# dam doctor



## twinkles (Sep 7, 2018)

i had an appointment  with the doctor yesterday---the  appointment was for 11 am---i get there at 10;30-their is always papers you have to sign--- she never called me till 1.30----all these people coming in she was wating on them  then she went to lunch
i had to wait till porky come back then she called me --all total i was their 3 hours just to have some prescriptions filled----grrrrr


----------



## gennie (Sep 7, 2018)

If it was me, I'd be looking for another doctor.


----------



## RadishRose (Sep 7, 2018)

That's outrageous! I know there can be emergencies, but this warrants a change of doctors.


----------



## Falcon (Sep 7, 2018)

Don't   "Dam"  the doctor.  Dam  the  office  employee.


----------



## C'est Moi (Sep 7, 2018)

Did you say anything to her, or to the doctor about such pathetic service??    After one hour, I'd have been stirring things up.


----------



## PopsnTuff (Sep 7, 2018)

I call 1/2 hour in advance and ask if the doctor is running late on appointments....so when I get there and am waiting more than 20 minutes, I ask the girls whats going on and that I already called....works every time for being seen promptly....the squeaky wheel gets the oil


----------



## twinkles (Sep 7, 2018)

i told 0ne time how long i have been waiting and she said other people have health problems just like you---i would find another doctor but i only drive a short way all the good doctors are on the  other side of town


----------



## gennie (Sep 7, 2018)

So as in many cases, life is a trade-off.


----------



## rgp (Sep 7, 2018)

I don't have any waiting issues with mine.....I just wish he'd actually 'fix' something, anything. If my 'vitals' check out OK all he does is suggest a specialist. For.....arthritis, psoriasis, "pre"-diabetes, sinuses, Grrrrr

That's four specialist...which I have seen...none of them have "fixed" anything either...they just prescribe meds that may or may not react well with the med the last guy prescribed......I'm tired of seeing doctors period!

What ever happened to Markus Welby??

If I strayed too far OT?...sorry.


----------



## twinkles (Sep 7, 2018)

i read where doctors are prescribing medication and they tell you to check with the phrmacist because it might  clash with other medicaton


----------



## twinkles (Sep 7, 2018)

last year my doctor told me i was low on potassium that i could buy it over the counter i asked her what strength she said ask the pharmacist--i ask the pharmacist she said i had to check with the doctor---a few weeks later the dr. office called and said to stop taking the potassium  my blood work showed i was good--i hadnt even taken any the quack


----------



## Camper6 (Sep 7, 2018)

My doctor's office has free Wi-Fi.

So while I'm waiting I just do what I would do at home.  Go on the internet.

They do have a sign.  If you haven't been called in half an hour, let us know.


----------



## debbie in seattle (Sep 7, 2018)

Call the office ( or while there waiting) and ask to speak to the clinic manager or clinic coordinator and let him/her know what’s going on.    What the hell, the doc is that late and goes to lunch?    There’s something screwy going on, no doc does that.   Furthermore, did the nurse, medical assistant, receptionist keep you updated on how long your wait would be?    Worked in health care for 30 years and never heard of this happening.


----------



## twinkles (Sep 7, 2018)

after i had been there for an hour i asked the clerk how many were a head of me she said i was next  --then she went to lunch the only ones left in the office were some little old ladies making copies of  things


----------



## Sassycakes (Sep 7, 2018)

That Doctor sounds like a Doctor we went to years ago. After my husband waited over 2 hours in the office to be seen. When the Doctor walked in my husband said "Boy Dr you really know how to test your Patients Patience " The Dr looked very upset and said to my husband you hurt my feelings and I will no longer see you. My Husband laughed and walked out. The Dr called our house and told me that I was a lovely patient and he would continue to see ,but not my husband. I laughed and said "You're crazy " and I hung up. He really was a Nut.


----------



## Olivia (Sep 7, 2018)

I had a PCP where when I had an appointment I would only have to wait about 10 minutes to see her. But guess what, 10 minutes was about all I got and when I tried to explain things and ask questions, I would be mostly cut off. Now my dad has a PCP where he waits maybe an hour and a half to see his doctor, but then the doctor takes the time to chat about things. Which is worse? And when you get to see your doctor without having to wait too long, how much time do you get with them?


----------



## Camper6 (Sep 7, 2018)

Olivia said:


> I had a PCP where when I had an appointment I would only have to wait about 10 minutes to see her. But guess what, 10 minutes was about all I got and when I tried to explain things and ask questions, I would be mostly cut off. Now my dad has a PCP where he waits maybe an hour and a half to see his doctor, but then the doctor takes the time to chat about things. Which is worse? And when you get to see your doctor without having to wait too long, how much time do you get with them?



