I had an appointment with my regular Rheumatologist yesterday and while there I also saw my pain medicine doctor who injected Lidocaine in my neck muscle prior to my appt with the Rheumatologist. Last visit I was there the Rheumie suggested I see a new Rheumatologist for some "fresh eyes and ideas" as stated by him. I did see another Rheumatologist who did xrays, tests, etc and put me on Zanaflex. Well, when I got back in the room yesterday, the first Rheumatologist said he was not charging me for an office visit, and was stepping aside as my treating physician.

I was shocked as I had asked this Rheumie if that was a possibility on my last visit prior to this one when he did the referral. I was under the impression that he would continue to treat me. Now I am only to return if I decide not to see the referral doctor. What is going on here? I also was referred to a pain medicine clinic by the pain medicine doctor in this office as well. I was happy with my being a patient there and it is also at a hospital that I prefer to use as my PCP and Cardiologist all practice there. Now I am forced to go to a different hospital for any Fibro related testing, procedures. I am so upset with the whole idea.

Has this happened to any of you? I don't know what to make of the whole situation. I do not think one visit with a new doctor is enough to base a decision on whether I wish to continue seeing that person long term. I am at a loss here.:mad:

Im confused why did the Rhuemy think he needed you to see another one? Is he not qualified enough? Maybe it is best you see a PM. I had one until he fired me (tired of dealing with workman's comp). I now need another PM.. My Rhuemy stated that I needed to continue with pain management as he was not comfortable nor trained in prescribing the amount of pain medicine I take. I am confused on that as well, but OK. I planned to continue with one Rhuemy so I have no idea why you can't...I thought that is what doctors do, I thought they wanted patients long term?

I don't think the first Rheumatologist is not qualified. I understood that he was just consulting another for an opinion, not to turn my treatment over to him. I have had a lot of tests and medication trials at this Rheumatologist office and I felt that history was a good thing to have with a physician. Now I am having to to try to remember dates, etc for every thing I have had done over the last 3 1/2 years. I thought that the first Rheumie would be more familiar with all my medication reactions and how I was hard to anethetize, etc. Now I have to be on guard every where I go so they don't kill me with a medication error. I am just appalled that a physician can just say I am not going to look after you anymore. If I had known what I know now, I would have declined the referral.

make another appt with the doctor you wish to keep and ask him why. you have a right to know. perhaps he does not realize you are content with his treatment of you. sometimes this happens. for myself i have found it to always be the best for me. even when it seems i am being dumped i am really being steered into another direction and the help is there. sometimes not.
doctors have just as much right to stop seeing us as we have to choose not to see them. at least he had the decency to get you into another doctor first. my experience left me out in the cold wondering which way to go next. in the end i found my dear laura, so it was worth it and knowingly or not that doctor did me a favor.
i hope this helps you feel a bit better. what did you think of the new doc? first impressions are usually the real ones. you can still go to the pain doc. they don't come in pairs. my rheumy never sees me. why bother. we both know there is little he can do to help me, if anything. at least he is honest about wasting my time and money so we don't. works for me. my internist takes care of everything and sends regular reports to the rheumy. she is a peach.
take care my friend.
peace,
blue

[B]Im so sorry that happened to you. Its like a slap in the face. A long time ago when i first moved to Florida, i was having some evil problems. So i went to a gyn who was highly referred. I was in a lot of pain, she wouldn't even look at me at this visit which i couldn't understand and told me there was nothing wrong with me, go home. Two days later i received a letter from her dismissing me as her patient. I had no idea why, i was angry and very upset. I said to my husband, you see what im going through here. A few weeks later, my new gyn, said i had adhesion's on my ovaries, after some testing he had done, and they had to be surgically removed, when it was all said and done, he said i was a mess down there[, that's why i was going through all that misery/B]

Now the doctor i have been seeing for the past five years, the one that has put me through a battery of tests and was scratching his head because he couldn't find anything wrong with me was treating me for all my complaints and finally sent me to the rhumertoligist. At the time, i also had a very high white count, had swollen knees and had a mammogram come back bad, so i he reluctantly signed a L.O.A. for work and i file for temporary compensation, which i paid for thru my job, until we found out what was going on and he refused to sign the papers for me, i was pissed and let his nurse know about it several times, even she stated she couldn't understand why either everything she was seeing was legit, i was dealing with some real issues here. Even the insurance company said everything was good, he just had to sign the papers and i could start receiving my check. I loved my job and was not trying to pull anything i just needed the money to help with the bills and i told him that when I went in to talk with him about it and he flat out said he wouldn't do it and dismissed me without an explanation, i left there in tears!

once again, i received a letter and he dismissed from being his patience i also was in shock, devastated was more like it, and then pissed beyond all control because he had been my doctor for so long and i trusted him but was really too sick at the time to deal with it, i really was miserable.....

