Posted by AKC on July 27, 2001, at 13:11:34
In reply to Redirected: Doctors « Marsha, posted by Dr. Bob on July 27, 2001, at 12:26:26
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to vent my bad experience.
The fall of 1999, one Saturday evening, I began experiencing a pain in my right abdomen area. Happened to be that my mother was staying with me because I was in a deep depression. It got so bad I could hardly take a breath. So around midnight, we went to the emergency room. I was admitted, shot full of demerol, and scheduled to have my gall bladder removed the next morning. Mind you, I had no indication of gall bladder trouble prior to this evening.
The next morning, the surgeon did a sonogram and there was no indication of gall stones. So he canceled the surgery and told me to see my primary care physician to have tests done. He discharged me with a few Vicadon for the pain.
That Monday, I went to my PCP. I was still in pain, though not severe. She told me not to take the narcotic pain relief because of my history of alcoholism. She scheduled some tests including a pepida (sp?) scan - a nuclear scan of the gallbladder. After that scan, I had a major attack, which sent me to the ER again, shot full of demerol, loaded up with narcotics, sent home. Back to the PCP, lectured again about taking the narcotics, sent home with some lame pain relief, round and round we went.
Into week two - by now I have been to the emergency room three times and to a weekend clinic with acute attacks. None of these folks believe I am faking anything. My blood pressure is always off the charts. However, it is becoming obvious to me that my PCP is thinking I am faking the whole thing - of course, none of the tests show anything.
What gave? Her office dropped my HMO. That occurred two weeks into this, and I had to get a new primary care physician. So I saw a new doctor two weeks into this. She sent me for another pepida scan (still don't think I am spelling that right) - ordered the complete scan (which the first doctor had not done). It came back this time ambiguous. I had another bad attack within hours of the scan. Sent me to her favorite GI specialist. He felt around my abdomen in some special (and painful) way. He and my PCP concluded it was my gall bladder, and within one week of first seeing her, my gall bladder was out (and was diseased, and I have been pain free since then).
I was proved right in my suspicion when I picked up my medical records the Friday before I switched doctors. The "bad" doctor had noted clearly in my chart her belief that my pain was a symptom of my mental illness, not a real illness. I should have had the surgeon send her the gall bladder!
AKC
poster:AKC
thread:8116
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010726/msgs/8117.html