I'm always ready and I state my case and let the doctor respond.

He's not very chatty but I do get as much time as I need to explain.

I really don't mind waiting in the doctor's office.  A nice view and free wi-fi.


----------



## twinkles (Sep 8, 2018)

hey  olivia---i get 10 minutes and she keeps her head in her cp all the time--i have my medication all written down  so she dont have to look it up--she has me on meds on the cp that i dont even take- the doctors now a days dont want to deal with senior citizens--i have heard of other people having the same problem and they live in another state


----------



## debbie in seattle (Sep 8, 2018)

Time docs spend with patients.........that is set by the clinic standards.   There is a standard that docs are expected to stick to, yes, some patients take more time and others take less.   Docs have ‘x’ amount of patients per day to see, they get a bonus check if they see so many patients a day, staff gets zero.   Crazy, but that’s what medicine is today, an assembly line.


----------



## rgp (Sep 8, 2018)

debbie in seattle said:


> Time docs spend with patients.........that is set by the clinic standards.   There is a standard that docs are expected to stick to, yes, some patients take more time and others take less.   Docs have ‘x’ amount of patients per day to see, they get a bonus check if they see so many patients a day, staff gets zero.   Crazy, but that’s what medicine is today, an assembly line.




 Not long ago on talk radio, a caller said he timed his doc...13 minutes face time [his term]....So I did the same on my next appointment. 14 minutes....Not long after, I read where their goal is to get it down to 8 minutes average.

Talked recently to a retired doctor friend . Not sure of his exact retirement date? But he is 80 so? He said even he doesn't understand the 'business' end of it today. And sometimes scratches his head about the clinical end as well.

His comment was that they should be ashamed.


----------



## WhatInThe (Sep 8, 2018)

I've heard about the dr/patients per day, hour tec quota from insurance companies. One reason could be they don't want the doctors racking up huge bills on few patients.


----------



## Olivia (Sep 8, 2018)

twinkles said:


> hey  olivia---i get 10 minutes and she keeps her head in her cp all the time--i have my medication all written down  so she dont have to look it up--she has me on meds on the cp that i dont even take- *the doctors now a days dont want to deal with senior citizens-*-i have heard of other people having the same problem and they live in another state



That's the truth! My dad who's 91 has now been in bed for four months because of back pain and finally found out he didn't need to be. I kept telling him to ask his PCP to send him to a specialist because his back pain wasn't getting any better. The doctor kept putting him off and put him on pain killers instead. So then after three months the doctor said that if he's not better in 3 weeks, he would send him to a specialist. I was livid and I insisted my dad tell him to send him to a specialist now! So, guess what,  he did. And now it turns out he doesn't just have an "old man's" body aches but had four fractures in his spine

He finally got an MRI and a bone density test which he never got tested for before, and he has good insurance--three insurances including Medicare. So now it's discovered that his bone density is off the charts, literally! Now finally he'll get treatment after he's already bent over waiting, waiting, waiting. Don't let any doctor tell you that your aches and pains are just because you're OLD! Before this my dad was still very active. I don't know what's going to happen now.


----------



## WhatInThe (Sep 8, 2018)

twinkles said:


> hey  olivia---i get 10 minutes and she keeps her head in her cp all the time--i have my medication all written down  so she dont have to look it up--she has me on meds on the cp that i dont even take- the doctors now a days dont want to deal with senior citizens--i have heard of other people having the same problem and they live in another state



The doctors don't want to deal with seniors because they're in new territory with the age of the patient. Their guess is as good as yours. They don't have enough data on 90ish patients for cya mail it in treatment. They have to think and observe in much more detail. I know someone who was overdosed by their pc on heart and bp meds to the point of fainting then falling because he didn't take into account the heart med is a cross purpose bp med. After lowering then eliminating the bp meds their bp is normal(up from low bp). Heart med is all but gone now as well. The protocols require the use of too many chemicals. Patients need more than semi annual or quarterly monitoring if they are dosed with these chemicals. Especially the patients that can't or won't monitor their own health.


----------



## oldman (Sep 8, 2018)

I think maybe you were passed over, perhaps by mistake.


----------



## Victor (Sep 9, 2018)

I would have walked out. Never wait that long.
Handle it over the phone instead.
My doctors are prompt but they spend  little time with me.
I am told that they are pressured by insurance companies to see
as many patients as they can...like a turnstile in and out.

