Veterinarians, Wish They Were An Option.

[Rusla]

As of this year in Canada, Celiacs, with the signing of a special form can now deduct their food from income tax. Since being diagnosed at the end of November, my family doctor who has been nothing but reluctant and muley will not sign the form for me. I am searching for another doctor and don't

want to go through tests all over again and gluten to get it done. As it is hard to find a doctor that is accepting new patients around here I am pissed off. However, another of my doctors who knows what I have been through with this said he would be happy to sign the form for me. He also told me

that this is not the first time he has heard of my family doctor "cutting corners." The strange thing about my family doctor is that he never touches anyone, meaning no physical examination, no feeling of glands when you have a sore throat or anything like that. That is not just with me but many people who have or had him.

If it wasn't for this doctor who is a specialist in another area I would never have gotten my Synthroid which has helped disolve the nodules, but now help me with this form. I am glad that I have at least one good doctor.

Has anyone else had problems like this with their doctor in these things.

[tarnalberry]

I've been pretty lucky with doctors and haven't had any that were *bad*. (Well, I had two, for one visit each, for an orthopaedic consult on my knee. I didn't like their approach (not western/alternative, but "bedside manner" and so on), so I found a different doctor.) My last GP was *fabulous*, and took the dietary results as an answer on celiac (and generally worked with me very well), and I miss her now that I've moved. :-(

[Guest Viola]

Wow ... that's too bad. My doctor signed almost instantly and said it was about time we were getting a break. He also checks the glands, ears, throat, blood pressure etc, on a regular basis.

I can't imagine having a doctor that won't touch you! How on earth did he become a doctor!

Glad I have a good one.

[Rusla]

I started going to this one when he saved me from another doctor who would have let me die from pernicious anemia. Now this one after seven years has really gone down hill. It was revealed to me yesterday that my family doctor has been reported to the the board of physicians and surgeons many times by other doctors because of things he hasn't done. I have been looking for a new doctor for awhile now because I imagined he was putting in time till his kids were out of university.

No wonder he has no hospital priviledges or I could never see a decent specialist. I am on the lists for other doctors when they start taking patients again.

I guess I need to move to BC, although my sister has had some dilly bar doctors too. But her friend out there kept putting his back out and his doctor said it wasn't his back and tested him for Celiac and it came back positive.

[Ursa Major]

Rusla, what form is this? I haven't heard of it, but obviously need it, too. Where do I get one?

That's interesting and amazing, that a doctor will send someone for Celiac testing for a bad back! I have had a terrible back since I was seven years old. By the time I was in my twenties I'd put out my back regularly, and that only stopped when I went off gluten last October (at the age of 52).

I'm glad you found a doctor who'd sign your form. I hope you find a new family doctor soon! That's awful, that he won't touch you, it's not possible to do a decent exam without touching. That reminds me though, my homeopathic doctor also never touches me, I've been wondering about that. She'll be asking me a million questions about symptoms, but will do that sitting behind her desk.

[Rusla]

In 2001 and 2002 Celiac disease was considered a disability and you could have an additional deduction. This is the last year you can claim that deduction which could net you up to a $3000. refund. You have to have the disability form filled out and after talking to Revenue Canada I can claim back to 2001 and 2002 because Celiac disease was probably something I have had at least for 30 years. Now for the rest of the years from 2003 they took it off the disability list but now with an additional note from the doctor you can claim your Celiac food such as breads and flours as a medical expense.

They considered it a disability before because of the time it took to travel to and and procure special ingredients to make our food and the expense. For some assinine reason the government thinks that we don't have to pay more, travel more or take time to make our food. With the bread you compare a loaf of gluten-free bread against a regular loaf of bread, you must have receipts to submit if asked. e.g. regualr loaf $2.00, gluten-free loaf $6.50= claiming $4.50.

[tiredofdoctors]

I think that your thread name is superb! I actually told our veterinarian that if, by any chance, he would start treating people I would be his first patient. Think about it -- vets don't even have the benefit of having their patients tell them what hurts! And 99.9% of the time, they're right! We have a food tax deduction here, but not an across the board deduction. We only need a prescription to deduct the food, though. I'm so sorry that your MD wouldn't give you the form -- what a jerk. . .. .Lynne

[Rusla]

I got my other doctor to do it because he was not happy with the GP doctor. Now, there is no across the board deduction, it is a medical expense and you have to make a lot of money to deduct it. As of last Wednesday, I have a new GP.

Yes veterinarians usually make their patients better or tell you if they can't. We just have to get them to change the way they take a temperature.

[Guest Viola]

Yes veterinarians usually make their patients better or tell you if they can't. We just have to get them to change the way they take a temperature.

That's funny Rusla, my Shiba Inu doesn't co-operate at all to get her temperature taken. Don't blame her, I wouldn't either

[Rusla]

I bet she thinks about reversing the tables and taking the vets temperature with a telephone pole.

[tiredofdoctors]

That was good! My teacup toy won't even look at me after the vet takes her temp -- she is so furious with me!

My mom scared me to death a couple of months ago -- I had a fever and was at her house -- I asked her where the thermometer was -- she told me, I cleaned it with alcohol, and as I was using it, she said "I hope that's not Sugar's thermometer" -- I thought I was going to be sick She started laughing so hard she had to hold her sides! She said -- Sugar's thermometer is in with the dog stuff -- don't throw up on the floor! . . . . Lynne

You know, it dawned on me -- we're laughing about that stuff, but seriously -- when I first went into the vet's office with the dog when I was using a walker, the first thing he said was "Have you been tested for canine erlichiosis? It's running rampant around here for the last two years." The he gave me a list of things for which he wanted the MD's to test. I can't tell you the eye-rolling I got (at hopkins) when I told them that my vet wanted me to be tested for these. (along with my shots and worming)! Just kidding

[debmidge]

I really recommend reading a series of books by James Herriott (UK) . He was a veterinanian in 1930-1980s about. In one of his books he mentions that some vets ditch their animal patients if they are "poor doers" (meaning they can't help them get better). I was surprised at that..that's inhuman.

