Does your doctor listen? | Arthritis Information
This is an older article but well worth the read. I have gone so far as to print it out and hand it to a few docs I have come across. Obviously, I am not there to waste their time by yammering on and on. I just want the respect of them listening. If they don't then they are not the doc for me!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8946558&sc=emaf
My doctor is a very good listener. It was the main reason I switched to him.
Wanttobe, I feel like that is the most important thing in a doc.
All my docs are good listeners, I wouldn't see them if they weren't... Me too, Lynn.
In short....no.we've had some sessions together that were better for communicating than others.... in general he's sufficient.
My rheumy used to be a good listener, not so much anymore.
BTW, I read Groopman's book How Doctors Think and it is a must-read. Excellent book.
Yes he does. He listens and answers any questions I may have. I had another rheumy when I was first diagnosed. He never listened to me at all and even cut me off in mid sentence. That is one of the reasons I fired him beside the fact that he was a total arrogant a**.I am done with this place
Libby22009-02-10 01:30:41my doctor is an a** and always has been but he has been good at treating me. his office staff do as little as possible (never call back, never call in drugs, never give him a message,etc.) he never knows what meds i am on and this has always concerned me because he prescribes them.... he has kept me walking! and for this i am very grateful. without his willingness to mix and try different combinations of meds i would be completely crippled. I dumped my first, conveniently located rheumy because he listened to my questions literally on his feet, edging toward the door. Every one I asked he would get closer to escaping. I don't put up with being treated disrespectfully and I booted him. I am seeing a new doctor on Tuesday. We shall see how he works out, I have a friend whose mother sees him and she gave him high marks for humor. A good recommendation.LOL I can just see him edging toward the door... had reaching for the knob... like a rat reaching for the cheese! I fired a "rat" for the same reason!
I am so fortunate in having very receptive drs.
our family dr is a good old fashioned GP with great diagnostician abilities and a tremendously reassuring way about him. I am the calm type but he kept me from flipping out when our son was hit by a car and got a huge blood clot in his brain.. the dr's kids and our son used to hang out together and have sleepovers..
his NP is another, closer family friend, whom I absolutely adore as a dr and as a friend.
my rheumy is wonderful, he sits and talks every time.. litterally he and his NP will hold your hands while they talk to you..
I have to break in a new cardiologist next week and I'm just sick about it. My guy is taking a year long fellowship out of state... he was wonderful, and literally saved my life, and then apologized to me "on behalf of my profession I want to apologize for the poor treatment you recieved from Dr..XXX"
I'm not looking forward to this.
I wouldnt tolerate a dr who didnt listen.. but otoh Ive been very lucky.
No, that has always been my complaint is they don't listen. I have switched doctors so many times, it gets overwhelming after awhile and with a disease out of control not responding to meds, I am sure they are glad to see me go.
I have only had one doctor to listen and take things as slowly or explain my options to me and my GP doctor also would do the same thing. so I know what it feels like to have great doctors, however short-lived. They were both in TN 300 miles away from me but I have been searching ever since for one who will not cut me off in mid sentence or dismiss symptoms I am having. I complained to one doctor about enbrel causing hip pain, she told me it was my knees affecting my hips and gave me injections to my knees which never helped my hip pain. now my hips don't move at all. Giving my history to a more recent south african doctor about enbrel causing hip pain, he told me that was impossible. there was nothing in enbrel that could cause that. I think I ought to know my body. the constant dismissing of my symptoms and abrupt speech sent me looking for someone else. because it really doesn't matter how smart the doctor is if he isn't listening to his patient. I am now with another one who quickly dismisses my symptoms relying solely on lab results to prescribe his meds. my complaints of the fluid buildup around my lungs, abdomen and hips are dismissed. chronic sore throat and painful dry eyes are dismissed and constant thick postnasal drip is dismissed. However, there are so many medical problems going on at the moment and as soon as they stabilize me I am moving on to someone who will listen. It is extremely important to me. I have a team of doctors now with the multiple medical issues. the pulmonary/heart doc has the best temperment and takes really good care of me, the rest are just too busy or have god complexes.
Shelly, I am so sorry you are having so many issues. I also have the lung problem, so if you ever need to talk, let me know. You are smart to keep looking for a doc that will listen and putting together the"team" is very difficult. Don't let them dismiss your symptoms as RA has many faces and can be accompanied by other AI diseases. My thoughts are with you, you seem to be dealing with more that your share right now.
