We Need To Start A Thread On Stupid Stuff Doctors Say!

[greenbeanie]

I'm still awaiting a diagnosis (after 37 years of worsening symptoms), so I don't know yet if my troubles are due to celiac or some other digestive disorder - but no matter the cause, here are some stupid things the doctors have told me over the years:

 

Me, as a slightly-underweight teenager: I've had diarrhea and stomach pain after eating every day for the last six months.

Doctor: Your stool samples are negative for parasites. There's nothing wrong. 

Me: But I'm hungry all the time, and I eat a lot but always have diarrhea!

Doctor: Well, you should consider yourself lucky. Most people would be thrilled to be able to eat whatever they wanted and never gain weight.

 

Me, two years later: I still have diarrhea all the time, and I feel awful and am always exhausted.

Doctor: Your stool sample was negative for parasites again. You're fine, stop worrying! I really think you should see a therapist to deal with your stress.

Me: But I know there's something physically wrong.

Doctor: You know the story of "The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf"? If you keep complaining about the same thing over and over, pretty soon people won't believe anything you say.

 

Me, age 35, after ending up in the hospital with severe fatigue, insomnia, loss of balance and coordination, nausea, and weakness from losing 10 lbs. in a week without trying: I have no idea what's wrong, but please don't tell me this is just stress! These symptoms have been worsening for the last twenty years, and everyone keeps saying it's just "normal for me".

Doctor: Well, you don't have MS, and all your blood tests are fine, except that you could use a good multi-vitamin. 

Me: But I already take vitamins! 

Doctor: You must be taking a children's vitamin, with lower doses. You really need an adult vitamin. 

Me: It is an adult vitamin! 

Doctor: Sometimes the packaging is confusing. Make sure you read the label and get one that says "for adults".

 

Me, trying to explain all the weird neurological symptoms: Something funny is going on with my eyes. I was looking at the door the whole time as you walked in, but somehow I didn't see you until you were right next to me. This keeps happening. My brain tells me this can't be accurate, but it looks like people keep popping into existence right in front of me. 

Doctor: I can assure you, I am not popping in and out of existence.

[GottaSki]

Welcome GreenBeanie!

Great post....although I am sorry to hear yet another has suffered for decades as doctors dismiss them simply because the were not trained to order the correct tests for their patients.

Have you now had a complete celiac antibidy panel?

Total Serum IgA

EMA-IgA

DGP- both IgA & IgG

tTG- both IgA & IgG

As you mentioned malabsorption is common in those with celiac disease....so make sure you have had recent vitamin and mineral tests.

If you will be having an endoscopy -- wait to remove gluten until testing is complete -- especially the blood testing.

Hang in there

[GottaSki]

Well before I had my thyroid out I was having a pre discussion with the surgeon about the procedure and what to expect. He seemed to bounce around the office like zebedee and proceeded to explain how he just "whips out the thyroid and lobs it into a bucket" ... no wonder I was extra nervous and was right to be so when he woke me up in the middle of surgery to explain how he'd cut a vocal cord! Everytime I think of him, I imagine him not having a steady hand cos of all the jigging about he does grrrr, luckily with alot of vocal therapy and praying my voice is finally back, no thanks to him!

I missed this post grrrrrrrrrrrrr is right! Very glad you have your voice -- but very angry to read this story!

[greenbeanie]

Thanks, Lisa. I'm going in tomorrow to discuss celiac testing with a new doctor who seems to take my concerns seriously, and I am still eating gluten until testing is finished. I'm bringing a list of the full celiac panel tests, a long list of vitamins and mineral I want tested, several factsheets from prominent celiac research centers, etc. I am optimistic that we'll finally get to the bottom of this! (I suppose it's a sign of my optimism that the above comments now seem somewhat funny to me in retrospect, instead of just filling me with despair...)

[IrishHeart]

 (I suppose it's a sign of my optimism that the above comments now seem somewhat funny to me in retrospect, instead of just filling me with despair...)

 

That was Mushroom's intent when starting this thread so long ago. She had her share of "stupid" and she felt we could share our stories of stupid too and commiserate and maybe laugh it off.

 

We have to laugh about it........ otherwise, our heads will explode.

 

And, any doctor who implies you are  "calling wolf" or blaming your health decline on "stress"  is not the doctor you want taking care of you. (what a jerk) None of us here think that. We've been there/done that.

