Should I drop my doctor?

Michael Z

Michael Z

Senior Member
Location
Northern Wisconsin
I noticed a lump on my leg a few weeks ago. So I went in to my GP (General Practice Doctor) to have it checked. He then ordered an Ultrasound, which I had done last Tuesday. I was told my GP would contact me with his assessment. I got the test result, written in medi-speak, but I managed to decipher it. It is a lump about an inch in size with varying mass and containing a few pockets. It is not connected to vein or artery.

But also, the result says it can be biopsied through the skin as it is only 1 cm deep. And also said "Additional imaging evaluation by CT or MRI may also be considered to characterize this lesion." So the result does not really tell me for sure this lump is harmless and even hints that even a biopsy may be needed.

But my GP has not contacted me in a week! And I sent him a message in MyChart last Wednesday asking "Will additional tests be needed". No reply. I then called the general number last Friday and a nurse called back on behalf of my doctor stating that he would need to consult with some other doctor and will get back to me this week. Nothing today. I think for something that could possibly be a sarcoma, I would think the doctor could at least reply to my message. I have liked this doctor in the past but am thinking I should find another. And I do not send this doctor many messages - only 2 in the last 3 years.
 

Michael Z said:
I noticed a lump on my leg a few weeks ago. So I went in to my GP (General Practice Doctor) to have it checked. He then ordered an Ultrasound, which I had done last Tuesday. I was told my GP would contact me with his assessment. I got the test result, written in medi-speak, but I managed to decipher it. It is a lump about an inch in size with varying mass and containing a few pockets. It is not connected to vein or artery.

But also, the result says it can be biopsied through the skin as it is only 1 cm deep. And also said "Additional imaging evaluation by CT or MRI may also be considered to characterize this lesion." So the result does not really tell me for sure this lump is harmless and even hints that even a biopsy may be needed.

But my GP has not contacted me in a week! And I sent him a message in MyChart last Wednesday asking "Will additional tests be needed". No reply. I then called the general number last Friday and a nurse called back on behalf of my doctor stating that he would need to consult with some other doctor and will get back to me this week. Nothing today. I think for something that could possibly be a sarcoma, I would think the doctor could at least reply to my message. I have liked this doctor in the past but am thinking I should find another. And I do not send this doctor many messages - only 2 in the last 3 years.
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If you're not satisfied, you should look for someone else who will fulfill your expectations.
 

I am not even sure what is involved with changing doctors. Could I not just start seeing a new General Practice doctor with a General Physical checkup? There are some by me "Accepting New Patients". This is what I have done before.

I will give this a few more days to see if this doctor provides some explanation. For sure, by the end of the week if I hear nothing, I will find a new doctor.
 
Michael Z said:
I am not even sure what is involved with changing doctors. Could I not just start seeing a new General Practice doctor with a General Physical checkup? There are some by me "Accepting New Patients". This is what I have done before.

I will give this a few more days to see if this doctor provides some explanation. For sure, by the end of the week if I hear nothing, I will find a new doctor.
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I can't give any advice obviously as I live in a different country and we do things very differently here, but without a shadow of a doubt if your doctor doesn't contact you by tomorrow then IMO you need to be looking asap for another GP...my goodness what if this lump is potentially fatal..I hope it's not of course, but what if it is, this man has wasted a week already..
 
Michael Z said:
I noticed a lump on my leg a few weeks ago. So I went in to my GP (General Practice Doctor) to have it checked. He then ordered an Ultrasound, which I had done last Tuesday. I was told my GP would contact me with his assessment. I got the test result, written in medi-speak, but I managed to decipher it. It is a lump about an inch in size with varying mass and containing a few pockets. It is not connected to vein or artery.

But also, the result says it can be biopsied through the skin as it is only 1 cm deep. And also said "Additional imaging evaluation by CT or MRI may also be considered to characterize this lesion." So the result does not really tell me for sure this lump is harmless and even hints that even a biopsy may be needed.

But my GP has not contacted me in a week! And I sent him a message in MyChart last Wednesday asking "Will additional tests be needed". No reply. I then called the general number last Friday and a nurse called back on behalf of my doctor stating that he would need to consult with some other doctor and will get back to me this week. Nothing today. I think for something that could possibly be a sarcoma, I would think the doctor could at least reply to my message. I have liked this doctor in the past but am thinking I should find another. And I do not send this doctor many messages - only 2 in the last 3 years.
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Michael Z; It wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion. There's no excuse for bad manners.
 
