Do doctors really listen?

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
Does anyone have the feeling their primary care physician is giving them the brush off? When I go to my doctor, she seems more interested in reading her clipboard that making eye contact. Never gives me an actual physical, If I have any complaints, she just says "You're getting older and have to expect these things. See you in three months."

One time I went and said I was having pain in my lower right side with other female-related symptoms. She totally ignored my complaint. I went to a specialist who diagnosed my having a 6" diameter leiomyoma which I then had embolized. It too bad she's the only PCP in 20 miles.
 

Well this is going to sound like a rant..probably is ;) For YEARS I kept going to different doctors telling them I felt exhausted, depressed, and was gaining weight RAPIDLY. Over and over I was answered with " Hmn" and then just blown off like I hadn't said a word.

ONE HUNDRED POUNDS of weight gain later I finally get this doctor who says " You have classic thyroid symptoms I'd like you to take a test. " So I take the test and yep it's my thyroid. I have no idea how or why so many previous doctors managed not be be the least bit interested in giving me a thyroid test.

At one point I had reached 270 lbs and I am a 5 ft 2 woman. That amount of weight was incredibly hard on me to carry around. Since getting on meds I have begun to watch everything going in my mouth very carefully in an attempt to get back to a good weight. I've lost 80 lbs and still have 55 lbs to go.

ALL OF THIS could have been avoided had one doctor out of FIFTEEN paid any attention before I finally got a good doctor. So... I think quite a few don't listen ;)
 
Too bad she's the only doctor nearby, because after that specialist diagnosis, I'd kick her to the curb. Pain in your lower right side, and your other symptoms, might get me to think it was liver or fibroid related if I were a doctor.

I rarely go to see any doctors, maybe every few years for a blood test. When I go, I notice the back of their heads the most, as they type things into their computers. There's no personal concern anymore, like the doctors when we were growing up, the one's that still made house calls and weren't controlled by the powers that be.

I actually feel sorry for the doctors nowadays, they have lost all their individuality, lost their right to use their own judgment due to fear of being reprimanded by their superiors, or sued by their money-hungry patients. Plus they are obviously on a tight time schedule, trying to jam in as many patients as they can in an hour's time.

I don't think they even know about medicine anymore, just what the sales rep for the latest drug with a million side effects tells them in 7 minutes. :rolleyes:
 
BlunderWoman said:
Well this is going to sound like a rant..probably is ;) For YEARS I kept going to different doctors telling them I felt exhausted, depressed, and was gaining weight RAPIDLY. Over and over I was answered with " Hmn" and then just blown off like I hadn't said a word. ONE HUNDRED POUNDS of weight gain later I finally get this doctor who says " You have classic thyroid symptoms I'd like you to take a test. " So I take the test and yep it's my thyroid. I have no idea how or why so many previous doctors managed not be be the least bit interested in giving me a thyroid test. At one point I had reached 270 lbs and I am a 5 ft 2 woman. That amount of weight was incredibly hard on me to carry around. Since getting on meds I have begun to watch everything going in my mouth very carefully in an attempt to get back to a good weight. I've lost 80 lbs and still have 55 lbs to go. ALL OF THIS could have been avoided had one doctor out of FIFTEEN paid any attention before I finally got a good doctor. So... I think quite a few don't listen ;)
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First of all, congratulations on your weight loss Sharon, that's great! :coolthumb: I'm shocked they didn't test the thyroid early on! When I was in grade school, there was an extremely overweight boy who had a thyroid condition. Other kids made fun of him, and I always pulled them to the side and defended him, explaining his medical issue. Some of them backed off, so that was good.
 
It's not just in the US sadly, because it happens here in the Uk with regularity. Only the older ready to retire GP's in the practice group actually sit and listen but the younger ones already have a pen in their hands to write out a prescription before you've even explained the symptoms. They are ready to rush you out of the surgery before you've even sat down...which gives rise to the same situation as you have suffered Blunder woman, where major problems go undiagnosed for months , nay years sometimes while you search for a GP that knows what they're talking about.

Here in the UK patients are only allotted 8 minutes with their primary GP, and no more, so if you have more than one ailment to discuss you have to make another appointment, and in the majority of English counties the waiting list unless it's an emergency is approximately 3 weeks!!
 
Thanks SeaBreeze I have really worked hard to lose that 80 lbs ;)
Wow hollydolly that's horrible to have to make extra appointments.
 
Capt Lightning said:
I think that young doctors know a lot about medicine, but older ones know a lot about people.
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I agree. My neurologist of 25 years recently retired. He was close to 80 and it was time. He always took at least 45 minutes with me, sometimes over an hour. He listened. He asked questions. He referred to past notes and diagnoses. He often voiced his frustration with today's health care system because he wasn't the typical doctor who would see 30 or more patients a day. They don't make them like him these days.