 

Hang in there greenbeanie! I hope you get some answers soon.

[eers03]

I have so many stupid doc stories, arrogant replies that would make you wince and say "what a jerk!" but the worst ones happened before my DX. I was desperate to have some relief from the nerve/joint/bone pain-- so I saw several rheumies and neuros and a pain management doctor with the empathy of a rock. "First do no harm"? Yeah, right! A few from my collection:

(1) March 2008 The rheumy examines me, cannot explain the burning pain, stiffness or tight, weakened muscles at all and when I ask him, "Since there are no medications that are helping, only causing horrible side effects, do you think if I were to use any supplements that reduce inflammation that it would help in any way?"

He replied with a mocking laugh: "Well, sweetheart, if you throw enough sh-t against the wall, eventually something might stick."

Hubs wanted to punch his lights out.

(2) June 2008 The PM doctor looks at my spine films, barks "You have the spine of a 22 year old. It's not your spine." (I actually have osteopenia and several degenerating discs--but apparently, he cannot see them? The spine/ortho guys saw them plain as day)

I ask tearfully: "Then why am I unable to walk, sit, stand or lie down, turn my neck or lift things without excruciating pain?"

He says: "You probably have that fibromyalgia, even though I do not believe it even exists".

He goes on:" I can't help you. You need to do some yoga or take stress reduction classes. Why are you crying?"

Me: "I am in pain 24/7, I cannot sleep. It hurts just to lay down... and honestly, my father just died."

Him, standing up, signaling we are done now..." Oh, well, you are just grieving. I know, I also have a background in psychology. You need to relax, take some anti-depressants and chill out. I can't help you. I shoot up necks for a living." He left the room.

Hubs wanted to punch his lights out.

(3) Nov. 2009 Another rheumy with a major god-complex tells me I need to take methotrexate because he believes I have "undifferentiated spondyloarthropy" even though I do not have the markers for the disease. I am so desperate, I consider it. I do have OA, so I thought maybe he knows better. But when I question him about the potential side effects of the drug, stating first "with all due respect...."he gets red-faced and yells at me "Well, that is NOT respectful at all. Are you questioning my 35 years experience? Do you think I would risk my reputation and give you something that would harm you? Do you know who I am???"

Hubs wanted to punch his lights out.

(4)Dec. 2009 A woman doctor-PCP comes highly recommended to me-- takes my health history reads it, says the first doc I mentioned is the "best" and the third is a "quack". When I mention the burning pain I have, she says I am just stressed and writes a script for an anti-depressant, tells me to "relax, girlfriend", and come back in six months.

I ask:"but what about all the symptoms I told you about--the fatigue, my hair falling out, the constant abdominal pain, shortness of breath, diarrhea/constipation"?

She snarks back: "Well I can't solve all your problems for you. C'mon, time to go. I have other patients"

I wanted to punch her lights out.

(5) Jan. 2010 I see an integrative MD for 9 months. When I ask him repeatedly about my hair failing out, he laughed and said, perhaps I was “jealous and I wanted to be like hubs”—referring to his bald head!"

About the continuing severe pain, numbness, tingling, burning and gait/ataxia issues, brain fog I had, despite all kinds of therapeutic treatments I paid for at his clinic--acupuncture, massage,supplements? (but balked at chelation treatments)

He said I needed to do volunteer work "to get my mind off the pain." WTF?

I could not even tie my own shoes or dress myself at the time. Turns out, I had dislocated SI joints, sacroillitis, piriformis syndrome, pelvic floor dysfunction, osteopenia, hypocalcemia, pudendal nerve entrapment, small nerve fiber neuropathy and L1-L2 nerve impingement.

and finally....regarding the IgG food antibodies testing he did while I was already gluten-free because I was trying it to see if it would help?

He insisted to hubs and me--when I asked if it would affect the results he said REPEATEDLY--

"Oh, that will not affect the results of the test whatsoever!!!"

He told me it was perfectly safe to eat gluten--as it was not a high level. Just avoid soy because I had an intolerance to that.

Give it a few months and I would be right as rain.

I did that for another 9 months, going downhill so fast I nearly died.

WE both want to punch his lights out and sue him and OWN his fancy clinic.

