across many many doctors and nurses who are ignorant to the jpouch and I don't expect them to know, but I do expect them to ask questions and not assume they know. One doctor, after explaining the surgery, asked me where my ostomy was! I think it's important that everyone be an advocate for their healthcare. Working with your healthcare providers is a relationship and you must have confidence and trust in your doctors and have the freedom to be honest and open with your condition. If you are not comfortable with your physician, move on.

Sue
Posted 12/8/2011 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
My first GI doc recommended surgery within the first year of diagnosis, that was 11 years ago -that got him fired!
He kept telling me I had to have my colon out, even after I switched doctors, he came in uninvited to my hospital room and started berating me about surgery.
I told him to keep away from me and he has.

It makes me wonder about all the patients he's forced into surgery before even waiting to see how the patient will do on meds.
I now have a great GI and have had no surgeries.
Posted 12/8/2011 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
My first GI prescribed 60 mg/day of Pred, then immediately went on a month long vacation. Whe he got back, he had forgotten about me, and I remained on the heavy steroid dose without relief for another month.

When I finally got steroid induced diabetes, and my PCP had to intervene, I called for a GI appt. and fired him. I am an HMO member, and the GI dept. has several doctors, so I consulted with my PCP to determine her opinion about the best one.

Coincidentally, my wife has upper GI problems, and she has the same GI that I fired.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply