I fired my RD today (well my mom did) | Arthritis Information

Yep, My mom thought she was Donald Trump and we fired my rd.

I called to tell them I would be late. I had car trouble my muffler fell off and my exhaust pipe was dragging the ground. I made it to appt 5 minutes late. Receptionist said dr couldn't see me because I was late. I said "what, I called to tell you I was going to be late I have car trouble. So she goes back to talk to dr (i guess maybe nurse?) and comes back and says
"no, he won't see you today" I said "I just drove 25 miles to make this appt and called and said I had car trouble. Can I wait and he can see me later. I am willing to wait until the last patient is seen." So she goes back again. Comes back and says "nope, you have to reschedule." By that time I am so pissed off. She hands me a card that says my appt is 9-9. I said, "I can't wait until then, I need refills." She asked me what I need refilled. I said "vicoden, relafen, and enbrel." So goes and comes back and had refill for relafen and enbrel but wouldn't refill vicoden because he wants me to go to a pain clinic. Which I don't want to go and have a needle stuck in my spine. I had an allergic reaction years ago when I had my daughter and I don't need it. Vicoden is working fine. By then I am so upset, angry and the tears start rolling. I told rec "tell the dr he can take this card and stick it up his ass!" My mom yells "he's fired!" I have seen the same rd for three years. I haven't had one xray, mri just blood work done. He's a jerk and I refuse to deal with jerks. I've had enough. Well, my daughter is pharmacy tech at my pharmacy and I call her and they did send refills for enbrel and relafen just not the vicoden. The recep said to call my primary dr. I told her "we've been through this several times, she will not fill them because rd has been filling them for 3 years. She shrugged her shoulders and walked off. Meanwhile, I call hubby and tell him about car. He said to just drive it. I said "it's sparking on the concrete and it's not like we live right down the street. It's 25 miles in the middle of cornfields. The old ladies that help you in (mom's in a wheelchair) patted me on the back and said "honey, there's lots of other dr's you can see don't worry". Which I thought was sweet. So now I am screwed no pain meds. No rd. No nothing! But it sure felt good to tell them where to stick that card! Does anyone have any suggestions? Did I over react? What would you guys have done? I should have went with my first instinct when I first met him. I wasn't fond of him. You know how you meet someone and you know instantly if you will like them or not. Mine was NOT! LOL

HELP!!!

Thats insane!...I always got to wait at least 30 minutes before i see my RD.....no TV, but some good magazines, but he will listen, and take as much time as you need, when your in the exam room

Once, they even said, doc is running late, he is on staff at 4 hospitals, do you want to go across street to Dunkin Donuts, and get some coffee?

Definately time to find another Rheummy!

Yes, you do know instantly if you don't like them!..and if they don't listen, fire them!He's fired but now I'm back to finding one. I looked in phone book for Springfield and there were only 2 besides him. I am so ticked off, I'll probably not sleep tonight. I wish I could go for a long walk but it's raining and my ra doesn't like the rain and no pain meds. Sister told me to go to er. I might, if I have to but first thing inthe morning I am making phones calls. I hope my primary will give me some pain meds in the mean time. If not, I might fire her @ss too. LOLExpand your search area. I only see my rheumatologist 3 or 4 times per year. There are a few that practice much closer to my home, but I want quality - not convenience. Yes, gas prices are up... but driving 50 miles round-trip only costs me about . I might have to do that. The ones I found are the ones that my insurance will pay. I have a copay. I would pay double the copay if he/she was worth it. I would even give them my first born child but she's 20 now and probably wouldn't like that idea. LOLOh wow Cindee what a horrible doctor. If you hadnt phoned and turned up an hour late i could understand but not when you have taken the trouble to let them know. They think nothing of keeping you waiting! I hope you find another Dr who treats you as you should be treated.

Hugs

5 min late shouldn't be an issue, especially when you called. While it's a hassle to search for a new RD, it's probably best that this happened and you're moving on. You need to be seeing someone you're comfortable with and trust. A receptionist with some customer service skills would be nice as well.

Hope today is a brighter day.

CinDee, what an arrogant ass. They didn't say anything about rescheduling when you called? I Wonder how many times he has been late in seeing you for your appts. Be glad you are rid of the jerk. I hope there was a roomful of patients listening to how unreasonable he was being. There is someone better out there for you, I hope you find them soon. I think you did the right thing...

Hugs!

Deb

Wow what a day! What a rude office! I hope the waiting room was full of people when your mom yelled out He's Fired! Best wishes in finding a new RD, someone who will take care of you instead of aggravate you! Hope your car problems are resolved.wow... what an unfeeling uncaring oaf!!

Maybe this is all good... maybe your next RD will get you to feeling better...

good luck!!

He wouldn't see you for being 5 minutes late!! OMGoodness!
You have to wait forever once you get there! What's 5 minutes? Retarded.

I agree with your sister to go to ER or a walk in clinic to get pain meds because stress from pain will just make things worse. Hope you find a great new RD!!
Best wishes~
Audrey
I swear you have the same RD as me. I fired mine after the first visit. I firmly intend on writing an ugly letter to him as soon as I get a solid Dx.

I don't understand why it is so hard when we are paying them to do a service for us, to treat us like human beings, and help us the way we should be helped.