(6) Jan. 2010 A nurse practitioner in my former GI's office barked at me "It's not gluten! You do not have celiac sprue! you can eat gluten! He went down there last year (he did an endoscopy) and you are fine. You just have GERD! and IBS and probably fibro. Take the anti-depressants. Those are good drugs for fibro and take the Citrucel, carafate, and PPIs.... and take the methotrexate, too. Everyone is trying to help you but you don't take the drugs or listen to our advice. " I threw all the scripts in the wastebasket and never went back.

Well, as it turns out, "he"--the famous GI doc I saw for 12 years and who knew about my 90 lb. decline, labeling me "anorexic"--me, who was overweight for 10 years?--- never did the biopsy when he was "down there"!

Hubs and I--and my new GI doctor--- want to kill him.

There are a few more:

the Neuro in 2009 who said emphatically, the burning, numbness, poor reflexes, muscle mass loss, ataxia and loss of memory were not a "neurological issue because my EMGs and Brain MRI were okay"...and I should go back to the rheumatologist"

and... my very nice Primary Care guy who was so frustrated for all those years he could not help me figure it out but kept sending me here and there--- when I told him what I DID have (3 years later) he turned pale, flipped through my encyclopedia-sized chart like it was suddenly all so very clear and illuminated by the sun and said " OMG! That's it! of course! you need to be gluten free for life!".....

The kicker? His children have celiac, but as he put it "Wow, I did not know how it manifests in adults."....

...there are more, but I am pooped from typing so long.

Wow...  This thread blew my mind...  I wasn't referred around too quite as many specialties but had many of the same symptoms and conversations that you mentioned.  During my DX, my PCP was a good guy but just couldn't nail it down, he did finally send me to a GI and uro for some symptoms, the uro symptoms resolved almost totally since going gluten-free.  I also consulted another PCP for a second opinion.  He was the one I could have done without.

 

He told me my liver looked like one similar to someone with metabolic disease.  (Even though my weight was down to 137 lbs, I'm 6'0 tall.)  He couldn't explain my elevated liver enzyme.  Made fun of me for having had a couple CT's and a cardio stress test for the chest pains that I believe now to have been costochondritis. (spelling?)  I felt the pains during my running. He said he was surprised that I wasn't glowing from the radiation.   

 

I was anxious as could be.  I couldn't get comfortable to sit or lay.  Could barely focus to go out and work and was an emotional looking fellow.  I was ridiculous at my worst.  Smelling ammonia in my nose.  Dehydrated.  Vision was altered.  I wasn't well.  Called his office at one point to ask what I should take for shooting pain I was getting from my back.  (I also have had some disc degeneration) and his nurse said... "I spoke to Dr. Jackaround and he said to go see a Chiropractor and take some ibuprofen."  I'm allergic to ibuprofen but thanks for consulting my chart.  Chiropractor huh?  In my weakened state would could POSSIBLY go wrong by having someone start manipulations on my back?????!

 

Anyhow, point is...  It's wild to see that someone was navigating so many of the same things that I did.  Thanks for sharing.

[IrishHeart]

(Even though my weight was down to 137 lbs, I'm 6'0 tall.) 

 

 huh??? This did not seem "relevant" to anyone?? damn doctors....

 

sorry, hon.. but very glad you found us and I hope you feel better and put some weight on soon.

xx

[Eclara]

I'm strangely comforted to know I'm not the only one having run-ins with horrible doctors!

 

I did a gluten trial last October and had a (negative) biopsy after 8 weeks of it. I had terrible psychological and physical symptoms that have taken until this past month to start calming down. When I went in two months later to see the gastro who'd recommended the test, considerably worse off than I was before I'd seen her the first time, she gave me this perplexed look and said, "The biopsy was negative, I really don't know what could be causing that! Just keep doing what you're doing." I had just finished telling her that what I was doing was spending all my time in bed because I had such bad muscle pain from the trial I couldn't walk, and eating around 400 calories a day consisting of mostly chicken and bananas because my stomach wouldn't tolerate food anymore.

 

The doctor I saw a few weeks ago was by far the worst I've seen.  He talked fast, he interrupted and spoke over me, and he decided after a few minutes that I had IBS and that was that. As soon as "irritable bowel syndrome" came out of his mouth, it was like he stopped listening to a word I was saying, considering me "diagnosed".

