Doctor rant General: Info & Help

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  #1  
Old 02-22-2011
timmy timmy is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Gondola Point (work east)
Posts: 417
Unhappy Topic: Doctor rant

Doctor rant

I am at my wits end. Well, that's not true, but I am surely frustrated. I have a Dr, just not a very good one. He rushes through most appointments in less than a minute, forming his diagnosis in the first 10 seconds or so, writing a scrip, and billing medicare for a proper consultation. I am almost 50 and he has NEVER suggested any of the exams that I understand men over 40 should have. I see him about twice a yr to renew a couple of ongoing prescriptions and you can't get a word in edgewise. He gets mad and wants you to make another appointment if you have another problem.

I have a problem right now that just cropped up, is causing me pain, and would take a DR about 15 mins to deal with.

I am just getting over a severe cough/cold/flu that I am positive is a direct result of sitting for an hr in close quarters in his waiting room with ten people coughing. Should I run the gauntlet there again for an hr for another 30 second "audience". I tried calling a GP who I was referred to a few yrs ago by him to remove skin tags. He has a "closed practice" = no new patients. Too bad, because he seemed very nice and intelligent - willing to listen for a few minutes.
My wife also found a Dr who would listen for a few minutes, but he doesn't accept new patients and seems more geared to holding women's hands anyway.
I called the new med centre at Sam de Cham, having heard a piece on the radio about a month ago about how they were looking for patients. Their PR guy and their receptionist don't talk to each other much I guess, because she curtly referred me to the regional's "need a Dr" list.

So, I can wait an hr in "my" Dr's office for a slipshod, rushed diagnosis and get whatever's "going" this week, should I wear a mask( I realize the waiting thing is common, but I have been in OTHER offices/practices that are organized properly - heck I went to a busy Dr up-home years ago that was first come first served and the wait was much less)

I COULD go to outpatients and wait for 6-xx hrs with a much larger group of sick people and the meter running (gotta fleece those sick people for parking in a field).
I could TRY to get into after hrs, not sure where that would lead - my wife tried to get me in twice while this cough was raging and failed.
I'm thinking of driving to Calais like the rich people do with my mastercard - what an adventure THAT could turn out to be.
I could try deal with it myself with a candle and razorblade wild west style - NOT recommended by all the websites out there - but should I have to in 2011 Canada?
OK rant off, just wanted to get this off my chest. I support universal health care, but it's sure not working for me very well.........
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  #2  
Old 02-22-2011
christine chittick christine chittick is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 579
Default Topic: Doctor rant

Totally understand what you are going through. My yearly 'woman' exam is overdue by 2 years - technically I am required to have one every 6-12 months due to cervical cancer previously. But, the last time I was at the doctors was to get my 4yr old her needles. The office was literally jam packed with several people STANDING. I sat there, and this is no lie - a total of 3 hours!

I have gone to him previously.. now many people would say 'oh thats just a result of quitting smoking'... well, problem is, my metabolism, or something is very messed up. I WAS doing Interval training x3 a week, weights x2 a week, and Cardio x2 a week. I am going to write for my Personal Trainer Certification...well, I am reconsidering. I do this workout regime - eat proper, but somehow gained 15-20lbs and CANNOT lose it, or keep the 5lb loss off long enough to make it worth mentioning... I have asked my doctor for help. He says "you have to work harder". I think if I worked any harder my heart and lungs would explode. I could see if I was dogging the workouts, eating crap food everyday...but I am not. I am not looking for a quick fix just because, I am looking for a fix because I am concerned.

Any ways, thats not all. I had made an emergency trip early summer last year. I couldn't breathe, it hurt to breathe what little I could, and my chest was extremely tight, and I had extreme pain coming from my lung. I had an xray, which didn't at that time pick up anything serious. They gave me morphine, and told me I had pleurisy. Ok, so I've had it before, and apparently once you get it, you're prone to it. Well a week later the hospital calls me and tells me they found a decent sized spot on my lung and set up an appt. for a CT scan and dye test. Went for that and I had to go to my doctor to get the results... which I have yet to do because everytime I call, they can't get me in on my days that I am not overly swamped with work. Sooo.... needless to say, I made one appt., went and sat there for another 3hrs, and ended up leaving without being seen. A week later, my symptoms came back and off to the ER I went again. I ended up getting my results - thankfully is only a benign cyst of fluid material. Wheew.. talk about relief. Too bad that I didn't get the information from my doctor. This is pathetic. We need doctors... I won't even get into the incident with my wait at the hospital when my daughter split her face open and required stitches on the inside and outside of her face.... 20 hours before she was even seen...and thats all I am going to say about that because I am already getting too angry when I think about it.
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  #3  
Old 02-23-2011
sanne sanne is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 487
Default Topic: Doctor rant

