Yesterday was awful. Just totally horrible.
First we went to the pain clinic. They pushed us off on the department head. He sat and mumbled about narcotics dangers. Apparently he is unaware of statistics and reputable studies that show if you treat pain with appropriate levels of pain medications the risk of addiction is below 1%. That is less than .01 chance of addiction. dependence is a factor but can be handled.
If you deny pain management then the risk of addiction SKYROCKETS. Becomes almost a certainty that a person, adult or child, will turn to alcohol, pot or other illegal and dangerous substances for relief. It becomes more and more inevitable the longer someone is left in constant chronic pain.
He refused to do ANYTHING. Just told us to look at where we want to be in a few months. I walked out. got up while he was talking and got Jess into the frimpin' WHEELCHAIR because she was shaking too hard and in too much pain to walk.
I was mad that we paid before the appointment. I won't do that again and will protest ANY payment by my insurance company.
Then we went to the hospital. Where I told FIVE people the same info. When the neuro resident came I blew up. Refused to list her medications. Told him they are in the chart - FOUR TIMES in the chart.
He is not a native born English speaker. CLEARLY does NOT understand the language unless things are said 3-4 times. It was awful. His medication students were trying not to laugh. The FOURTH time he left to answer his phone (which I almost took out of his hand as he was so RUDE with it - I did INSIST that he either stop answering it and pay attention to US or get another doctor - HIS boss told him to turn it off then) I asked his medication students if he had to have info repeated to understand it and they laughed and said it was "his way" to keep asking.
So for each answer from then I told him "XXX." Then he asked again and I said "I answered that with the only words I have. Those are the words, direct quotes, of what we were told are the test results/what the doctor said/etc.... I have no other words to express this. I have answered that." I had to say THAT twice for every question, but I STOPPED answering the second time. He had to go and talk to the medication students to have THEM repeat things to him.
Too much mistreatment is enough. Sometimes you simply must draw a line. It was time.
NOW they want me to believe we have to go to DALLAS for a video EEG. Or back to the first neurologist who refused to see us. I laughed at him when he said this. TOld him that the doctor stopped doing them and they were done at the hospital. NOT the doctor office. He SWEARS that the doctor's OFFICE does them. He is a fool.
So we are here with NO help. We are supposed to get the EEG next week, though they will NOT make an appointment for us and insist that Dallas and this doctor's office (who hangs us when we identify ourselves - when anyone with our insurance calls) is the only other option.
I was not rude, even when mad. I cooperated as long as I could. I really did. But my kid is in agony and WANTS TO DIE. All any of these docs can say is "I don't know" and "go home".
What is SO HARD about helping a child in crisis? About compassion? They treated us as if we were unreasonable to go to the ER - stood right outside our curtained area and talked about how we should have just waited for an appointment even though her limbs are going NUMB and staying that way for hours.
The pediatrician said it was time to go to the ER. The pain doctor said that on Sunday. The ER said we were a nuisance.
I did take a list of medications - typed. And a timeline of events with clear, detailed statements. But these docs cannot read. At one point I read aloud from the card - not to be rude but because there are only so many ways to say "The doctor said he is not interested in treating this". You cannot phrase it otherwise. It is a quote. Period.
I can see how the man in that old movie, John Q, took the hospital hostage until they treated his child. Yet another reason to not have firearms. Cause it seems pretty rational to me sometimes.
It was one thing when the docs pulled this with MY health. That is bad enough. But my kids? Cruelty abounds.
First we went to the pain clinic. They pushed us off on the department head. He sat and mumbled about narcotics dangers. Apparently he is unaware of statistics and reputable studies that show if you treat pain with appropriate levels of pain medications the risk of addiction is below 1%. That is less than .01 chance of addiction. dependence is a factor but can be handled.
If you deny pain management then the risk of addiction SKYROCKETS. Becomes almost a certainty that a person, adult or child, will turn to alcohol, pot or other illegal and dangerous substances for relief. It becomes more and more inevitable the longer someone is left in constant chronic pain.
He refused to do ANYTHING. Just told us to look at where we want to be in a few months. I walked out. got up while he was talking and got Jess into the frimpin' WHEELCHAIR because she was shaking too hard and in too much pain to walk.
I was mad that we paid before the appointment. I won't do that again and will protest ANY payment by my insurance company.
Then we went to the hospital. Where I told FIVE people the same info. When the neuro resident came I blew up. Refused to list her medications. Told him they are in the chart - FOUR TIMES in the chart.
He is not a native born English speaker. CLEARLY does NOT understand the language unless things are said 3-4 times. It was awful. His medication students were trying not to laugh. The FOURTH time he left to answer his phone (which I almost took out of his hand as he was so RUDE with it - I did INSIST that he either stop answering it and pay attention to US or get another doctor - HIS boss told him to turn it off then) I asked his medication students if he had to have info repeated to understand it and they laughed and said it was "his way" to keep asking.
So for each answer from then I told him "XXX." Then he asked again and I said "I answered that with the only words I have. Those are the words, direct quotes, of what we were told are the test results/what the doctor said/etc.... I have no other words to express this. I have answered that." I had to say THAT twice for every question, but I STOPPED answering the second time. He had to go and talk to the medication students to have THEM repeat things to him.
Too much mistreatment is enough. Sometimes you simply must draw a line. It was time.
NOW they want me to believe we have to go to DALLAS for a video EEG. Or back to the first neurologist who refused to see us. I laughed at him when he said this. TOld him that the doctor stopped doing them and they were done at the hospital. NOT the doctor office. He SWEARS that the doctor's OFFICE does them. He is a fool.
So we are here with NO help. We are supposed to get the EEG next week, though they will NOT make an appointment for us and insist that Dallas and this doctor's office (who hangs us when we identify ourselves - when anyone with our insurance calls) is the only other option.
I was not rude, even when mad. I cooperated as long as I could. I really did. But my kid is in agony and WANTS TO DIE. All any of these docs can say is "I don't know" and "go home".
What is SO HARD about helping a child in crisis? About compassion? They treated us as if we were unreasonable to go to the ER - stood right outside our curtained area and talked about how we should have just waited for an appointment even though her limbs are going NUMB and staying that way for hours.
The pediatrician said it was time to go to the ER. The pain doctor said that on Sunday. The ER said we were a nuisance.
I did take a list of medications - typed. And a timeline of events with clear, detailed statements. But these docs cannot read. At one point I read aloud from the card - not to be rude but because there are only so many ways to say "The doctor said he is not interested in treating this". You cannot phrase it otherwise. It is a quote. Period.
I can see how the man in that old movie, John Q, took the hospital hostage until they treated his child. Yet another reason to not have firearms. Cause it seems pretty rational to me sometimes.
It was one thing when the docs pulled this with MY health. That is bad enough. But my kids? Cruelty abounds.