 

Him: "I see that you suffer from depression. Are you taking anything for that?"

Me: "No, I have it under control at this point."

Him: "Oh, well I think you should talk to your primary doctor about getting on anti-depressants. Your symptoms could be related to that and it might help you gain weight."

Me: *stink eye*

 

Me: "What should I do about the gastritis that was on the biopsy? I feel like it's still causing me pain."

Him: "Oh, no. Your gastritis was VERY minimal. It was so minimal they couldn't even see it without a microscope! You can't even see it. You could fill this room with people and they'd all probably have more gastritis than you do. I probably have more gastritis than you do."

Me: "Okay. What should I do about the stomach pain then? I never, ever had upper stomach problems like this before the gluten trial."

Him: "Well, you absolutely don't have celiac but you've changed the way your digestive system works."

Me: "What?"

Him: "Maybe you just can't eat quite as much gluten or other foods as other people can."

Me: "I don't think you understand what I'm trying to tell you. I can't-"

Him: "Well, I really think it's just classic IBS."

 

Him: "I suppose there could be some fructose issues there, but you really aren't eating much of it right now, right?"

Me: "No, because when I try-"

Him: "Right, so I think you should just try anti-spasmodics for the IBS."

 

I gave up trying to get him to listen to me about all of my issues and focused on just the intense pressure and stitch-like pain in my upper stomach I'd had for only a few days.

 

Him: "Well, the CT scan was fine."

Me: "That was in March? I've only had this for four days."

Him: "The endoscopy was normal, too."

Me: "That was in DECEMBER. It's been FOUR DAYS."

Him: "Well, I don't think it's life-threatening. If it gets severe just go to the emergency room."

 

I got the official report back today. He describes me as "resistant" several times.

Needless to say, I will not be going back to see him.

 

[Adalaide]

Welcome to the club! My chart says I'm uncooperative. This happened when he couldn't diagnose me but was insistent that I accept and fill a prescription that he was sure would help. A name brand prescription. In the time I had been in the waiting room two drug reps had been into his office. I know why he was pushing the drugs, and it wasn't for my benefit. Pass, thanks.

[IrishHeart]

I was

 

"uncooperative"(unwilling to take all the drugs they gave me)  and

 

 "anorexic"..

me? a former fatty butt who had lost 90 lbs, w/o trying.

 

I can still hear the shrill cry of the gastro's NP who told me "they are giving you all these meds to help you,

but you won't do it! why not...??..These are GOOD DRUGS!!"

 

oh hush up, you nutjob "nurse practitioner" 

 

I take NO drugs and I am better than I was 5 years ago.

[surviormom]

I have to add this.  Just happened today.  I went 89 days before my period came, sorry guys.  in the meantime, GP wanted to check my blood.  OK, I thought he was checking thoroughly, vitamins, hormones, a full T scale etc.  NOT.  He did a basic, with diabetes, and cholesterol checks in there.  An Estradiol, TSH and D.  Says I look good, must just be perimenopause.  I asked well what about the Progesterone level?  Oh we did not need that.  Really I asked why, isn't that needed to keep balance?  No we ran what was needed and you are in great shape, you just need to lose some weight and check back if the pain gets to be too much.  

 

UH it already is TOO much.  I have complained for 7 years about this, 3rd doctor to attempt to explain just how terrible this situation is.  I have last years test that my old dr. ran again it is not a full scan, but its better than what this one did.  TSH dropped from .903 to .583  yeah that sounds normal to me.

 

DOCTORS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[squirmingitch]

My hubs had bladder cancer & every year he has to have a cystoscopy to check for any recur. Now, this Urologist is really, really good at urology; he really is. Okay, so last year we did not know my hubs had celiac disease. We tell the doc he does now. There is always an antibiotic prescribed after a cysto to make sure no infection happens from the procedure. We are telling the doc we need to make sure whatever he prescribes is gluten free. He says, "Well, it only has a little gluten in it. It's really just used as a binding agent".  He knew that the figures on celiac disease are 1 in 133 ppl but does NOT know that a little bit of gluten is NOT okay. A little bit of gluten???? And you want me to take 2 pills of a little bit of gluten per day for 7 days. Now, how much is a little bit times 14?    

