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COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...

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Blunt talk to the Dr.

Kanadian
Kanadian
Don't know if I have done the right thing or not but here goes. Where I live we do not have a pulmonary specialist. When I had a severe exacerbation 1 1/2 years ago I was attended to very well by an internist. She told my family that I would not last more than a week, then I found out that I was finally (at 70 years old) going to be a grandmother for the first time. She told me that I would not be here for that. Adam is now 9 months old. My last visit I told her I was going to be here to hear him call me grandma. She told me not to count on it, then prescribed theophalyn which if she had read any current literature, has not been used for years and which caused my face to swell up like a monster. Well her office called this morning and says it is time for me to see her again. I told the nurse how I felt about her and her treatment of me and why I did not want to see her again. I even suggested that this Dr. needs to take some courses on compassion and learn how depression with a terminal illness can affect our quality of life or our willingness to fight. The nurse suggested I talk to my family doctor before I make any my final decision. Now I am in a quandary, what if I end up back in ER and she is the attending doctor. I had already told my Dr that I didn't like the internist but like she said, we really have no one else. Felt good to unload on the nurse but what if I have cut off my nose to spite my face!
deleted_user
deleted_user
I feel bad for you that you are in this situation and you can't get out of it because there is no other doctor available locally.
If you are going back to the hospital and the doctor you don't like is the only one there I'm sure by law she has to treat you like anybody else. What you told her nurse should have no bearing on it what's so ever.
I don't know how the Canadian health care system works but are you allowed to see another doctor in another town preferably a larger town where you have more options? I would discuss this with the family doctor. I'm sure she would be understanding and perhaps together you could work something out. I wish you the best of luck!
Promises2Keep
Promises2Keep
Try writing the internist a letter expressing exactly how she made you feel. suggest she read up on current trends in CPD care, though, there are still people on theophalyn and I just yesterday read this article:

http://lungdiseasenews.com/2014/10/30/university-of-aberdeen-recruits-lung-disease-patients-for-copd-study/

You had a bad reaction. A family member felt badly treated by a Dr and wrote them a letter. He replied by letter. She is now one of his favorite patients and she loves him. They are human too. Can't hurt, right?

BTW..how are you doing with the stomach burning/possible prednisone reaction?
jarca
jarca
i'm sure you were nicer than i was when i fired my last dr in a rage in her full waiting room.
as a result i have a dr i now love & cares for me well.
but awhile back i went thru that quandry of "what if" i go to the hospital & she was on duty.
i talked to my kids because i was literally scared & stressing out over this. and they prettty much repeated what heike said; they told me that my old dr should be "professional" enough to act on my best behalf if such a situation arises & also that i have the right to ask for a different attending if i want.
they even assured me that THEY would ask for a diffferent dr if the situation ever occured & i was too afraid to do it myself.
i was going to write the old dr a letter, but my kids convinced me to let sleeping dogs lie & that i really don't want her caring for me under any circumstances, so why bring up what hasn't happened or give her "power" over me.
i also live in a tiny town & i spoke to my current dr about my fear. he told me to ask for someone else & he would get there a.s.a.p.

btw; it's been over 2 years now & i haven't been placed in the situation so my worry has been for nothing so far.

i'm sure that this isn't the first time your dr has been fired---good or bad dr, personalities just conflict sometimes & we change to a dr that better suits us.
(((HUGS)))
deleted_user
deleted_user
I have no choice but to be with the VA but I tell them up front what I like or don't and they can kiss my a__ if they don't like it. Have had great care with the Seattle VA and my LVRS but until recently my care at American Lake is getting to be a lot to be desired. Hope it improves but will see. Seems all the great doc's have retired and now left with?

Not too happy with it right now..

Sorry Kanadian, hope it gets better for you. Wish you had more help.
joany
joany
How awful! That internist obviously has some deep seated problems that have nothing to do with you. She sounds so enmeshed in her psycological issues that a note or one-on-one conversation from you to her won't help; and will probably increase anxiety in you. No one else in your area....I guess the only option you have is to speak with her direct report i.e. does she report to your Dr, who you've already spoken to? You need to register a complaint to the authorities - submit a documented complaint. Isn't there a board for problems like this?

In spite of her, you haven't allowed her dire predictions to define you. You sound disgusted with her, but not down on yourself. Good to "see" you. Keep on keeping on. Here's hoping help is on the way.
Imarighter
Imarighter
In cases such as these, I think it's very important to speak up and let not only the Dr. in question know how you feel, but also others that work with or around him or her. At our local clinic, we have a Dr. like that. She's rude, impatient, uncaring and just plain an ---hole. I have told the people at the clinic that I prefer to die before I will see her and I mean that sincerely. I cannot understand why she's still there.
zigzzagz65
zigzzagz65
Shame it's like that but I would hope the doctor is professional enough to treat you proper regardless whether they know you have a poor opinion of them or not. And if they get lippy with you remember you're the boss. Tell them to respect their elders and their obvious betters. Joking aside.... If a doctor gave you medically inferior treatment because they knew you had a poor opinion of them, or worse refused to treat you they should have their license pulled. Who knows, maybe she'll suck up to you like a whupped dog after your chastising. She might realise her errors.
zigzzagz65
zigzzagz65
Also I'd report this to hospital administration. They have ethics they have to follow and admin would certainly do something to correct it. Doctors may think they are gods but they still have bosses they have to answer to in hospital and answer to the college of physicians in private practice, so go to the top man in both the college and hospital admin with the issue and tell them you want to know something will be done about the attitude. Sounds like a bloody flippant rude answer telling you "don't count on it" when you tell them you want to live for your grandchilds sake. Tell them just that actually.....that you expect a positive attitude and encouragement to go with your medical treatment. The mind and body are one, you can't treat one and not the other. Now I'm getting annoyed too.