Sometimes it depends on whether the doctor likes you as a person or patient.
If he doesn't especially like you, he will treat you yes, but might not be nice and
will not extend himself or herself.


----------



## jaminhealth (Sep 9, 2018)

twinkles said:


> last year my doctor told me i was low on potassium that i could buy it over the counter i asked her what strength she said ask the pharmacist--i ask the pharmacist she said i had to check with the doctor---a few weeks later the dr. office called and said to stop taking the potassium  my blood work showed i was good--i hadnt even taken any the quack



One's can come in on low end of potassium labs, and fatigue and muscle cramps are major issue of low potassium.   I often take 99mg daily of potassium gluconate and make sure I eat some good potassium rich foods, V8 low sodium juice is a great potassium lift and so are avocados.  Lots of other stuff too.


----------



## jaminhealth (Sep 9, 2018)

Olivia said:


> That's the truth! My dad who's 91 has now been in bed for four months because of back pain and finally found out he didn't need to be. I kept telling him to ask his PCP to send him to a specialist because his back pain wasn't getting any better. The doctor kept putting him off and put him on pain killers instead. So then after three months the doctor said that if he's not better in 3 weeks, he would send him to a specialist. I was livid and I insisted my dad tell him to send him to a specialist now! So, guess what,  he did. And now it turns out he doesn't just have an "old man's" body aches but had four fractures in his spine
> 
> He finally got an MRI and a bone density test which he never got tested for before, and he has good insurance--three insurances including Medicare. So now it's discovered that his bone density is off the charts, literally! Now finally he'll get treatment after he's already bent over waiting, waiting, waiting. Don't let any doctor tell you that your aches and pains are just because you're OLD! Before this my dad was still very active. I don't know what's going to happen now.



If father can walk best to do so.  Staying in bed doesn't make back stronger.  Magnesium is a major deficiency and your father could have an issue there.  Even if  your father can do some stretching while in bed and even do some PT, he could get a bit stronger.  91 is up there.  But one can still be strong at that age if they work daily ...

I have a brother who is 75 and we talked today and as bad as his back is and I talked him out of back surgery a couple yrs ago, he says playing golf as he does just about daily keeps his back moving better.  He works in golf courses too, teaching.


----------



## Olivia (Sep 10, 2018)

jaminhealth said:


> If father can walk best to do so.  Staying in bed doesn't make back stronger.  Magnesium is a major deficiency and your father could have an issue there.  Even if  your father can do some stretching while in bed and even do some PT, he could get a bit stronger.  91 is up there.  But one can still be strong at that age if they work daily ...
> 
> I have a brother who is 75 and we talked today and as bad as his back is and I talked him out of back surgery a couple yrs ago, he says playing golf as he does just about daily keeps his back moving better.  He works in golf courses too, teaching.



That's what I thought, too, Jam. And I encouraged him to be active and walk around more, etc. In fact, I was getting impatient with him for mostly lying around. He did go out a couple of times, and always came back hurting more. And since his for-real-diagnosis, I now know why. He had four fractures in his spine (which were new by the way--a result of his twisting his back getting out of bed one morning.) That's when it all started. The bone and joint specialist said they were all "new". 

But the really serious thing is when he finally got a bone density test and when the doctor finally saw it, he just couldn't understand why it was so severely bad, that he had his blood taken from the lab to find out what was going on. And after thinking about it later I realized that he had been taking a PPI for acid reflux that was so bad that an ambulance was called twice because he thought he was having a heart attack. He was on this medication for 10 years (he said he stopped it for a year already so I don't think it was on the list that he gave to the doctor) which I've researched and found that this type of medication can cause osteoporosis. 

So, if he had tripped and fallen down while trying to be active he could have broken a hip and that would have been devastating. Anyway, the doctor said he could walk around (which he does in a walker) for 10 minutes a day. And now we're just waiting for a medication that you inject in your body every day that will build up the bones. It's supposed to start helping the bones get stronger after six weeks. You know, it just makes me so upset thinking about how this condition could have been avoided--at least for as bad as it had gotten.


----------



## jaminhealth (Sep 10, 2018)

So much can be avoided and so many drugs are so damaging.  I know I take a lot more magnesium daily and have been for years and Never take PPI's  -- I have worked with supplements for over 25 yrs.  So so wish so many more would have all their lives.  

America is a pharma world.  Hope your dad can get some strength.  When I think of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and she's headed to 90 and they say she's one little strong woman.