And it is not going to get any better. By June, there will be 15,000 people in the area without a doctor due to retirements. FIFTEEN THOUSAND! My family will be in that group. Good luck to us!
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  #4  
Old 02-23-2011
timmy timmy is offline
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Location: Gondola Point (work east)
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Default Topic: Doctor rant

And every so often some bureaucrat stands up on TV and proudly proclaims the doctor shortage is a myth..............
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  #5  
Old 02-24-2011
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trinity trinity is offline
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Location: North End
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Default Topic: Doctor rant

Quote:
Originally Posted by timmy View Post
And every so often some bureaucrat stands up on TV and proudly proclaims the doctor shortage is a myth..............
Agreed. I know several people who have moved to SJ but "their" doctor is back home in Fredericton or Moncton or Riverview because they can't get a doctor here so they have not "told" their doctor they moved because they need access, so yep, driving hours to get to an appt- should not take all day to see your doctor for a rash or a regular checkup.
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  #6  
Old 02-24-2011
Mertyl01 Mertyl01 is offline
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Default Topic: Doctor rant

Timmy...I think we must have the same Dr. I go through the same headache every time myself, my husband or kids have something wrong. He seems to always be on vacation, he will only see children on Wednesday afternoons (never another time, so God forbid my kids have something wrong on a Monday), he will only see women on Tuesday mornings and seems to be out of the office three afternoons a week. He goes through secrataries left right and center, probably because he is such a jerk.
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  #7  
Old 02-24-2011
Mertyl01 Mertyl01 is offline
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Location: West side
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Default Topic: Doctor rant

Timmy...I think we must have the same Dr. I go through the same headache every time myself, my husband or kids have something wrong. He seems to always be on vacation, he will only see children on Wednesday afternoons (never another time, so God forbid my kids have something wrong on a Monday), he will only see women on Tuesday mornings and seems to be out of the office three afternoons a week. He goes through secrataries left right and center, probably because he is such a jerk.
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  #8  
Old 02-24-2011
timmy timmy is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Gondola Point (work east)
Posts: 417
Default Topic: Doctor rant

No, that doesn't sound like him. Several others have guessed from my description though, including other health pros we have seen over the years at outpatients, pharmacies, etc. Many of them shake their head when they hear his name - they know what is going on. Now that I have added my name to the no Dr's list, I worry I will get a call from him, I know he is accepting new patients because so many have bailed. I am thinking of going to my old Dr in up-home (long hike) but they have NO facilities.

AND government and some high profile Drs like the one who publicly quit last week, think outlying areas should have even less so cities can have more.
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  #9  
Old 02-25-2011
sugadip sugadip is offline
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Posts: 314
Default Topic: Doctor rant

I really like my family doctor, he listens and sends me for tests if needed. He has been my doctor since I was born so we are able to joke around and have built a rapport over the years. He will be retiring this year so I worry all of his patients will just be in limbo. So many people already and in need of family doctors so we will be amounst many who are looking.
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  #10  
Old 02-26-2011
Crystalbeach Crystalbeach is offline
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Default Topic: Doctor rant

Timmy...your doctor's behaviour is disgraceful...first thing I would do is call him on it and the second thing would be to report him...I really think you need to take the offensive here and demand what you want.
I was very fortunate, when my doctor retired, to get in with my husband's doctor, at St. Joseph's Hospital...
we have blood tests done before every visit..goes over our "numbers" with us each time..talks to us about our concerns etc etc.

I would not take, not even for one minute, any more crap from this guy!
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  #11  
Old 03-04-2011
ysbran ysbran is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 125
Default Topic: Doctor rant

Hi Timmy, I agreed with Crystalbeach what he does is disgraceful.
And it's hard to find a good doctor out there. I have my own family doctor as well and everybody LOVES him, young and attractive but for some reason I don't share that LOVE, he is a major @^^ O and he doesn't listen to me either. Therefore I'd rather go to a clinic, rather than driving to Dever Road, I get way better treatment there.
Oh well, perhaps the Alward government is gonna help us. That's what they promised us LOL (I don't see it happening, they got what they want.)
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