Oh no!! Missed PM appointment today!! - Pain Management Message Board

painaway · 01-22-2008, 09:04 PM

OH NO! I missed my appointment today with my pain management doc!! I have only had one visit with him, and I was supposed to follow up today (about a month later). I have gone this whole time thinking my appointment was on Wednesday (tomorrow), the 22nd, and I just figured out that TODAY is the 22nd, and I MISSED IT!!!!!!!! What in the world would you guys do? I know I need to call and apologize profusely, but has anyone had any experience with this and have some advice? I hate this so badly, as I was really trying to build a good rapport with them.

Last time, he didn't even look at my records, and he prescribed Lyrica (which caused intense abdominal pain). I called about a week later, and he switched the Lyrica to Topamax. He wanted to "keep my Lortab with my GP, since she was already prescribing and he wasn't in that office much and blah blah blah"...which I took as a complete copout. I was hoping to talk with him this visit about taking over my pain meds, but boy I messed that up by being a no show!!!

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

ms_west · 01-22-2008, 10:22 PM

I would call the receptionist and explain exactly what you just told us. We all make mistakes (well I don't

) from time to time. See if you can get another appt and hopefully they don't make you wait another month.

slipperyslope · 01-23-2008, 06:23 AM

Yah that is pretty bad that happened as most PM Docs are VERY busy and get pretty upset if you miss an apt. They should be calling to remind you of your apt the day before so this doesn't happen, that is to bad they don't do that... I had seen this happen at my PM'S office and people would come in a day later and they would make them wait several weeks. Hopefully your Dr is not so strict but you best call today and apoligize and ask them to make you a new apt. there is nothing else you can do at this point.

I am sure it will be fine since your a new patient and its never happened before.

feelbad · 01-23-2008, 08:17 AM

while i can see your problem,i am wondering if this is the right doc for you anyways?you don't sound to thrilled with him,thats all.the other posters are right here about them calling you with reminders,i always get this with most of my specialist appts,including my PM.since these types of appts are so spread out,its kind of easy to possibly get things messed up,thats WHY they need to be doing this.there is the need to also apologize like hell to these people too.i know my contract actually states if any appts are missed,it starts working against you in some way,i cannot remember exactly,but i know it is addressed in my actual contract i signed.

are you still taking the lyrica?just wondering since for me,that would have been a really great excuse for possibly not "being all there" inside my head.that drug really messed with alot of things for me including just my ability to think,at all.
if you want to stay with this PM i would be calling them and doing all the right things here.i would also ask them about appt reminder calls.it is just usually done when appts are scheduled more than a month out from one another.people DO forget things.if i didn't have my calender,i would be totally lost and miss most of my primarys(they don't do call/appt reminders) and my sons appts too.just tell the PMs office what you told us.i wish you luck with this and hope it doesn't work against you in some way.let us know how it goes.marcia

ibake&pray · 01-23-2008, 08:47 AM

Well, at least I'm not the only one who does this! I did it this month also. My oh so dear hubby forgot to mention that my appt. was Monday and on Wednesday I thought it was odd that I was on my last day of Morphine. I called the PM Dr.s' office and asked them when my appt. was...last Mondya they said. I just stood and looked at my hubby...It's real hard to argue with a woman who doesn't say anything and just stands and looks at you with tears streaming down her face. The dogs even took my side!

The good news in my case is that I have been going to him for a looonnnggg time and he just wrote me scripts and rescheduled me for next month. I have been balanced enough that I see him every other month. I call in on the odd month and he asks if I have issues. If I'm doing OK, he just writes my scripts for another month and sees me the next month. IF I'm having problems I go in to see him and we do adjustments. So far it's been working fine.

My thought for you is that you beg on bended knee, use the new patient, not used to the routine, won't ever happen again, please give me another chance...bring in some baked goods (always helps in my case)......