Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Doctor Frustrations Continue

When I had my first appt. with my new Rheumy, they scheduled my return visit for July 8. Today his office calls to tell me that the earliest appt. they have is on July 29. That would be O.K. if it were not for the fact that he only gave me a month's script for this new medication. When I brought this up to the receptionist, along with the fact that he had taken me off my regular NSAID, she said she didn't know what to tell me and that she would ask his nurse to call me. Well, no call yet. Maybe she'll call tomorrow, but I doubt it. It looks like I'm gonna completely be "med-free" in a couple of weeks if I don't go see my G.P. So if I've got to rely on him for my A.S. treatment, will someone please tell me what do I need a Rheumatologist for?

Been on the same boat myself......
Had to drag my hurting bones to GP...and beg him for meds when Rheumy couldnt squeeze me in any sooner.....

Hope you get some meds.....it's a real bummer to go med free....cuz when it flares...boy oh boy....does one feel it.....!!

Take care.....
Here's hoping to some pain free days for you.......



Toodles!
Angie

Johnny, I'd call em and get the doc to extend the 'scripts until your next appt. Keep calling back until you get an answer....
Easy for me to say, my eyes have been burning and aching for some time now, the rheumy kindof blows it off... "oh conjunctivitis is common with AS" and he hasn't returned MY calls either....
GEEZ!
Darla

"Starting today, your kindness will lead you to success" from a recent fortune cookie

Well, I am from the school of thought that if you call every single day morning, noon and night and bug them crazy they will usually do something just to get rid of you. Couldn't hurt, might help. But then... you usually need to go a-hunting for a new doctor after they get that sick of you.

Good luck!

Winona

"Take care of the sense, and the sounds will take care of themselves"
Lewis Carroll

Hi Johnny, I had a problem a while ago. Doc was busy and messages weren"t getting through to him. The last time I called I said "I hope I don't need a lawyer just to get my meds" and It took less than 5 minutes for him to call back.
Hey, I was mad!..........Hope

Same boat here. I called my Rhuemy after my allergic reaction to Bextra to see what I could take instead. Nurses said they would call me back and........NOTHING. So I called the next day.......NOTHING. Then the next day..........NOTHING. I went two weeks without any NSAIDS. Fortunately she gave me Methotrexate for flare-ups only. I started taking that and feel much better. However, I see her tomorrow and these are the questions I posing to her:

1. How can I get in touch with you?
2. Are you aware that your support staff is not being helpful?

The other thing I forgot to mention is that she has ordered an MRI "twice" for me. Her staff has been supposed to be checking with my insurance company to see if they will cover it. The first MRI was supposed to be done in March. The staff never placed the calls. Which leads me to the other fact. Is it the Rhuemy's or the staff around them?

I like the lawyer trick...maybe that's next.

Allison

Hi Allison....
I dont believe I've met you......hi !
Just wanted to ask you...what type of allergic reaction did you have to Bextra??? How long were you on it?? The reason I ask is......I just started it ...but nothing for pain relief.....that's 20mg a day.....but I have not been taking it religiously.

I am deathly allergic to aspirin and so far have had allergic reactions to Mobic, Tolectin, Relafen, Vioxx, and Sulfasalazine was the worst!

Take care.....



Toodles!
Angie

Hi Johnny - Sorry to hear of your recent battles - how completely frustrating!

The thing that sticks out to me is all these similiar stories sound like Canada's health care crisis - except most of you seem to be from the States. In Ontario, we have a doctor shortage (particularly certain specialists) but never would my Rheumy put me in this situation!

Also - we have a program in Ontario, Telehealth. They have registered nurses, 24-7. If you are experiencing an unusual symptom and worrying about a drug side effect - they help you over the phone. Great for long weekends up north where the nearest hospital is verrry far. The 'not so great part' is if you throw something complicated at them (AS), they tell you to go to the ER or wait to see your Doc. The purpose of this program is not to provide us with excellent health care (go figure) but rather to keep the costs down by eliminating useless trips to emerg for stuff that really isn't.

I guess I should really count my blessings that I am living in a huge urban area. Are most of you living rurally? Is this part of the problem. Man, if I was choosing & paying for health care directly - my expectations would be higher. But I guess expectations are just that, eh?

Hope you find a satisfactory way of getting your Doc's attention.
Best of luck to you Johnny,

mig

Hi. I'm not sure we've met, if we haven't I want to say welcome to our wonderful site.

Bit confused about the reference to MTX for flares, since it takes MTX four to six weeks to work and symptoms usually come back when it's discontinued. I couldn't stay on it long enough to get any relief because of the side effects.

Cheryl

Dogs believe in long term relationships

Johnny---You've had problems with this new Doc from the get go---I say dump him and get another one. You can probably get another appointment with a new Doctor sooner than dealing with this jerk. You have a gut feeling about this guys ability so just go with it, fire him and move on.