 

IMHO we have a big problem with all these specialists. They only know their specialty. Nothing else. Just their specialty. Now, we all know that symptoms of anything can cross specialty lines left & right & then back again. So how in hell are we supposed to get correct dx's when 90% of our symptoms are not THAT docs specialty?????

[GottaSki]

My hubs had bladder cancer & every year he has to have a cystoscopy to check for any recur. Now, this Urologist is really, really good at urology; he really is. Okay, so last year we did not know my hubs had celiac disease. We tell the doc he does now. There is always an antibiotic prescribed after a cysto to make sure no infection happens from the procedure. We are telling the doc we need to make sure whatever he prescribes is gluten free. He says, "Well, it only has a little gluten in it. It's really just used as a binding agent".  He knew that the figures on celiac disease are 1 in 133 ppl but does NOT know that a little bit of gluten is NOT okay. A little bit of gluten???? And you want me to take 2 pills of a little bit of gluten per day for 7 days. Now, how much is a little bit times 14?    

 

IMHO we have a big problem with all these specialists. They only know their specialty. Nothing else. Just their specialty. Now, we all know that symptoms of anything can cross specialty lines left & right & then back again. So how in hell are we supposed to get correct dx's when 90% of our symptoms are not THAT docs specialty?????

 

Exactly

[Adalaide]

Now that it has been all day and I had a nap and don't want to strangle anyone at the moment, I can share what happened with the moronic doctor I fired today.

 

I've been having a problem with my vision that is almost certainly medical in nature, not an actual vision problem.

 

So I go off to the doctor last week, and today was just follow up from blood work. I saw an NP resident, who had great enthusiasm and I really liked the guy. It was the doctor I had a problem with. 

 

The one thing he told me that made me want to slap him for being so dumb was about my reaction to penicillin. I get a rash from penicillin. He tried to tell me that that isn't an allergic reaction, it is a side effect. (Thanks, I'll keep the note in my chart so I don't end up in an ER one day with some moron giving me an antibiotic that makes me scratch myself until I bleed.)

 

So after one attempt to get him to see the light, which fails because, I carry on with the real reason I'm there. Eventually I ask something that prompts him to go get the doctor. The doctor promptly comes in and tells me I'm grasping at straws. Well since no one seems inclined to help me and my vision is on the line at this point of course I am, how bout helping rather then telling me I'm grasping at straws and tell me what could possibly be wrong with me.

 

"It's anxiety."

 

There it was. Just like so many of us have dealt with. It is all in my head. I'm crazy. I'm making myself sick because I'm so off my rocker. He wanted off my rocker, he got it. I started with a simple "we're done here" and I'm not really sure if one of them said something that tipped me or I just couldn't contain myself at that point. I went off like, um, a crazy person to be honest. I actually yelled right at his face. About how I'm not crazy. Cause that's sane, yelling at your doctor right?

 

He told me to find a new provider. As if I would have ever gone the hell back to him after he told me its all in my head. I didn't leave without my medical records. After all that there is a note in there that insinuates that the fact that I waited over an hour for him to type up today's notes is crazy. It also says "left without preparing plan of care and follow." No s$#& Sherlock, you just told me to find a new provider. What sort of follow up was I supposed to make plans for?

 

I really really really hate doctors. So much. Did I ever mention one almost killed my daughter when she was two months old through sheer stupidity and negligence? I hate them all. And I need a competent one to save my sight. sigh......................

[bartfull]

I heard on "The People's Pharmacy" on NPR this morning that 22 people die in this country EVERY DAY due to medical mistakes. TWENTY-TWO people EVERY DAY! And one of the reasons is that everyone in the medical profession from doctors to nurses to medical technicians have to take a VOW to never say ANYTHING negative about any doctor, even if they know he/she is incompetent and has caused deaths or other harm to patients.

 

We need to get up a petition or something and see if we can get a law passed to change that.

[kareng]

I heard on "The People's Pharmacy" on NPR this morning that 22 people die in this country EVERY DAY due to medical mistakes. TWENTY-TWO people EVERY DAY! And one of the reasons is that everyone in the medical profession from doctors to nurses to medical technicians have to take a VOW to never say ANYTHING negative about any doctor, even if they know he/she is incompetent and has caused deaths or other harm to patients.