----------



## Olivia (Sep 10, 2018)

jaminhealth said:


> So much can be avoided and so many drugs are so damaging.  I know I take a lot more magnesium daily and have been for years and Never take PPI's  -- I have worked with supplements for over 25 yrs.  So so wish so many more would have all their lives.
> 
> America is a pharma world.  Hope your dad can get some strength.  When I think of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and she's headed to 90 and they say she's one little strong woman.



Yes, I'm keeping positive.

As far as RBG, what a great role model! I love that woman. She's actually 85 and it's been said that she really needs to stay on the Court for five more years. She is a bit bent over so I hope she's not having bone density problems. Did you watch the CNN special on her life? What a woman and what a great husband, too!


----------



## fmdog44 (Sep 11, 2018)

I saw a news piece where patients are dealing with the doctors over the internet now instead of going in. I don't know how Medicare handles that. It sure would be nice to do that instead of going in to get a prescription refilled. My doctor always checks my vitals and asks me if I got the latest shot for whatever is flying around. He is pretty firm about me coming in every six months but he is moving north by about 15 miles so I my change.


----------



## C'est Moi (Sep 11, 2018)

fmdog44 said:


> I saw a news piece where patients are dealing with the doctors over the internet now instead of going in. I don't know how Medicare handles that. It sure would be nice to do that instead of going in to get a prescription refilled. My doctor always checks my vitals and asks me if I got the latest shot for whatever is flying around. He is pretty firm about me coming in every six months but he is moving north by about 15 miles so I my change.



Last December I got shingles.   I emailed my doctor and attached a picture of the rash on my arm.   She responded that it was shingles and called in 2 prescriptions.   I never went in to see her and she did not charge my insurance (or me) anything.   She is very responsive to email inquiries which I appreciate very much.


----------



## RebeccaBrowne (Sep 14, 2018)

My doctor is awesome. She is never late. And she won't take you if you are late. She has us all trained. Also, she has a really good nurse practitioner who I go to for things like prescriptions. I can usually get in to see her faster, she gets the doctor if needed (rarely has that happened), writes my prescription and I am good to go.


----------



## jaminhealth (Sep 14, 2018)

I see my Integrative MD once a year or twice if I have to go back in to go over labs.  She doesn't need to do much with much as I am SO MUCH my own doctor...and all my supplements keep from so many issues like shingles, no vaccines and no shingles at 80.   And I had chicken pox at 5.

The ortho surgeon messed me up but bad with hip replacement in 2010 and if I never have a knife cut me again,  I'll be one happy camper..and my  walker is a good friend, thought I'd never say this but it's come to that....I so fear a knee replacement, so so fear it.  Hip was messed up and each time we are cut, more arthritis sets in.   That's it on my ortho MD.

Otherwise I keep my eyes and gums very healthy with supplements and don't go to those docs anymore....it's taken a lifetime to find the answers for me...no cataracts either as I use the eye supports I do.  

I'm not a fan of running to doctors and their drugs.


----------



## jujube (Sep 14, 2018)

My orthopedist sent me to a neurologist.  He said "Now, Dr. _______ is a little hard to deal with, but I think you should see him because he's one of the best."

My first appointment, he was rude, cold, and completely dismissed the results of the neurological tests that the ortho had ordered.  He said, "Exactly what do you want to accomplish by seeing me?"  I said, "Well, I'd like you to tell me what's wrong with me!"  He ordered some more tests, stalked out of the office and turned me over to the PA.

I had the tests done (by him and he acted like I wasn't even there).  When I came back next week, he greeted me warmly, took quite a bit of time explaining the results, we told each other a couple of jokes, laughed, and on the way out of the room he gave me a side hug and walked me part of the way down the hall with his arm around my shoulders.  He said it was a pleasure meeting me.

The next appointment, he was rude, dismissive and acted like he'd rather be having four wisdom teeth pulled without gas than to be meeting with me.  Luckily, I now just check in with the PA, who is a delightful person.

I wonder if sometimes he doesn't take his "happy pills" or if he is bi-polar.  

Or, maybe it's like the old joke goes...….Q: What is the difference between God and a Neurologist?  A: God doesn't think he's a Neurologist.


----------



## Victor (Sep 18, 2018)

When some of these doctors need a doctor themselves, are they treated in the same manner?
If they are, then they'd get a taste of their own medicine, literally.


----------



## jaminhealth (Sep 18, 2018)

No they are treated with kid gloves by their buddies and none of them would say a negative word about the other....


----------

