Most interesting Doctors appointment

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I had a pain clinic appointment and I had a new doctor this time...very nice, older doctor. I really like this guy a lot. He came into my exam room and actually took the time to talk to me. When he asked me how my pain levels were I told him the medications seemed to be working okay but my knees were really bad but that I knew that nothing was going to touch them except the replacements.

He then leaned down and actually examined my knees, which is the first time anyone has done that other than my ortho, and he told me how he felt fluid and swelling and the bone grinding on bone. He told me I must be in a whole lot of pain in the joints...I said yeah but I know I cant medicate that away and still be vertical...lol. He just grinned at me and told me I had a good outlook on this. He glanced at my chart and said..wow, you are on a very low dose of morphine and I said yeah I know but I dont want to increase it because I know that I am young and I will someday ...and he finished my sentence for me...and he told me that I was one of the smartest patients he has ever seen in the pain clinic.

We talked about how I am bipolar and how I have been with the same psychiatrist for all these years...and he was just so impressed with a patient that is compliant. I guess they dont see that much in a place like that. I guess I got a gold star in my chart today...lol.

It was a really busy day there and the computers went down and the patients were grumpy and one woman even through a fit and had to have the cops called on her. I was there over 5 hours...and I kept my cool and got a gold star...lmao...me...the bipolar one...lmao!
 

Steely

Active Member
I am SO glad you found a good DR - that is awesome. As you can see from my other post, I am just so frustrated with healthcare right now!!!!

And I am sure he was happy that you are a knowledgeable, compliant, smart patient!!!! :)

Here is hoping that he can make some progress with your poor knees.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
Good doctors make all the difference in the world. Yay for the gold star! It's hard to sit in a doctor's office that long when you have pain - really hard.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Janet, I suspect that the dr was as happy to be in your company as you were to be in his. So many pts are really dumber than dumb and it is so frustrating. They don't CARE what is wrong with-them. They just want the dr to fix it. Now.
You are intelligent and aware and work hard to reach your goals. Plus, this dr could see that you are in pain and are dealing well with-it. It was refreshing for him to have a real conversation with-someone, for sure!
Keep up the good work!
(And I know you could teach the meltdown lady at work a thing or two about anger and frustration.)
 
Janet,

A good doctor is priceless! Hold tight to him. I'm passing a gold star along to you as well. Isn't it wonderful to have found your peaceful centre, while you let the craziness of others move on by?

Valerie
 

DaisyFace

Love me...Love me not
I don't know whether you are a 'Seinfeld' fan -

but this story reminds me of the episode where Elaine went from doctor to doctor to doctor and kept getting a terrible reaction because of something that had been written in her chart.

I think it's WONDERFUL to get a gold star! (for anyone! Goodness knows I have felt like Elaine at the doctor from time to time!)

Good for you!!!
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Thanks guys. I dont know if I will have this same guy the next time I go but I hope so. There are a several doctors in this clinic. This is just a pain management clinic so they really dont do anything but help me manage the pain and they will do procedures on spines but they dont do anything on the knees which I dont quite understand. I wish they would at least do cortisone shots. However like we talked about, those are a catch 22 situation, the more I have those, the more my knee deteriorates.

I have thought of one thing, Susie has mentioned several times something called lidoderm patches which are squares that are infused with lidocaine and can be placed on the skin to help relieve pain sort of like those store bought icy hot patches but these numb you. I am going to ask the Dr for these since Susie says they help her.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
I'd give you a gold star, a smiley face, AND a scratch and sniff for making it thru 5 hours in a clinic that sounds that chaotic!

I bow down to the master...
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
I imagine 80% of the patients are medically uninformed, eager for an instant fix and distrustful of all MD's. You likely were a breath of fresh air.

Seriously I feel sorry for those with-o the capability to research and learn independently. Many times, especially in small communities, there are less than competent Dr's caring for those who don't know better. I hear stories often from our walkin customers. Sad.

Whre are you wearing your gold star????? DDD
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Lidoderm patches are a flippin' MIRACLE, janet. You cannot be walking around iwth them on a joint, but they will ease the pain as you are resting iwth your legs up enough to increase your mobility at least somewhat. They are expensive and worth every single penny. I should get mine free because I have created so many customers for them - my parents, three aunts, many many older friends from church, etc..., teachers at three school and family friends and profs/teachers I know from my parent's careers. At least twenty five, not including people on this board. ALL of them have been amazed and quite a few have been able to lower pain medications by using them.

You can only keep them on for 12 out of 24 hours, and you can only put three on at one time/one 24 hour period. But WOW the difference they make!!

They can be cut to size for easier use. I cut them in half for Jessie's knees and they are incredible. Hers are bad from the first car accident and got worse after this second one that the doctor said didn't happen. (IF it didn't happen why did her knees look like those small size soccer balls, or cantaloupes and why did huge bruises show up a week later? Hmmmm....???? Idiot Ahole doctor) . These have been hugely helpful for her.

I hope they help you. I know medicare pays for them also.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
well after sitting in the waiting room and listening to the other people in there I can understand why some of the doctors get irritated at the patients. The patients sit out there and complain because they keep getting pee tested and the docs wont give them the medications they want and blah blah blah. Well about half of the people in there dont look like they need to be there...okay maybe a fourth. You have folks who look like crack addicts or 25 year olds who look like Alex on Dr Phil or there was this maybe 25 year old AA guy with his shorts down under his butt cheeks and he didnt look like he had a problem in the world...he sure was boppin his shorts in and out of that office a lot to smoke his blunt out in the parking lot! Then I hear them complain about how it isnt fair that they cant smoke pot and how to beat the test for pot. Okayyyyyy!

And I just sit and dont wonder why I have only gotten tested twice since I have been going there....lol.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Janet I understand where you are coming from. Although my pain doctor won't see someone who looks like that 25yo at all. Not because age but because they appear to be in the drug culture. Pop positive on ONE test for things you are not supposed to be taking and you are gone. Period. Show up smelling like pot or stoned on anything, even drugs he rx's and you are gone. Period. The stoned thing is because you are supposed to take the same amt every day and after a few months you don't look or act high on them. So if you are, you are abusing them.

Until recently he didn't test everyoen all the time. Now he is starting to test at least at every other appointment. But he only sees you every 3 months. Last time I was there I sat and listened to what was going on. His phone nurse is now right at the main desk and every call I heard, at least six, were telling people that they were short on medications because they didn't take them as prescribed and they were not going to get an rx for more until it was due. Then I understood why the attitude from the nurse when my rx did not arrive. I missed one appointment, then was sent home from the next even though I did the urine test and it was exactly what was expected. But hearing every single caller give them a hard time and I understood.

My doctor tells me I am rare - honest about pain levels but other than saying that a medication wasn't working I don't ask for increases except at appts and rarely even then untill i ahve tried everything else. I even gave them ins records and notes from the pharmacy that I hadn't gotten the one rx filled at all. I still think the nurse didn't send it because the way she treated me, and because no other mail from them has ever taken more than three days, and usually it is in my mailbox the next business day. I call in the am and by the next afternoon I have it. But that one did not come and her attitude about sending it was combative and accusatory. because I only asked for enough to get me to the appointment, not a full month worth and somehow that was
evidence that I was abusing the medications.

He apologized for her - said it was because so many people do try to scam them for more medications. I am glad your doctor recognized that you were compliant and trying hard to get relief in other ways too. I hate hearing the people griping about not enough medications, etc.... They are so rude so often that it bothers me on the doctor's behalf.
 
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