We need to get up a petition or something and see if we can get a law passed to change that.

They don't take a " vow" to not say anything bad about other practitioners. There are internal hospital ways to handle things. For instance, we took away a surgeon's privileges to do anything more complicated than a tonsillectomy. He was good at the simple procedures but not the harder stuff. Every death in a hospital is reviewed by several people. Believe me, if people in the hospital saw a nurse or a doctor doing the wrong thing , it would be reported and taken care of.

There are laws that keep a medical professional from discussing someone's medical experience with other people. There are laws against slander/ libel that keep people from saying bad stuff about another person.

[CarolinaKip]

To make a long story short, I went to my local ER last night (had to explain Celiac disease to all) ask ER doc would he please check to see if med was gluten free? He was very smug and told me "I've never know gluten to be in meds"! I said "yes it can be"! He came back acting like a jerk and said "the pharmacist even crossed their eyes at gluten free" "I guess I come to work and learn something new" "Your med is gluten free"! I came home and looked it up on glutenfreedrugs.com to make sure. I've been having a few medical test done and I've had to explain Celiac to everyone, but one. Sigh....my sister eats gluten free to help her Lupus, while in the hospital in a major city, her diet was marked gluten free. She sent me a picture of the paper that said her soup was gluten free and checked by a manager. It was alphabet soup with noodles. The manager said it was listed in their computer as gluten free. Thankfully, they can take that off the gluten-free menu.

[IrishHeart]

To make a long story short, I went to my local ER last night (had to explain Celiac disease to all) ask ER doc would he please check to see if med was gluten free? He was very smug and told me "I've never know gluten to be in meds"! I said "yes it can be"! He came back acting like a jerk and said "the pharmacist even crossed their eyes at gluten free" "I guess I come to work and learn something new" "Your med is gluten free"! I came home and looked it up on glutenfreedrugs.com to make sure. I've been having a few medical test done and I've had to explain Celiac to everyone, but one. Sigh....my sister eats gluten free to help her Lupus, while in the hospital in a major city, her diet was marked gluten free. She sent me a picture of the paper that said her soup was gluten free and checked by a manager. It was alphabet soup with noodles. The manager said it was listed in their computer as gluten free. Thankfully, they can take that off the gluten-free menu.

 

C-Kip,

I hate to tell you what I would have spelled out with those alphabet noodles.

But I think you can imagine. 

 

[CarolinaKip]

C-Kip,

I hate to tell you what I would have spelled out with those alphabet noodles.

But I think you can imagine. 

 

 

Probably the same thing I would!  LOL

 

This is how I feel lately, 

 

I had to fight for my Celiac DX and I still continue to fight for my health everyday. I hope in this fight, I may bring some type of knowledge and awareness of what Celiac disease is to someone for the good. <off soap box>

[IrishHeart]

Probably the same thing I would!  LOL

 

This is how I feel lately, 

 

I had to fight for my Celiac DX and I still continue to fight for my health everyday. I hope in this fight, I may bring some type of knowledge and awareness of what Celiac disease is to someone for the good. <off soap box>

 

 

amen ...and dear girl, perhaps our mutual soap box is a bit crowded, but we manage to share the space and spread the word  and I'll continue to do so for as long as I have breath. P.S. Hope you are enjoying your well-deserved summer vacation..

[tarnalberry]

They don't take a " vow" to not say anything bad about other practitioners. There are internal hospital ways to handle things. For instance, we took away a surgeon's privileges to do anything more complicated than a tonsillectomy. He was good at the simple procedures but not the harder stuff. Every death in a hospital is reviewed by several people. Believe me, if people in the hospital saw a nurse or a doctor doing the wrong thing , it would be reported and taken care of.

There are laws that keep a medical professional from discussing someone's medical experience with other people. There are laws against slander/ libel that keep people from saying bad stuff about another person.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/25/delivery-risky-shortcuts_n_3653114.html

 

The research disagrees with the statement "if people in the hospital saw a nurse or a doctor doing the wrong thing , it would be reported and taken care of".  

 

In particular:

"Researchers surveyed more than 3,200 doctors, nurses and midwives on labor and delivery teams, and asked if they had observed a colleague taking a shortcut, such asnot washing hands or failing to change gloves. The health care providers were also asked if they had ever witnessed a colleague having problems with his or her job performance, being disrespectful to a co-worker, or lacking the skills or knowledge needed to do his or her job.

