Having issues with my pain clinic..need advice

[Dammit Janet]

I dont know if I have asked this before or not but here goes.

Okay, back in June , or maybe it was the end of May, my pain clinic doctor made this appt for me to have a procedure done on my back which essentially is some form of epidural pain block. He did it without asking me if I was okay with him setting it up for the next appointment which would have been Mid-July. He didnt explain the procedure at all, he just said there was a procedure and asked if I might be interested. I said I would look into it. At that point, he left the room and my appointment was over. He never came back and I was told to go to the waiting room to wait for check out. When they handed me my prescriptions and went to make my next appointment they told me they said I had to have this procedure done. Well I managed to talk my way out of it in July because of all the junk going on with my stomach and then I got in today because I was a last minute call in because I forgot to make my appointment last month. Well now they say I have to have this procedure.

However, this doctor didnt say a darned word to me about it while I was in the exam room where I could tell him that I dont want it. I dont want these people to do anything invasive to me. I have talked to many people in the waiting room there and most of the time nothing helps. They keep doing this stuff in the office in this strip mall because it makes more money for them. I let them do a trial one early on and it made things worse for me. After I got my recent MRI, my gp and I decided I would go see a neurosurgeon to make any decisions about what would happen regarding anything invasive to my back and that is where I am standing. My pain doc isnt happy with this. Well Im not thrilled that the pain doc wont even look at the newest MRI. I have even taken a copy of the disc in to them and their "system" doesnt have a dvd/cd drive nor do they have an email address I could email it to. WTH? Fine, you arent sticking any needles into my back then! You have no clue where you are sticking those needles. You can easily mess up a back and I dont trust these people that much. Pills are one thing. Invasive is another.

They cant force me can they?

[TeDo]

Absolutely not! You have the right to refuse any and all medical procedures. My dad was a diabetic and knew his body better than anyone so one time when he was is the hospital, a nurse took his blood sugar and it was high, they followed dr's orders and were going to give him the fast-acting insulin. He refused. The nurse called the dr and dr went to talk to dad about why he refused and what "will" happen as a result. Needless to say, the hospital staff learned a lesson that day because within 1/2 and hour his sugar was down to normal without the insulin "boost".

[Star*]

Janet -

I think you need to see help "ELSEWHERE" even if it's out of ROBBERS county. (yes I know how to spell - I spelt it correctly) and I spelled spelt the way I wanted to to, or also. To. Fini.

[upallnight]

You are in charge of your body. If he recommmends it, and you don't want it- it's fine. He's not going to drop you as a patient or anything. He has to go another route. And he will. I have a friend in NYC who is a neurosurgeon, some people have anyurisms in their brains- they opt for NO SURGERY, a sure death sentence for something easily fixed. If they don't want the surgery, she can't force them, even knowing they'll die.

That's a little extreme in this case of course, but the point is -the dr. has to respect you. He has to be professional. Don't accept anything less than that kind of treatment. I think that dr's do procedures all the time for the money. Ins. co's don't pay loads of money for office visits, but operations? Heck yeah!

[Ktllc]

Janet, they cannot force you in any way. No matter the argument they try using. I would be VERY suspicious of any doc refusing to look inti a second opinion/new datas (as in your new MRI). If you need the RX, you don' have to rush thing. You can keep this clinic until you find a new one.
A year ago I was on state family planning (medicaid for family planning and routine female exam). I went in to take my implant out. It was kind of an emergency as it was making me VERY sick. The nurse gives me a gown and asks me to undress for a pap smear. WHAT??? the implant is in my arm! And I said that I was not having a pap... Another nurse came in and told me that I had to have one because it was more than 1 year. I still said no. She came back and said that I will then not be covered under flamily planning for the implant removal. I said fine, I'll just use my high deductible (offers a bit of a discount) but REMOVE THIS STUPID IMPLANT!!!! Still nothing, someone comes back asking for proof of insurance. I was livid! I said I was in the system already but still gave my ins. card. They made me sign a paper stating that I was responsible for paying...
I have NEVER received a bill for anything, the implant removal was covered even though I refused a recommanded medical procedure.
Your body is not to be touched without your permission, no matter what kind of argument bad doctors will use (of course good doctors would never act like this, they care about the patients not the money).

[hearts and roses]

All they can do is recommend the procedure, you have the right to refuse it for ANY reason you want.

It may be time to set the record straight with this guy and his office....you are in charge of your body and you get to choose what procedures you have done. I understand it's slim pickins as far as drs go that are near you, so your first approach should be to let them know where you stand. Firmly.

[muttmeister]

Amen to what the others have said. It is your body and you are in charge of it. You do not have to have any procedure you do not want and if they don't like it I'd suggest they stick "something somewhere" in them. If they don't want to cooperate it is time to take your business elsewhere.

[Dammit Janet]

A friend on here suggested I take my business elsewhere in the state but that place is about two hours from me unless I can get them to refer me to a satellite office that isnt far from me but I dont know that they do pain control. I do think there may be a couple of places in the towns surrounding me but I would have to interview them before I left this place. I have a feeling most places are just as bad to be honest. You hear all the time on the news about the pill factories and this is what this is. I hear all the time in the waiting room about what high doses of medications most of the people are on and it simply astounds me. There are a few people who actually look like they are true pain patients but most look like they are there simply for the pills. Id say its half and half. I think one thing that confuses them is I wont allow them to increase my pain pills. That seems a foreign concept to them. Im sorry, I dont want to be a drug addict. I want to be in control of my medication. At this point it doesnt actually bother me physically other than an increase in pain if I dont have my pain pills. If I allowed them to increase me to what they would put me on, yeah, I would be in trouble.

[hearts and roses]

I have heard that most pain clinics specilaize in relieving pain and so that sort of goes hand in hand with drugs and epidural blocks. Usually, a patient is not referred to a pain clinic until they reach that necessary point. That said, however, as the patient, you still have final say as to what your treatment will be and what dosages you need to continue a decent quality of life and still function.

I swear, the Drs and pharmaceuticals are in cahoots with one another, kickbacks all over the danged place! Legal drug pushing, that's their business.

[Star*]

Janet -

Call DF and pick his brain about HIS thoughts on pain management, and like you - how LONG it took him suffering with a baboonskiester - of a "supposed" doctor with ZERO care in his Grinch heart fior the people he serviced. WHEN I FINALLY ----and I say IIIIIIIIII finally had it up to (makes wavy hand sign over head, on tippy toes) HERE.....with the multiple ER visits in the middle of the night, on school and work days (looking like a raccon when I got to work) and having it affect DUDEs schooling because how many kids REALLY want to hang out all night in the ER while their Step Dad beggs for a little more morphine - but looks like a biker and because of that they ASSUME he's into drug=seeking behavior?? Only then to come home, scream in the van with every tiny bump in the road, and then scream in pain for not being able to walk????

YEAH - ask MEEEEEE about finding a good, concerned, thoughtFUL pain management doctor - and he like you? Had the same issues - but WE FOUND one.....and the guy is AWESOME....and DF is now on his way DOWN from taking so many pain pills because THIS GUY CARES, LISTENS and wants his patients drug free.

CALL HIM......ASK HIM -----HE LOVES YOU ------you know he hates the phone but he will talk to you about this......MK? K.....I lov eyou too .....I just want you well - WE have a Vegas trip in a convertible to complete so I can scratch it off my oat bucket list.