[tiredofdoctors]

My brother-in-law has a farm (cattle, sheep, chickens) -- did you know that over 20 years ago, veterinarians knew that e-pylori caused ulcers and that antibiotics were the correct treatment? Human docs found that out, what, 8 years ago????

My brother-in-law has a farm (cattle, goats, chickens) -- did you know that over 20 years ago, veterinarians knew that e-pylori caused ulcers and that antibiotics were the correct treatment? Human docs found that out, what, 8 years ago????

[Rusla]

James Herriot books are so funny.

[chrissy]

i loved james herriot's books. i think the title of this thread is so funny!

christine

[Guest Viola]

It really is amazing how far ahead Vets are to human doctors. Perhaps because animals are so much nicer to handle than humans, they take more of an interest and use more compassion.

[ianm]

Did you know that it is MUCH HARDER to become a veterinarian than a human doctor? I have two cousins who are human doctors and the only reason they do that is because they flunked out of vet school!

[Rusla]

ianm...that sure is comforting. They say 3/4 of doctors finish at the bottom of their class. I am sure I have had most of the bottom feeders.

[Guest Viola]

Did you know that it is MUCH HARDER to become a veterinarian than a human doctor? I have two cousins who are human doctors and the only reason they do that is because they flunked out of vet school!

That's a scary thought I hope they aren't in my area

[tiredofdoctors]

I'm sure that at least 3 doctors I've seen were Veterinarian rejects. . . . Lynne

[Guest mvaught]

Here's my most recent doctor story (I posted this on a blog I write) in which I think the moral about sums up doctors:

It is a warm sunny day here in the South Florida winter. People are walking around outside in tanks and shorts. I went to the doctor today to get a prescription that apparently already got called in, what a waste - except not...

So after messing around with my diet for months, I finally got the validation that I needed. Here is the rundown.....Before Brian and I got married, I went gluten free and it helped me immensely (notice that I fit into my dress instead of being hugely bloated). Then, I cheated on the Honeymoon (due to this cheating, one night of the HM, I fell alseep, or more like passed out, at 8pm and didn't get up until noonish the next day - during this time Brian made our myspace accounts - so we can all thank gluten for that) and for about a week or so after (which was crazy time because we had missed school for the honeymoon) in which we ordered out or went out every day. Then I committed myself to going off of it for real - which I did and again it helped. Then I found out that you have to be on gluten for it to show up in bloodwork - so I did that, but could NOT stand it (it made me feel like death). Apparently, you have to be on it for 8 months in order for it to show up on bloodwork and it can even take as long as 5 years in some people (to that i say WHAT?!?!). So after being on gluten for only two weeks, my brilliant GI tested my blood anyway (can't people read some research - even I knew it was a waste), which came back negative...duhhhh. And after saying %**@ YOU to him (well, not really, but totally in my mind, I did) as he was scoffing at me, decided that staying on gluten for eight months would practically kill me, so no thank you.

Anyhow, back to today...I relayed this complete story to my regular doctor up at school (who knew part of the story, but not other stuff - the last time I saw her was before going on gluten for the last time) and she said, "So, you were right about celiac" (GO ME, by the way for figuring it out) "Well, if you went back on it and felt bad again and being off it makes you feel better, then we have our comfirmaiton right there. No need to make yourself sick for eight months." Thanks Dr. Shapiro, you are a freaking genius (well, not really, just are able to rely on common sense than charts - which, well, sort of is ingenius).

In celebration of what I consider to be an official diagnosis (though not sure that she wrote anything on my little chart - but I will be sure to ask her to next time), I bought a bunch of stuff from the celiac website. I already have a restaurant guide and dining cards, but I got a cookbook and some other guide thingies. Validation is sweet.

You know, I say that I needed validation, but last night as I ordered a new medical ID bracelet (since the cute hemp one that I made broke as hemp inevitably always does AND since important information like NO MRI because it will fry or kill me due to the bladder implant thing I have, whom I call Sparky - was on the back of the ID and wearing off since it was just cheap stainless steel) I made sure that NO GLUTEN was engraved on it (right after the NO MRI, of course..I wonder if I can put NO MRI THANKS TO SPARKY the next time I get one...hmmmm), so I suppose that i didn't really need the validation after all - but it sure was nice.

The moral to this story is that a doctor can take your pulse, but only you can listen to your heart

anyway, I think that vets probably listen to their own hearts in addition to of their patients, because they love animals and all, so that counts double for them. Gotta love vets!

[tiredofdoctors]

SPARKY????? That is hysterically funny! Am working on my story - actually, I would prefer to e-mail it to you (it's too LONG) -- as an attachment -- because it would absolutely bore everyone else to tears! If it's O.K., can I have your e-mail address, then send it that way??? BTW: As I'm writing it, I find that I'm getting more and more hacked off at these doctors. My vet would certainly be better.

[Guest mvaught]

SPARKY????? That is hysterically funny! Am working on my story - actually, I would prefer to e-mail it to you (it's too LONG) -- as an attachment -- because it would absolutely bore everyone else to tears! If it's O.K., can I have your e-mail address, then send it that way??? BTW: As I'm writing it, I find that I'm getting more and more hacked off at these doctors. My vet would certainly be better.

yeah, no problem - just email it to me. here are 2 addresses 9send to one and cc to other just incase..use word, so i won't have a problem opening it).

here's my emails: michelle@severinestudios.com and msharke1@fau.edu

can't wait to see it!

-michelle