This one is a biggie.
How to leave a doctor to go to a new one and take 35 years of medical history with you.
And about 25 of those years are in my old doctor/surgeon's handwriting on old cards that would test a Maya cryptologist to decipher. Probably the pertinent points were put on computer at some stage when two clinics merged. He hated not being at his own clinic, hated the computer, hated the organization of every patient's visit and I'm sure this had a lot to do with his death not long after. So I inherited the remaining member of the old team.
On my very first visit, he showed himself to be fatphobic and I tore strip off him that day, his very first day at the clinic. My own doctor nearly fell over laughing and dined out on the story for years. But when I had the tests for cholesterol, sugar and whatever else, the first thing out of his mouth was "lap band surgery". When I said absolutely not, I don't think he's cared about me since. Back in November my Vitamin D levels were very low and he told me to sit in the sun for 15 minutes a day and now I'm told, they're so low I should be having injections.
The doctor who cares for mother at the nursing home has opened a surgery 15 minutes from here, next to a pharmacy, psychologist (for him, not me), podiatrist, my dentist and I can walk there instead of nearly an hour by bus.
Why now? New medications that aren't being monitored properly. Cholesterol side affects, pains in all joints including the spine which is flowing on to the legs. Blood Pressure is not dropping at all despite the pills that send me to sleep in the chair, as it did this morning for two hours. The diabetes meds have been doubled and so has the stomach pain despite eating it with food, another side affect. And to top it off, all of this I've had to find out from the internet since you don't get a pamphlet in with the pills anymore. The so-called cures are killing me. Cholesterol is down to 3.3 but the bad is still above the good. Glucose levels haven't moved either.
The best thing was the Diabetes educator confirming that extreme stress will play havoc with the glucose levels in the body. "Have I had any stress in the last year?" I felt like giving her the blog address and telling her to go back to 2006 and keep reading. Now I am in the system for Diabetes but with this clinic and current doctor, who is holidaying again, probably Hawaaii and I want out.
Are my medical records mine or the clinic's?
Do I register with the new doctor first before I ask for the records and piss off the other doctor?
Do I play with both and let the new doctor run interference for the records?
Do I kill the new doctor if the first words are "lap band surgery"?
10 comments:
The Practice Manager will give you a form to sign which authorises the records journey from old to new Quack.
Proper medical care is an absolute luxury even in this FirstWorld country. It is an industry, not a service, and next it will have shareholders and they will come first.
Vitamin D:
Salmon: 100g provides 360 IU
Mackerel:100g 345 IU)
Sardines: 250 IU
Tuna: 235 IU
Good luck.
Bwca, sardines are something you have for breakfast if no-one's coming. I have VitD capsules, fish oil caps, Magnesium with vitd and Calcium with vitd.
It is insane to eat for Diabetes and weight loss at the same time. I shouldn't eat pears and apples, too much fructose, eat oranges which come from California FFS!
My mother's vitamin D is very low and from what I have learnt, it is terribly important. Bugger the sun, take the drug.
I am not sure if your records are yours, but you certainly have right for them to be transferred. Kinda of like leaving your hairdresser to go to one down the street who is much better.
Re lap band surgery, would it fix all your medical issues?
But if you are not happy with your doctor, change and change again until you find one you like. Or do as my mother does and has different doctors for different complaints. My doctor doesn't lecture me about my wanton lifestyle (lost cause). He just gives me pills to ameliorate.
Probably not the right attitude, but I think of doctors as a necessary evil. Change, change, change till you get either the right one, or one you can live with. And it is my understanding that BwaBrownie is right, and that you shouldn't have to get involved in the data transfer. Good luck.
if the new quacks first word is 'surgery' it is because they probably are part-owner of a private hospital.
your best reply could be "get me a psychologist who is not incompetent".
Liz Hurley looks that way because she has (by her own admission on twitter) a glass of hot water for breakfast.
After that, the trick is to leave the kitchen and spend the day in the bathroom working on ones maquillage et coiffure. all day.
Distraction is the key. heroin is good too.
Not Heroin, Annie, just my usual happy pills that I've put back to the dose I had 5 years ago. Maybe that will calm the internal hysteria and drop the blood pressure a bit.
A glass of hot water for breakfast, as long as it was followed by tea, toast and anything else I could lay teeth to.
If you've lost confidence in the old, go to the new.
Really profound today...
Just ask the new doc to get your records over from the old one - they can do this...and stand your ground against their extreme ignorance - its a hard slog at times but its your life not theirs!
Jayne. I think he's lost interest in me and I don't know any of the other doctors at the clinic.
Therese, there wasn't a good doctor anywhere near me for the whole time I was trawling to Hampton but now in my coming-to old age, I've got one closer.
1. Your medical records can be transferred - ask your new clinic the procedure. You'll probably have to sign something to say they have your permission to do so.
2. See the new doc and suss him/her out before you burn your bridges!
3. I'm told it's okay to date two blokes at once if not betrothed to either, so why not play with two drs?
4. Tempting. Perhaps not homicide, but tearing strips off would be a more than reasonable response to the L word. My (more immature) reaction to the L word is to stick my fingers in my ears and sing "La, la, la" until the dr stops (yes, I've really done that)
Shopping for a new medico is the pits. Good luck!
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