With that said, I've fired some of my doctors. I keep my primary care because we have a long history and she is young, smart, and embraces both Western medicine and integrative medicine. I usually am only allowed 15-20 minutes but she listens and I feel like I am an active participant in my health care.
 
I get my health care at the VA and recently spent several days in the hospital with a lung infection that wouldn't go away. I've been in civilian hospitals with similar problems and didn't know what to expect because I'd never been in a Veterans facility. I couldn't have gotten better care anywhere. Doctors gave me their complete attention, assured me they were in no hurry and answered any questions I had. I was impressed.
 
I too was impressed with the VA when they took care of my hubby. He was treat with so much respect. I have never recieved that level of care in regular hospitals. He was 69 when he had his first illness, and they took him step by step through tests, and then surgery. :eek:nthego:
 
The medical system is a failure the US has the most advanced medical system which is the envy of all countries; it is the most expensive too.
The US has the most obese and a very high rate of cancer, heart problems, Alzheimers, and every other disease. That does not make sense if they where that good. We should be the healthiest
The biggest problem is the education of doctors the medical universities teach drugs and when the doctor graduate the local drug rep is at his office to teach him about the latest drug.
They have their excuse it is your getting old, it is genetic, it is your entire fault and he is going the best he can. This is a crock of sh?t.
I just turned 72 and now feel healthier than when I was 30
Genetic if it was in your genes you would have it from birth. Epigenetic is now proving that genetic disease does not exist.
It is all you fault is because we have been listening to the doctor who makes his money when you are sick and not when you are well.
Drugs treat symptoms and they don’t care about the cause. The cancer tumor is not the disease but the result of the disease, the arthritis in the knee is not the disease but a result of the disease. You can burn, cut, or poison the tumor and in a few years it shows up some ware else. The arthritic knee medical will give you a steroid, pain killer and finally a metallic joint. Next year it will be the other knee or hip.
If you when to the doctor with a swollen thump he would treat you with anti inflammatory and pain killers and if you came back next week with the same problem he might do the same. He probably would not ask the cause because he does not care. If
You went to a naturopath he might after taking to you and finding the cause he might tell you to stop hitting your thump with the hammer.
 
I love my doctor-in fact I loved the two before him. Problem is,they don`t stay. We are pretty rural-well,we are a resort county,really. Doctors come here but don`t stay. So I`m on #3 in 3 years. One left to go back to Tennessee and another left to take a position as a flight surgeon in Florida. I hope this guy stays cuz hubby and I both really like him. He`s very open and spends all the time necessary with you. Of course,now that Obamacare is in effect,it takes 6 weeks to get an appointment with him rather than a day or two. We`ll see if he has to start cutting his appointments short. I`m pretty sure that is going to be the case...
 
a lot of clinics over book. to many. so waiting is long. time with doc is short. if im waiting 30 mins i just go up and cancel
 
I heard this on the radio today but I honestly don't know if its true or not. Some man was talking about patient overload and said that statistics have it that every dr. on the average, has over 2000 patients. Its no wonder most have no 'time' to listen... I believe this could be true when it comes to Kaiser (which I have) .. I am sure it could include pts that are assigned to him, but rarely see that dr (like me!) It is miraculous to find one that actually takes his time with you.
The last time I saw my eye doctor, he spent less than 10 minutes with me... all the 'testing' was done by his nurse ass't.
 
The old GP's two most important tools were Observation and Conversation.

old-age-retirement-eyesight-eye-eye_test-eye_testing-doctors-ggm100608l.jpg
 
I have a PCP who is excellent, spends a lot of time talking with and truly understanding each patient, and is available on call around the clock. He even makes house calls when necessary!

The catch: he has a "boutique" practice, which means I have to pay big bucks once a year to avail myself of his care. He does not deal with insurance companies, not even Medicare. His rates are high, and he's just raised them again. Which means I don't see how I can afford to stay with him. It's very discouraging to think that the only way we can get quality medical care in this country is to break the bank.
 
The best thing that could happen is that we have no medical insurance. That way we would take responsibility for our own health and when that happens and everyone learns to cure themselves. If you did not need your doctor he would begin to do house calls just to make a few dollars and the competition would begin. The self policing and the monopoly of the medical system is the only thing that is keeping it alive. I visited a gentleman who has prostate cancer and had an operation and was going back for chemo I tried to talk to him but all he could talk about is his great medical coverage. The doctors look at him as a big ATM machine and line up to see what they can get.
 

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