new doctor? not this one!

Thursday I went 45 minutes away to see a new cardio. She (I liked the fact it was a woman) was also a DO. These are medical folks who tend to treat the whole person, not just the diseased part. So I was very excited and hopeful. Well, this woman comes in, does not sit down (present cardio always sits) gives me ten minutes of her time (did I mention this was my FIRST visit?) and asks me hardly any questions. I was still trying to tell her more as she walked out of the room. She also decided I needed a stress test (because I never had one) and an echocardiogram. There are not reasons for this. I think she just wanted to justify my visit, perhaps pacify me by ordering tests and get home. I was so sad when i left I started crying and took a wrong turn making my ride home an extra hour. It was an easy decision to cross her off my list, but when I called the next day-Friday- her office hours were 8-10 am. no joke.
But the good news is the nurse at my present cardio got my insurance company to cover my genetic long qt test. I might stay with the doctor just because of his nurse. She has been fantastic. So that is my next adventure in this new normal.
judy

3 Comments

Poor Girl

by NiceNiecey - 2014-04-13 11:04:09

Wow, what an experience. If she had told you someone had just gone into cardiac arrest in the next room, you would have understood. But she was actually walking out while you were still asking questions? Worst manners ever.

I've stayed places and done things because of just one person, too, sometimes one good person and other times, just one BAD person that ruins the whole experience. The nurse sounds like it's worth staying with the first guy. Let her know!

All the best,
Niecey

Reasons for Stress Test

by HK - 2014-04-14 03:04:55

You do not have to take your doctor home to love with you. That does not give any health care professional the right to treat you poorly. You may indeed need a stress test and I can tell you from personal experience that I knew there was something wrong with my pacer, told anybody who would listen (including my wife) but got no response, no concern, and certainly nothing that even resembled sympathy because I was not feeling well. I finally told myself I was mad as hell and was not going to take it any more. At my last interrogation my Medtronic rep told me everything was great to which I replied, maybe but I feel like shit, out of breath whenever I exert myself and generally unable to recover from the 10 days in CCU along with an emergency external PM and then Perm PM implant. My Cardio finally gave in ( I think because he was sick of my complaints) and ordered a stress test. Guess what? During the stress test, at the time my heart rate reached 130 my own pacemaker started blocking me 2:1. This is very bad and means that the upper chambers would beat 2 times for every 1 lower chamber. Blocking means that there is no way I would ever get the air I needed to improve, progress or rehabilitate myself. But, there it was, right there on the ECG readout right along with the dumbfounded look on my Cardio's face while I nearly passed out gasping for air. Empirical evidence there was something wrong. I went to see my EP who took nearly 45 mins to look deep into the controls of my PM. He fixed the damn thing!!! I couldn't believe it. I felt better immediately and I have never looked back. So, the stress test is a most valuable test because the interrogation shows only the function at rest and we, as humans, do not always rest. Get the tests, make sure everything works well and remember you do not have to bring your physician home, just deal with him/her as best you can, ask as many questions as you have and do not take no for an answer. Best of luck,
HK

tests

by judyblue - 2014-04-14 08:04:50

HK: I am glad you pushed for the test. I however do not have those concerns. she ordered the tests without asking me hardly anything. Her reasoning was simply because I did not have one. I don't need one. I can get my heart rate up without feeling bad, don't get out of breath, etc. That is what really sent up a red flag for me: she figured she was doing her job by ordering tests. Meanwhile she did not address any of my other concerns because she had me all figured out in ten minutes and had better things to do. I will stay with original doc until some other things get settled, then look again. meanwhile I will ask around.
And as always, thank you all for your comments

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