"Dumbing down" for docs? - Pain Management Message Board

hhsix · 07-24-2006, 09:31 AM

Hi all

I have an appt w/a new PM doc tomorrow.

They told me to bring any radiology stuff & whatnot with me. Among the MANY probs I have w/my current doc is the fact that in the 2 1/2 yrs I've been going to him he's NEVER done any radiology OR bloodwork. NONE.

He's never had my blood drawn, not even to check liver function,etc. I thought they were supposed to do that on a regular basis. I've asked him repeatedly (every visit) about this. I'm a little paranoid about taking something w/acetaminophen in it for so long.

I had an allergic reaction to a med he put me on & he still didn't draw blood. My hubby mentioned it to a field surgeon (Nat'l Guard) that he knows & the guy looked dumbfounded.

My current doc also is very antagonistic towards me. During one visit when he asked me how bad the pain is, what makes it better/worse,etc,I told him the road trips we had to take at the time were excruciating. He said to quit taking them & acted offended when I told him I had to at the time, but would be stopping soon (My mother had ALS & this was about 3 months before she passed away. We have a 12 yr old who was very attached to her "Nana" & needed to be able to see her).

One visit he asked about the level of pain & when I started talking about it & describing it, he told me I was a very negative person. HE ASKED! What am I supposed to do? Tell him everything is hunky dory & that I don't have a problem? That's the whole reason I go to him! Putting on makeup doesn't make the pain go away. I figured a PM doc would know that.

BTW, I truly am not a negative person despite how disgusted I am with this doc. It is my nature to deal with bad things with humor. I guess I just lost my sense of humor where this guy is concerned.

During the next visit, he commented on how large my daughter is. I said I know, but he went on & on about her weight. The more upset I got, the more he talked about it. I found it disgusting, & also wondered what he thought that had to do with my visit with him.

He seems truly perturbed at me when I recognize what a medicine or a procedure is. I feel like I have to "dumb myself down" for him, otherwise he does his best to make me feel like an idiot.

He makes these comments & it never fails, he looks at my husband with a smirk on his face as though they're two 10 yr olds who've just shared an inside joke about someone. My husband is disgusted by it & can't imagine how the man still has a practice if he treats everyone this way. Unfortunately, he's the only PM doc in this quadrant of our state. I'm having to go 2 1/2 hrs away to see this new doc.

There are a multitude of other instances, but I think you can get an idea of what this person is like.

My question is this...

Are most PM docs like this? This is the only one I've seen.

After 8 surgeries on the same area, I pretty much know that morphine doesn't do squat for me & Demerol doesn't take the pain away at all, but it does make me too busy talking to inanimate objects to discuss it (My sister caught me having a conversation with my wall clock).

I thought I was supposed to be able to tell a doctor about things like this without being ridiculed. Things already learned through trial & error so that time wasn't wasted doing it all over again.

Am I wrong? Or do docs actually want patients who are complete idiots & have no ability to retain information?

I also don't know how much of my experience with the old doc I'm supposed to discuss with the new doc. I don't want to seem like I'm some ogre looking to destroy someone, but I also want them to know that I don't think the level of "care"(& I use the term loosely) I've been getting is appropriate.

I guess I just want someone to finally do what they're being paid to do, to use their knowledge they've gained through yrs of practice & training to help me instead of making me feel like it's my fault that I hurt, or that I secretly want to hurt.....As though I hurt because I didn't put on enough makeup & if I'd just gone to the trouble to put a little more on, it might have helped. If only that were all I had to do to get relief! I'd sit & play dress up all day if that were the case!

mpvt · 07-24-2006, 09:37 AM

You need to find a new doctor asap.

milimoki · 07-24-2006, 07:05 PM

Ewww..

I would never go back and see that guy again. Yes I would tell your new Dr. about your last Dr. I have been treated like that before many times by Dr.'s and nurses. I am blonde and petite and they dont take me seriously. They must think I am an air head because I look like one, then when I open my mouth and know what I am talking about, it makes them even more angry. Keep looking until you find a great Dr. They are out there!!! My new PM Dr is great. He's very nice, and listens to what I have to say, and hes very informative.

I would be very very concerened if I was having a conversation with a wall clock by the way. That sounds like a dose that was to high. Good luck and let us know all about the new PM Dr

Kissa · 07-24-2006, 07:56 PM

Your doctor is not the norm and is apparently uncaring and possibly rude. I would consider seeing a different doctor. Not all doctors do blood work, I have mine managed via my primary care physician. I do know that if I asked him about blood work he'd most likely be more than happy to do whatever he felt was necessary.

It isn't necessary to explain in detail to the new doctor why you left the old one. You can simply say there was a difference of opinion and you felt your care wasn't optimal. Let the new doctor know what you are currently on, what you have tried, what works and what doesn't work.

There's a good sticky on the top of the board that discusses what a good PM will do. A good PM will try many modalities such a medication, therapy both on a physical and pscological level, offer things such as meditation, biofeedback and even the use of a TENS Unit. It's important to realize that pain management isn't just about medication, it's much more complex. Treating the patient as a whole as opposed to just masking the symptoms is very important.

Good luck
Barb

Fibbles · 07-24-2006, 08:16 PM

I love my PM doctor to bits! She's done more for me as a whole than nearly any of my other doctors combined and that's really without needing to. When I articulate whatever's wrong, she takes me as seriously as I should be taken

and encourages me to tell her every little bit so she knows everything that's being done is working effectively.

So now, instead of having to call an make an appointment with a urologist for my chronic urinary tract infections (since May I've been getting them every few weeks

), she sent me for bloodwork and wants to make sure the other Dr's have been giving me the right antibiotic. She also tacked on a bunch of other tests just to check up on what's up too.

When we thought I might have had Arthrogryposis, she tracked down an expert on the disease so we could be sure. I gave her permission to send my yearly slides to other doctor's around the country for their opinions too.

I couldn't be happier with the "service" I'm getting