More than 90 percent of doctors and midwives, and nearly 100 percent of nurses, said they had observed such problems within the last year."

And:

"Most said they did not directly speak to the colleague who caused the problem because they worried he or she would become harder to work with, or because they did not want to start a conflict in front of a patient. Many participants said they did speak with someone, such as a manager, about the issue, but the manager did not always speak to the person responsible for the behavior."

[Rowena]

So, the first doctor story I have is from my miscarry about 4 and couple months ago:

So we go in for our first appointment, its at 10 weeks because heaven forbid any doctors do anything before that.   I had expectations and stuff for my appointment, like maybe hear the heartbeat, or have an ultrasound or some blood tests or SOMETHING.  Nope basically it was a consult appointment.  In essence it went, 'Hi, you're Karen?  Great! You're pregnant?  Great!  How old are you?  19?  Okay.'  Then she shipped us off and said schedule your appointment two weeks from now and we'll listen to the heartbeat.  So we do, come back two weeks later... guess what! No heartbeat.  Of course, this scares the hell out of me, because I really wanted my baby.  So the doc sends me up to radiology right?  Well I found out the baby died at about 6 weeks.  So already, I had a dead fetus (or is it embryo still at six weeks?  I don't remember lol) for six weeks in my belly.  And then after I go home from radiology with the note that my doctor should call me in the next few hours or something like that and just to wait it out.  So I actually go to my mom's house and the doc calls while I am there.  She quite literally says, 'I didn't expect that to happen!'  Gee, that makes a girl who lost her baby six weeks before but only just found out feel SOOOOO much better!  So then she prescribes me this 'magic pill' that was supposed to force out the little baby within a couple days. Took a couple WEEKS.  I was SOOOO sad.

You can bet I never saw THAT doctor again!  I love my new OB now, and I'm SOOOOOOO glad I found him.  He watched me like a hawk this pregnancy, and when I had to see other docs in a clinic, they all were in agreement with what he said to me and he always made sure they looked at certain things with me and so on so forth.  (I had a few complications with my pregnancy so yeah).  He made my pregnancy an amazing experience despite my incessant sickness (which he actually was really worried about too, and he tried everything he could to make it better).

[defeatwheat]

      When asking if there was a test to see if I was lactose intolerant the physicians assistant's nurse could hardly tell me the response from the physician's assistant with a straight face. She said to tell you to drink a quart of milk and see what happens. I immediately said I am not going to do that!

       I haven't actually got much help from the doctors unfortunately.

[Rowena]

      When asking if there was a test to see if I was lactose intolerant the physicians assistant's nurse could hardly tell me the response from the physician's assistant with a straight face. She said to tell you to drink a quart of milk and see what happens. I immediately said I am not going to do that!

       I haven't actually got much help from the doctors unfortunately.

 

 

That's ridiculous!

[SilverClaerity]

This is from my family's latest family doctor. My dad and I have just switched because we dislike her so much.

Example 1:

I've been having pretty severe pain during my period for about the last year. I have no idea why. I kid you not, it feels like something is stabbing me in the cervix. I'm on naproxin when it gets bad, as a temporary measure. Tried to talk to my family doctor about getting a new gyno since I can *never* get in touch with the one I have currently.

She tells me that "gynecologists are busy, and they don't have time for me since I don't have anything wrong with me."

... How would you know if something is or isn't "wrong" if you haven't actually run any tests?! Not to mention ignoring my complaints of severe pain! I'm 21, not 12, I think I know what my period usually feels like

Example 2:

Talking to the same family doc about trying to get a referral for another GI. In turn, she goes on a rant about "how this country has a problem with doctor shopping" and I can't just ask for a new doctor when I don't like what they tell me. Even when they tell me they have no idea what's wrong with me. -.-"

She also suggested I see a psychiatrist for my GI problems, since the GI doc that gave up on me had no idea what was wrong, so it can't possibly be stomach issues.

Throw in a few times mis-prescribing meds for my dad that aren't even available in Canada, more brushing off symptoms and always being 1hr + late for appointments with no apologies, we high tailed it out of there.

Hopefully the new guy is slightly better than the last three doctors.