Michael Z said:
I noticed a lump on my leg a few weeks ago. So I went in to my GP (General Practice Doctor) to have it checked. He then ordered an Ultrasound, which I had done last Tuesday. I was told my GP would contact me with his assessment. I got the test result, written in medi-speak, but I managed to decipher it. It is a lump about an inch in size with varying mass and containing a few pockets. It is not connected to vein or artery.

But also, the result says it can be biopsied through the skin as it is only 1 cm deep. And also said "Additional imaging evaluation by CT or MRI may also be considered to characterize this lesion." So the result does not really tell me for sure this lump is harmless and even hints that even a biopsy may be needed.

But my GP has not contacted me in a week! And I sent him a message in MyChart last Wednesday asking "Will additional tests be needed". No reply. I then called the general number last Friday and a nurse called back on behalf of my doctor stating that he would need to consult with some other doctor and will get back to me this week. Nothing today. I think for something that could possibly be a sarcoma, I would think the doctor could at least reply to my message. I have liked this doctor in the past but am thinking I should find another. And I do not send this doctor many messages - only 2 in the last 3 years.
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I share your frustration with the medical industry, but don't "throw the baby out with the bathwater", as they used to say. Doctors are even more swamped than they used to be. I like my doctor, and am anxious to get results on important matters, but I do believe that if the DR did find a malignancy that he would contact you in short order.
 
Michael Z said:
I noticed a lump on my leg a few weeks ago. So I went in to my GP (General Practice Doctor) to have it checked. He then ordered an Ultrasound, which I had done last Tuesday. I was told my GP would contact me with his assessment. I got the test result, written in medi-speak, but I managed to decipher it. It is a lump about an inch in size with varying mass and containing a few pockets. It is not connected to vein or artery.

But also, the result says it can be biopsied through the skin as it is only 1 cm deep. And also said "Additional imaging evaluation by CT or MRI may also be considered to characterize this lesion." So the result does not really tell me for sure this lump is harmless and even hints that even a biopsy may be needed.

But my GP has not contacted me in a week! And I sent him a message in MyChart last Wednesday asking "Will additional tests be needed". No reply. I then called the general number last Friday and a nurse called back on behalf of my doctor stating that he would need to consult with some other doctor and will get back to me this week. Nothing today. I think for something that could possibly be a sarcoma, I would think the doctor could at least reply to my message. I have liked this doctor in the past but am thinking I should find another. And I do not send this doctor many messages - only 2 in the last 3 years.
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If it were my doctor and he had not contacted me, then I would not worry. If it was bad, he would probably have moved quickly on this. The fact that it is not connected to an artery or vein is good because that means it does not have a blood supply to grow and metastasize (go to other parts of the body) if it were a tumor. Did your ultrasound suggest having it biopsied?
 
palides2021 said:
Did your ultrasound suggest having it biopsied?
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The report said "The anterior margin of the lesion is located 10 mm deep to the skin surface and is amenable to percutaneous biopsy." Meaning it was suitable for a biopsy through the skin. So that kind of leaves it open to interpretation. The ultrasound technician was not allowed to comment at all, which I guess is understandable. And I got this on my lab report, so there is no concern? But it is noted that it was not reviewed?

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Imagining techs say nothing to the patient about interpretation of the media, it's not their expertise/job. The ultrasound was likely read by the radiology doctor and the comments about the depth just save a step if your "care team" decides a biopsy is in order. They've been informed a "percutaneous biopsy" will suffice so that could determine how to proceed IF further investigation is necessary. If there was a need for immediate action I'm sure it would have happened.
 
Michael Z said:
I have liked this doctor in the past but am thinking I should find another. And I do not send this doctor many messages - only 2 in the last 3 years.
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In addition to 'accepting new patients'....if you are on medicare, make certain your new prospective doctor also takes medicare patients and plans. I know some doctors don't accept medicare.

Also, off the side in my experience, 2 years ago we moved to another county here in Texas, and I was basically taken off my plan then, and had to sign up with a medicare plan used in this county; along with a new doctor. I'd never heard of being dropped by a medicare plan before.
 
Hi, I think you should call his office and talk to the staff. Tell them your concern, how you have emailed the team on MyChart, but no one responds.