I had been referred to a cancer doctor for the white count and the rhumertoligist for the swollen knees, (Arthritis) plus i had to deal with the mamo issue, which thank the almighty was only a fold in the tissue.. Two weeks later the rhumertoligist diagnosed me with the fibro. This man treated me for years and then dropped me as soon as i was diagnosed, or was it because i wanted to file for comp. while getting well, Isnt that why we pay for it, but i will never know. So your not alone when it come to the cruelty of the Doctors. Give yourself some time, if you feel more comfortable write him a letter with your feelings and at least you will have something on paper and it will probably make you feel better cause you will be getting it off your chest with the one that matters, the Doctor ! Good luck, hold your head up and be strong, i really have an idea of how you might be feeling and when things like this happens to us, it makes us of all people feel so much worse, it took me a long time to get over it, which didn't help my emotional state with everything else i was dealing with........take care of yourself for now and if you need to talk about it more by all means do so. There are some wonderful people on this site that share their stories and care ;)

I don't think the first Rheumatologist is not qualified. I understood that he was just consulting another for an opinion, not to turn my treatment over to him. I have had a lot of tests and medication trials at this Rheumatologist office and I felt that history was a good thing to have with a physician. Now I am having to to try to remember dates, etc for every thing I have had done over the last 3 1/2 years. I thought that the first Rheumie would be more familiar with all my medication reactions and how I was hard to anethetize, etc. Now I have to be on guard every where I go so they don't kill me with a medication error. I am just appalled that a physician can just say I am not going to look after you anymore. If I had known what I know now, I would have declined the referral.

Please remember you have a right to all your medical records... Get them from these doctor's offices. If I am not mistaken, you are able to get them at no cost to you for the first set. That way, you don't have to try and remember dates, med reactions, etc... Send the request in writing so there is no mistake that you want them... Tell them to call you when they will be ready for pickup... Sorry you are having so many issues... Keep your head up, you have done nothing wrong.... Jenn

The request MUST be made in writing. A telephone request doesn't meet HIPAA guidelines.

The office will have a form that you'll need to fill out. Best thing to do is to go to the office and talk to the receptionist. She'll have all the forms and you can ask them to rush it.

Yes I was told they would be a dollar per sheet. Isn't that just lovely? I can't afford them right now.

Yes I was told they would be a dollar per sheet. Isn't that just lovely? I can't afford them right now.

I am not sure but maybe someone else knows, can't she get these for free since these are her records... I know before when I have left a doctor who wasn't so great, they told me the first copy was free, after that there would be a cost for any additional copies.

I am so sorry for everything that you are going through... I think sometimes doctor's get to the point where someone isn't a "textbook case" so they don't know what else to do and they give up, or send them on their way... Have you thought about discussing this with the doc you had been seeing and ask why he has done this? I know you are in shock and probably angry right now... but if he did this to you without warning, is this the type of doctor you really want? I know how hard doctor's are to find and good one's at that to help us along this great journey through fibro, but some times it takes alot of frogs, to find that one prince. I am not making light of it, I promise I have been down that rocky road, but every now and then, we all need a little laughter, or we will buckle under.

Remember also, whenever one door shuts, another one opens... I hope you find that opened door soon.

We are all here hoping that you find it soon and in the meantime, we are here to support you in any way you need us. Let us know how you are because we care. Good Luck, Jenn

one way to get them for free is to tell the doc you are seeing someone else for something else and they want your records to be hand carried by you. not mailed. professional courtesy between docs. go figure????
peace,
blue

sweetjerseygirl,

I too had gone through a struggle with my insurance. Mine was my doctor signed but, the insuranced waited 7 months to make a decision on my case. I had to have a lawyer get involved. As if I wasn't going through enough as it was!

Goldyfm

All my friends tell me that I am a strong person. I keep telling them that this illness is not a choice. You don't have a choice, you have to deal with it everyday. It's just doesn't seem right to be pushed away form a Dr without reason. That is my feeling anyway.

Good luck, I wish you the best.

M