He told me I had "Rheumatism" and needed to lose weight and exercise and I'd feel better. I then asked him why then, when I weighed 210 pounds did I feel better, have more energy, and have no pain and normal labs, but now (I am still overweight but am around 170) feel like I got hit by a train, have no energy, a lot of pain, and abnormal blood work? his answer to that question was, well I don't think you have anything I can treat...UGH!

He did no labs(The labs I came in with were 2-6 months old depending on which ones you are looking at), no x-rays or MRI (I have never had this done), he didn't even do a physical exam on me, just looked at the old labs and made the "fat" comment/insult. I drove 130 miles (round trip) to hear that.
I not only would have told him where to stick it, I would have marched back there and done it myself! What a JERK! Hope you find an RD soon.Thanks everyone for your replies! You have made me feel so much better. Today was a better day. I called primary doc and she refilled my pain meds for me. Also, rd did refill my relafen and enbrel for 3 times plus the ones I picked up today. I have lots of leads for a new rd. My sister's friend's husband goes to one and they really like him. I plan on getting on the phone Monday and getting something done. Also getting my med records from the jerk rd. We have been joking with mom and calling her Donald trump. My hubbie said "don't tick off grandma trump!" LOL

When one door closes, another opens.

It was good of you all to answer and I am so in a better frame of mind.

thanks!

I was 5 mins late to my thyroid Dr appt.... and nope... he still saw me LOL!!

Well, probably good thing your mom fired him... just too bad you could not shove the card up their yourself... you could have made sure he got a lot of "paper cuts" on his hemrroids. Oh that would would burn for weeks!

Much hugs & hope you find a new RD soon and most of all you get your pain meds.

I do hope you find a new doc soon.

Sorry to hear you went through that. What a horrible doctor/place. Good Lord if they knew they wouldn't see you they should have told you on the phone. I hope more have the guts to follow you.

I could be an hour late and my internal medicine doc would still seee me but he's been my doc for 20 years, not so sure about the rheumy. I wanna high five your mom! No one should be treated like that especially when you called them! I work in the medical world, people like that make me wanna just slap them! Doctor's are supposed to help you feel better not make you feel bad. Jerk!Maybe this was the best thing to happen to you in the long run. I'm hoping you find a much better rheumatologist VERY soon. He sounds like a real jerk. I'm glad you told him where to stick the card. Lol.That's rediculous. Usually they schedule appointment with a little leadway for things like this. I was recently about 5 minutes late for an appointment with my OBGYN and I ran in there and said "OMG: I'm so sorry I'm late". She said; No problem.....we give our patience a 15 minute window. I would never take advantage of that; but it made me feel good to know that they were understanding.

Some things can't be helped....and your doctor was a real jacka$$ in my opinion. If your health isn't worth an extra 15 minutes at the end of his day I think it's best that you find a new doctor anyway. He definately cares more about getting out of the office early than he does how you've been since your last visit. His staff sounds pretty rude too. No reason to be so ugly about things.

I had to reschedule an appointment once with my rd. I called quite some time before the appt, like maybe a few weeks to do so. I thought I had everything taken care of. Then a day after the rescheduled appointment I get a call from them asking if I had forgotten something? I said no naturally and was then asked to come in the following day. When the doc came in she told me that I was very rude for not calling and not showing up and that another patient could have needed that spot that I left open.

That was strike number 2. Then during the worst flare in 14 years, she was out of her office with no other rd to cover for her for the entire month. I went to another rd in the mean time and was then dumped by my old one because it was quote "unethical" for her to continue treating me after I had been seen by another rd. Nice one...but what happened to the right to a second or even third opinion.

For the record, I wish I had been in that office to see that appointment card thing. I need a good laugh and that would have more than done it. Good for you the quacks need put in their place from time to time.

Bob H.

Sorry that happened to you CinDee

My husband and I are without a PCP right now and I am without an RD because my ins changed and I need the PCP for a referral. He had just gotten out of the hosp and needed to see the new PCP. We were 15 min early for hubby's first apt. We gave the girl his ins card and the ins co had put my son's Ped name on hubby's card in error. The girl was really rude and said they would'nt be able to see him. I said it is early and I have my phone I will just call and have them verify that we can be seen here. My card had the correct name it was just an error on his card. I called and was put on hold, then finally the girl came on and saw the error. By time it was all straightened out it was 10 min past our apt time. The WITCH at the front desk told me that it took too long and that we had wasted the Dr's time and she would have to reschedule us. I blew up and told her that I had worked for Docs for 14 years and if we had ever treated a pt this way we would have been fired. I told her neither of us would ever be coming there. 2 days later I got a certified letter from the Dr telling us to find another PCP that we were no longer welcome in that office.

I'm pretty sure it was because we are HMO. There was really nobody waiting or anything.

I heard the girl tell another pt on the phone that since she had forgotten her apt and wasted the Dr's time she would have to find another Dr.

I sure hope you find a great new doc Thanks you guys for all your replies. I especially like the comments about how many time us patients have waited on dr.'s. My sis in FL is an RN and her FIL, SIL, and BIL are all dr.'s and I have been trying to reach her to tell her. She is going to be really peeved. I hope she's ok with the tropical storm Fay. My kids (15 & 20) and hubby are having fun today calling G-ma Trump and we've turned around so I am laughing instead of worrying. I did get some pain meds from primary so I am doing ok. I appreciate all your comments and thoughtful words.

YOU GUYS ROCK!!

TAKE CARE!!!

AND don't let any dr or anyone jack you around! I'm sure everyone heard me cuz' I yelled and I am loud!!! lol