Many doctor's offices are being taken over by hedge funds or other types of business arrangements these days. You have no idea what is going on - are they transitioning from MyChart to a new system? Has half the staff quit in protest over the new owners? Is your doctor dealing with a personal family issue and he's gone a lot?

Call. Complain. Complain nicely, but tell them you are worried you need a biopsy ASAP and their office is dropping the ball.

It also helps to diffuse the blame. Don't say, "Dr. Smith has not responded", say "Your office staff has not responded to my emails". If it's like so many doctor's offices now, maybe he has a physician's assistant or a nurse practitioner there and maybe they can do the biopsy?

First, investigate more. Technology fails us every day. Did your email even get through?
 
Michael Z said:
The report said "The anterior margin of the lesion is located 10 mm deep to the skin surface and is amenable to percutaneous biopsy." Meaning it was suitable for a biopsy through the skin. So that kind of leaves it open to interpretation. The ultrasound technician was not allowed to comment at all, which I guess is understandable. And I got this on my lab report, so there is no concern? But it is noted that it was not reviewed?

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Not reviewed by your care team. It was reviewed by a certified imaging interpreter, and they usually just note how the imaging was done, i.e., the body part, with or without contrast, and also "easily biopsied" because it's a lesion. They will note basic initial findings if they see something that's life-threatening or needs immediate treatment or screams referral.

I don't think that's the case here.
 
Michael Z said:
But also, the result says it can be biopsied through the skin as it is only 1 cm deep. And also said "Additional imaging evaluation by CT or MRI may also be considered to characterize this lesion." So the result does not really tell me for sure this lump is harmless and even hints that even a biopsy may be needed.
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Maybe understanding the difference in the different procedures would help you. Seems to me you know there is a lump. The ultrasound confirmed what you knew.

What does an ultrasound do for diagnostics

Overview. Diagnostic ultrasound, also called sonography or diagnostic medical sonography, is an imaging method that uses sound waves to produce images of structures within your body. The images can provide valuable information for diagnosing and directing treatment for a variety of diseases and conditions.

What does an MRI do for diagnostics

MRI is a type of diagnostic test that can create detailed images of nearly every structure and organ inside the body. MRI uses magnets and radio waves to produce images on a computer. MRI does not use ionizing radiation. Images produced by an MRI scan can show organs, bones, muscles and blood vessels.

What does an CT scan do for diagnostics

CT scans can be used to identify disease or injury within various regions of the body. For example, CT has become a useful screening tool for detecting possible tumors or lesions within the abdomen. A CT scan of the heart may be ordered when various types of heart disease or abnormalities are suspected.

What does a biopsy do for diagnostics

A biopsy can help determine if you have cancer or another condition. Learn about the different types of biopsies and what to expect. A biopsy is a procedure to remove a piece of tissue or a sample of cells from your body so that it can be tested in a laboratory.

Were it me I'd be more inclined towards asking to go straight to having a biopsy done. Once you know if it's cancerous or not deciding on removal could entail use of a CT scan to determine size

Of course I'm not a doctor nor do I promote not following what your GP wants to do. But maybe knowing the difference in what the different diagnostics do will help you when you talk to your doctor.
 
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Many doctors seem to be swamped with an oversupply of patients lately. It is easy to fall through the cracks. In your situation, I'd call again and be a little bit insistent on getting a quick response. Or better yet, maybe his office could recommend a dermatologist. who might be more expert in dealing with this kind of issue.

Good luck!
 
asking for an oncologist seems jumping the gun.

we don't even know the lump is malignant and seems highly likely it is not going by non urgent response of Dr (more likely a lipoma or similar) and you certainly don't need an oncoligist to do a simple biopsy.
 
Michael Z said:
I have liked this doctor in the past but am thinking I should find another.
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According to your original post, it's been less than a week since the ultrasound. I personally wouldn't be overly concerned at this point and I certainly wouldn't leave a doctor that I'd been satisfied with in the past over this. Finding a good doctor isn't always easy. As @Nathan said, "don't throw out the baby with the bath water".

My original primary care guy retired a while back. The next one I tried (one who was "accepting new patients") turned out to be absolutely awful! It took me eight months to get a "new patient appointment" with my current doctor. I'm very satisfied with him, but I recently learned that he will be leaving the practice shortly to relocate to the other side of the country. You could get lucky, but if I were you I'd be reluctant to change docs. Work through it with them.

Rom. 12:12
 

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