Waddie
Waddie,
Thank you. You know a lot of people say that even the nurses feel I have a lot I am dealing with. I am there so often. they remember me now. The docs just say I am a mystery. However, this is how it has always been. so I don't know anything else other than before RA hit. but since it has started it has been one thing after another and by reading some of the messages here, I think it is that way for many of us unfortunately. I wish I could just capture RA and bansih him from society for an eternity. I never knew people could suffer to this extent. It is really unreal.
The RD did say I had restrictive lung disease probably from the RA or the previous blood clot to the lungs. but the edema around the lungs is something new. that started dec 2007 and has been coming back ever since. I am on lasix. they recently lowered the dose due to the kidneys. So I am doing all I know to do. My medical bills are through the roof so I guess no American dream happening any time soon.:0 I have enough medical bills to be paying for the rest of my life.
Anyway, thanks for the kind offer. I am extending the same invitation to you as well. Whenever you need to talk about this crazy disease or just need to chat.
Take it easy.
my spelling is awful these days! Oh my!
Shelly632009-01-10 18:05:00Done with this place
Libby22009-02-10 01:23:47My first doctor was awful! She not only didn't listen but she didn't talk either. I was so scared because I was left in the dark about everything and I didn't have a DX. Then my husband went off on her and she got really mad and said I could get a 2nd opinion anytime I wanted. (was already on a waiting list for one) and said she was sending me back to my GP so she could re-inforce the fact that there was no magic pill that was going to make me better. I was really suffering at the time. Swelled up so big I looked like I was going to burst, not sleeping due to 12 hr. pain cycles that were off the pain chart, etc...
When I got my 2nd opinion I was so glad to leave her practice! My new doctor said she doesn't have good bedside manner but she was indeed very worried about me and concerned. Well you never would have known it! Her office staff was down right mean and she didn't return calls and sent me to the ER instead of seeing me when I needed her. Plus she double and triple booked her appointments. She's supposed to be at the top of the field but you could have fooled me! My new doctor got me right almost immediately! It could have been that the MTX kicked in just then or the increase in prednisone, or maybe it was just that I finally had trust in somebody and knew somebody cared.
WW, that's the exact reason I'm going back to my old doc. The doc herself is not an ass, but her staff are mostly losers with maybe one person that will return calls and call in meds. But when she's trying to do the job of three people, it's not good either.
Bob
Funny, i've been complaining in another thread about the same exact thing. I'm on my 4th specialist who is known to be a top notch Rheumy in what is supposed to be one of the countries best hospitals! My PCP had to pull strings to even get me in. After seeing 3 stumbling a bumbling docs I figured I had finally hit the jackpot! BUT, she is just as bad if not worse. She missed soooo many things during my appointment I was astonished. I left dismayed with a RX for MTX and Predisone and a not to confident feeling.Done with this place
Libby22009-02-10 01:21:55[QUOTE=Libby2]What did she miss ranger?[/QUOTE]
1. She completly overlooked my "sausage toe" when she examined me. I had to point it out to her. It's important because Dactyitis is not a feature of RA.
2. She never asked me about my drinking habits when deciding to put me on MTX. I had to inform her that i'm a big beer drinking and have no intentions on stopping. She seemed unfazzed.
3. She continued to tell me that the warmth I feel from my swollen joints was due to some kinda of tissue inflammation?? I told her I do not have any swollen joints and have never felt heat of any kind? Not sure where she got this from.
4. I later found out that me and my fiance should be practicing safe sex while on MTX. Also, we plan on trying to have a child later this year. I know I could have read the insert for this info, but I believe she should have asked me if I was planning a family before she wrote the persciption.
5. At first she said my symptoms are more likley to be RA then PsA bacause my pain was symmetrical (sp..) and PsA is usually not. I know this is not the case.
6. She never even looked at my nails. If 80+% of PsA patients have pitting of nails, I think it would be important to look at to help confirm a DX. I have no pitting whatsoever.
7. She never considered Reactive Arthritis until I mentioned it.
8. And IMO, she overprescribed meds for me. My P is so mild is basically non exsistant, and the pain from my arthritis is moderate at best. She perscribed me 20mg of MTX per week, along w/ 10 mg a day of Predisone, and 1,500 mgs a day of NSAIDS!
At least you weren't given a rx for 100mg of prednisone daily and told to come back in three months. The other things are bad enough though. 20mg mtx is a pretty high starting dose. I think I started at 10 or so and we worked up to 17.5mg weekly.
Which NSAID are you using?
Bob
I'm using Nabumetone. And in fairness, i'm not starting 20 mg of MTX all at once. I'm taking 10mg for 2 weeks then I bump up to 20mg. That is if I don't throw the crap in the garbage and find yet another doc!
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